August 24th 1917

A song that recalls an incident in Blyth, Northumberland where young soldiers of the Warwickshire Regiment were preparing for service in the First World War.

BLYTH SANDS

The sun was out early that warm August day
Our Warwickshire lads had been sent far away
To a camp in the North East preparing for war
Most not yet twenty so young and so raw.

They'd been marching all morning in sweltering heat
Sweating, exhausted half dead on their feet
Arriving at Blyth Town they were ordered to rest
Bathe in the North Sea before their next test.

Six hundred soldiers ran onto the beach
Laughing and joking along the tide's reach
But the joy of that moment would soon turn to grief
When the pull of the current took men underneath.

Lt Colonel Chatterley sat high on his horse
Anxiously watching more waves changing course
His charges were swimming near to the land
But the wild swirling sea was beyond his command

Sgt John Riley was just back from France
He dived in to save them but stood little chance
Some waded out bravely grabbed five with their hands
But nine lives were taken that day on Blyth Sands.

The youngest to die was a boy from Kings Heath
His father stood dumbstruck in sheer disbelief
"This cannot have happened", poor Mrs Blunn said
She couldn't accept that her Jesse was dead.

At the inquest on Monday there were questions to ask
Coroner Rutherford had the sad task
"To swim there was madness", one fisherman claimed
But the jury decided no one should be blamed.

Lt Colonel Chatterley etc

Tom Patterson

This song is on You Tube at Tom Patterson Singer Songwriter     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7iga4_SC0s