Comrades
By 2nd Lieut. Riki Smith
The air was filled with madness,
As up the hill we strove,
Their bullets traced their downward path,
Even in the olive grove.
Fate picked out her victims
Ere higher ground was gained;
The unsung S.G.’s ((Stretcher Bearers)) stayed behind
While lead and shrapnel rained.
At last the grade was conquer’d.
But things were still quite grim;
His tanks were there to greet us,
So backward came we to the brim.
The wounded now were cut right off
And without some flanking aid
The order came to work further back
A counter to evade.
The boss gave out his order
That the wounded must be got,
And eager comrades rallied,
’Though things were still quite hot.
Deep-hearted sighs were uttered –
The only greetings made –
As back to friendly fingers
Across the dawning glade.
Such deeds bind truer friendships,
And will live on every tongue,
Where’er there’s a gathering,
Until the day is done.
And now we bow in silence,
For greater love had they
To lay their lives so others
Can follow the same way.
We pray to Tu our War-God,
Though they’re under foreign skies,
To take their Spirits homeward
Where Cape Te Reinga lies.
(1944)
I’ll bet the writer of this poem has roots in New Zealand.
For a photograph of Riki Smith, who, from what I can find, was LDS, see:
http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/photo/capt-riki-smith
The poem was published in Te Karere, the New Zealand Mission magazine (analogous to the Millennial Star)
I wondered about the reference to the olive grove. It turns out that the 28th Maori Battalion was part of the 2nd New Zealand Division, and fought in Greece, North Africa and Italy. About 700-900 men were in the Battalion at any one time; during the five years from its formation to the end of the war upwards of 3,600 men served in it, and over 650 died in action. (One source says 3,600 men served in the Battalion, another says 6,000. If this were something other than a blog comment I might try to reconcile those numbers.)
The 28th Maori Battalion was the most decorated battalion in the New Zealand Army during the 2nd World War.
Knowing a little something about the poet and poem, I find the last verse especially moving (and very appreciative it appeared where it did).