The 408 Squadron Groundcrew
Again the evening dusk doth deepen into dark,
As the weary ground crew leave the aircraft, in its dispersal park,
They’ve labored here since the early light of dawn,
And soon the laden aircraft, once more, into the night is gone.
They’ve labored here, day long, to patch each wounded plane,
That returned to base in early morn; so it may fly again
This night, and carry forth its dreaded load of fearful death,
Perhaps, to be delivered with the aircrew men’s last breath.
These ground crew whose devotion to their plane does surely show; Do labor here each day, in rain or shine, in sleet, in hail or snow;
They’ve seen so many of the air crews as at night they do depart,
And in the morn they find a bleak dispersal, theirs, with a tearful, aching heart.
Betimes they see a young wife, now in her widow’s weeds;
Such a sorry payment for her husband’s gallant deeds,
The war had called him forth, and to this place he’d bravely come;
One of the very many, who, to the German fury did succumb.
There were so very many, year over year, each name on name,
Who had helped to build this squadron’s fearsome fame,
To tell of the tons delivered, of the many targets struck,
And of death, sometimes avoided, by a great, good stroke of luck
And how these good, ground crew men would revel in the knowing,
That the aircrew’s tour was over and now they are homeward going,
No one did count the endless, devoted hours these good ground crew did give
To ensure each plane was perfect so that the aircrew might just live.
So these fine ground crew worked each day of every season,
Proud unsung heroes that they were, and proud with much good reason,
They did a splendid job, with peerless work in every situation,
Stand tall, good men, and take the thanks of aircrew and your nation.
But most of ,all, while you stand tall, the air crews get the glory,
For they are in the sky while bullets fly, and so the end of story,
But they do know, as you do know, for even the best aircrew,
Without your skills, devotion too, no aircraft ever flew.
Wally Kasper