THEY DIDN’T KNOW (ITALY 1944)
DEEP DOWN IN THE HEART OF ITALY,
T’WAS NOT SO LONG AGO
THAT THE ITIES WERE OUR ENEMIES
CAUSE THERE’S THINGS THEY DIDN'T KNOW.
NEVER DREAMED THAT THE GREAT MUSSOLINI
WHEN AGREEING TO HITLER’ S ACT
WAS TO SHARPEN A MIGHTY DAGGER,
TO STAB US IN THE BACK.
THEY NEVER EXPECTED THE NAZIS,
WOULD MOLEST THEN LIKE THEY DID
THEY TERRIFIED THE WOMEN
AND FRIGHTENED EVERY KID.
THEY ROBBED THEM OF THE TREASURES,
TOOK SEVENTY LIRES FOR A MARK
THEY RECCE’D THEIR SITES IN DAYLIGHT
AND INVADED AFTER DARK.
THEY GUZZLED VERMOUTH AND VINO,
ATE UP THE FOOD LIKE HOGS
IF THE ITIES TRIED TO STOP THEM
THEY SHOT ‘EM DOWN LIKE DOGS.
BUT NOW THE WHOLE STORY CHANGES,
AND WE KNOW BEYOND A DOUBT
THEY’RE ONLY TOO GLAD TO SURRENDER
AND SEE THE JERRYS CHASED OUT.
THEY EXTENDED A HEARTY WELCOME,
TO THE FRIENDS THEY NEVER KNEW
THEY'RE GLAD TO BE OUR ALLIES
FOR THEY KNOW WE’LL SEE THEN THROUGH.
WE HAD TO SHELL THEIR CITIES
T‘WAS THE ONLY THING TO DO
WE WERE MET WITH STRONG RESISTANCE
WHICH WE CONQUERED, IT IS TRUE.
OUR AIR FORCE POUNDED NAPLES,
THE NAVY SANK THEIR FLEET
THE ARMY MADE A LANDING
FORCING JERRY TO RETREAT.
THE HARBOUR LOOKED DESERTED,
THE CITY WAS A SIGHT
THE NATIVES LOOKED DISGUSTED
WONDERING WHERE THEY’D SLEEP THAT NIGHT.
MOUNT VESUVIUS WAS SPITTING LAVA,
THREATING ANY MOMENT TO POP
IT HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER
AND REALLY BLEW THE TOP,
THE TOWN IN THE SURROUNDING AREA,
WAS BURIED BY STONE AND CLAY
THE SUN WAS CLOUDED OVER
AND THE SKY RAINED MUD ALL DAY.
MUSSOLINI WAS THROWN OUT OF POWER,
VICTOR EMANUEL SAID YOU ARE THROUGH
BAGDOLIO WILL TAKE YOUR OFFICE
HE CAN’T BE MORE DESTRUCTIVE THAN YOU.
SO ON WENT THE BATTLE FOR FREEDOM,
MID MOUNTAINS HIGH AND STEEP
VEHICLES WERE STUCK IN THE VALLEYS
THE MUD WAS SOFT AND DEEP.
THE JERRYS MADE A STRONGHOLD,
THE ADVANCE WAS MIGHTY SLOW
BUT PREPERATIONS WERE WELL IN PROGRESS
LEADING UP TO A BIGGER SHOW.
THEN THE CANADIANS ARRIVED FROM SICILY
JUST WAITING FOR THE TIME
LATER CONCENTRATED IN RAVISCANIA
A FULL CANADIAN CORPS.
THERE WITH THE MAIN EIGHTH ARMY,
JUST WAITING FOR THE TIME
TO OPEN THE BIG OFFENSIVE,
AGAINST THE MIGHTY HITLER LINE
EARLY IN THE MONTH OF APRIL
THE WEATHER WAS DRY AND CLEAR
AN IDEAL TIME FOR THE OFFENSIVE,
WE HADN'T THE LEAST TO FEAR
HITLER’S GANG WAS STRONG IN CASSINO,
BUT MONASTERY HILL HAS THE STORY TO TELL
HOW THE WELL PLANED OUT OFFENSIVE
REALLY GAVE THEM A TASTE OF HELL.
ELEVENTH OF MAY WAS SET FOR THE DEADLINE,
ZERO HOUR WAS ELEVEN THAT NIGHT
TWO THOUSAND CANNONS WERE READY
TO BLAST THEM FROM THEIR HEIGHTS.
AT A MINUTE TO ZERO HOUR,
THE CANNONS CAME INTO PLAY
THE EARTH BEGAN TO TREMBLE
THE SKY LIT UP LIKE DAY.
AND ON THE FOLLOWING MORNING,
THE GUNS WERE ROARING STILL
WE HADN’T TAKEN THE MONASTERY
BUT WERE MUCH CLOSER TO THE HILL.
NEXT DAY SAW THE END OF THE BATTLE,
THAT BROKE THE GUSTAVE LINE
THE SURRENDER OF THE MONASTERY
THAT WILL GO DOWN IN THE AGES OF TIME.
THE ONE TIME TOWN OF CASSINO,
WHERE VICTORY WAS HARD TO GAIN
SHOWS RUINS AND MASSES OF DEBRIS
WITH NOTHING LEFT BUT THE NAME.
WE MOURN THE LOSS OF OUR COMMRADES,
WHO HAVE WILLINGLY GIVEN THEIR LIVES
WE CONVEY OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY
TO THEIR MOTHERS, SWEETHEARTS AND WIVES.
ON THE HILL THAT REMAINS OF THE MONASTERY,
THAT SERVED AS A FORT FOR THE FOE
THEY LEFT THEIR DEAD ON THE SURFACE
AND THE WOUNDED DYING BELOW.
THEN NORTHWARD BOUND FROM CASSINO,
HUGE CONVOYS WERE BEGNNING TO ROLL
GUNS, TANKS, SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT
ALL MOVING WITH PERFECT CONTROL.
THE JERRYS WERE SWIFTLY RETREATING,
DID THEIR BEST TO CAUSE US MISHAPS
THEY BLEW ALL THE BRIDGES BEHIND THEM
LAID MINES AND ALL SORTS OF TRAPS.
THE ENGINEER WERE SWEEPING FOR LAND MINES,
THEY HAD BRIDGES TO BUILD BY THE SCORE
WHILE BEHIND THEM IN THE CAPTURED AREA
THE ARTILLERY CONTINUED TO ROAR.
THE ADVANCE WAS FAST AND STEADY,
AS TOWN AFTER TOWN WOULD FALL
THERE’S No QUITTING NOW UNTILL VICTORY
IS OURS ONCE AND FOR ALL.
PONTICORVO WAS ANOTHER CASSINO,
THE SCENE OF THE BATTLE HARD FOUGHT
THE CANADIANS WERE REALLY WELL WORTHY
OF THE PRAISES AND CREDIT THEY GOT.
THEN ONWARD TO FROSINONE,
WE’RE REALLY DRIVING THEM HOME
THERE’S NO STOPPING NOW FOR THE ALLIES
WE’RE GOING RIGHT INTO ROME.
THE CANADIANS WERE PULLED OUT OF BATTLE
FOR REASONS I DO NOT KNOW
SENT TO REST BACK OF RAVISCANINA
PERHAPS TO PREPARE FOR ANOTHER SHOW.
THIS IS NOT LIKE THE LEAVES IN ENGLAND,
SOME SHEIKS WE USED TO BE
BUT WE’RE ENJOYING THE GOOD OLD SUNSHINE
AND GO SWIMMING IN THE SEA.
THE ITIEs DO ALL OF OUR WASHING,
IN EXCHANGE FOR FOOD AND SMOKES
IN THE EVENING SOME PLAY POKER
OTHERS READ, WRITE OR TELL JOKES.
BUT WE DON’T FORGET THERE’S A WAR ON,
AND STILL A BIG JOB TO BE DONE
WE’ER ANXIOUS To GET BACK IN THE FRONT LINE
AND SEE THE VICTORY WON.
THE EIGHTH ARMY IS RIGHT IN THERE PITCHING,
THE YANKS ARE BATTING REAL WELL,
THE AIR FORCE HAVE BOMBERS IN THE OUT FIELD
THE JERRYS ARE JUST CATCHING HELL.
THE UMP CALLED THIS THE FIRST INNING,
THE JERRYS NEVER SCORED A RUN
AND THERE’RS PLENTY MORE BALLS TO BE FIRED
WE’RE NOT PLAYING THIS GAME FOR FUN.
SO WE’LL TAKE THE UMPYS DECISION,
AND CALL THIS THE END OF ROUND ONE
PART TWO WILL COMPLETE THE STORY
OF THE VICTORY THE ALLIES WON.
WE ARE STILL GOOD FRIENDS OF THE ITIES,
AND ALWAYS WELCOME US IN
BUT WE. CAN’T STAY HERE FOR EVER
WE HAVE BUSINESS IN BERLIN.
SIGMN. AL MELANSON,
#1 Canadain Special Wireless,
Section TYPE. “B“
Italy 1944
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