Tom Carslaw @tomcarslaw – Here is the memorial to the 51st at St Valery. It is at the cliff top where our soldiers watched in vain for rescue craft

Inspired by hearing from my father, 65 years ago, of the sacrifice of the 51st Highlanders in 1940 to enable the Dunkirk ‘Miracle:

https://suno.com/s/gLe7NANJG8FK3AVr

Lyrics:

It was the winter of nineteen thirty-nine

When we arrived at France’s Maginot Line

We were more than fifteen thousand strong

Ready to stand our ground against the hun

From the Maginot Line we came late to Saint Valery

The panzers dashing to the coast were soon upon us

We paid a bloody price on Winston Churchill’s say

Marched ten thousand strong to years behind the wire

In the front line we were all fighting highlanders

The Seaforth, Cameron, Gordon and the Argylls

With the Black Watch, holders of the line at Arras

And gunners, medics and drivers from every part

From the Maginot Line we came late to Saint Valery

The panzers dashing to the coast were soon upon us

We paid a bloody price for a plan that could only fail

 Marched ten thousand strong to years behind the wire

Every island, village and town felt the losses

Some lost every single young man they had

Left behind in France to face the blitzkrieg

It’s a betrayal that will never be forgotten

From the Maginot Line we came late to Saint Valery

The panzers dashing to the coast were soon upon us

We paid a bloody price for a plan that could only fail

 Marched ten thousand strong to years behind the wire

When the blitzkrieg came, we were divided

The Germans dashed between us and the rest

The Brits headed fast for the coast to escape

But we were told to stay and hold the line

From the Maginot Line we came late to Saint Valery

The panzers dashing to the coast were soon upon us

We paid a bloody price for a plan that could only fail

 Marched ten thousand strong to years behind the wire

For six months we fought a bloody rearguard

To protect the left flank of the weary French

Arriving in Saint Valery too late, far too late

And thick fog took away our very last chance

From the Maginot Line we came late to Saint Valery

The panzers dashing to the coast were soon upon us

We paid a bloody price for a plan that could only fail

 Marched ten thousand strong to years behind the wire

Ten thousand and more of us forced to surrender

A long brutal march with damn little food or water

Twenty miles a day and murdered if you couldn’t

Five long years away from our homes and families

From the Maginot Line we came late to Saint Valery

The panzers dashing to the coast were soon upon us

We paid a bloody price for on Winston Churchill’s say

 Marched ten thousand strong to years behind the wire

When we returned, many left behind in the ground

Churchill was the big hero who saved the country

But when it came to the next chance to vote

With our English pals we booted him right out

From the Maginot Line we came late to Saint Valery

The panzers dashing to the coast were soon upon us

We paid a bloody price for a plan that could only fail

 Marched ten thousand strong to years behind the wire

From the Maginot Line we came late to Saint Valery

The panzers dashing to the coast were soon upon us

We paid a bloody price for a plan that could only fail

 Marched ten thousand strong to years behind the wire

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