One of our members was a regular contributor to the "wing tips" newsletter "the poet's corner" and on the January 1st attack by the Luftwaffe, he wrote the following poem.


Memories of a 'Not So Happy' New Year’s Day


Who of us will ever forget
That memorable New Year’s Day
The ominous hum as bullets spun

And pierced the hidings where we lay?
It all began so strangely
As round our drone they came
Across the sky we watched them fly
Then heard the shells & bullets rain.

'Twas poor old Melsbroek got it first
Then altitude they quickly gained.
Around they spun for they weren't done,
No longer was their target feigned.


Across they came the first attack
In hordes, in droves, they strafed;
Our minds were rant while theirs hell bent
"to kill, to kill" they laughed

They laughed, they laughed, I know they did
For sitting ducks we were.
Some sixty they fell on their prey
And shot us up for fair.

They climbed & dove with chattering guns
We lay there stiff with fear
There in our lairs we said our prayers
On the first day of this year

Five spits of ours roared from the deck
And strove to drive them off
Shot down six Huns with blaring guns
Through odds extremely rough

One spit while scarcely off the deck
Before his wheels were up,
He got his Hun-but in the fun
Was shot down by a Nazi pup

The minutes dragged like hours,
And there were sure twenty five
The bullets spat while I lay flat
Well frightened, unhurt, alive.

Old lady luck had been with me
I’d thought my life was over,
A grimy mess, I must confess
As I gazed out through the door.

Yet some lady luck had not been
Bullets found them hiding there.
The fiendish hun had got our Bob
We lost a pal both fair and square.

The New Year came in with a bang
As you can plainly see,
And you can bet we'll ne'er forget
That gruesome day, that Nazi spree.


Don Robb, maintenance 127 wing