5 Coy - 10 Para

Duke of York's Barracks
Kings Road
London

Major Don Forbes MBE TD was the first OC with WO2 (CSM) Les Lindsay. Lt Col Larry Orpen-Smellie OBE with
WO2 (CSM) Brian Chafer BEM and then Major Norman McKay TD with Brian Chafer at first and then WO2 Alan Mortimer.
Malcolm Radley Was the CQMS.

Most if not *all* the soldiers who formed 5 Coy had seen military action somewhere in the world... 
From Palestine, Aden, Northern Ireland and The Falklands... below is a tribute to those Airborne soldiers who died in battle and to those who survived. 

Return to Northern Ireland 1969
Another tour, another bloody tour across the water,
Remembering sights of wanton slaughter.
Army and police in a mixed patrol,
the vehicle checkpoints and crowd control.

The spitting, the shouting, the abusive calls,
The sniper, the shot a comrade falls,
A barrage of bricks, the catapulted stones,
Torn bleeding flesh and splintered bones.

Beatings, kicking’s, kneecapping and killing,
Soldiers blown to pieces at Enniskillen.
The young, the old, the meek and mild,
No remorse shown for man or child.

More sectarian murders ready to greet,
Bullet scars on buildings down Leeson Street.
Unmoved bodies in a bullet-ridden car
Booby-trapped hedges across South Armagh.

Cursing and swearing from mouthy kids,
Petrol-bombs thrown at armoured pigs.
Searching eyes look out from Divis Flats,
Machine-guns poke below bullet-proof slats.

Time to leave again but I'm not alone.
Heading for Belfast, Derry or County Tyrone.
Seeing the sights of wanton slaughter,
to another bloody tour across the water.

The Falklands War - Goose Green
Arnhem grit returning back
Seen again in this frontal attack.
Charging the enemy in a last run,
Outnumbered now at three to one.

Here to fall with others,
The red devils sons and brothers.
Blood on moss covered stones,
Sunray down, our Sunray Colonel H Jones.

Pegasus Bridge

France, D-Day - 1944
On the dawn of D-Day the sixth of June,
Glider borne troops came from the sky.
Two bridges their objectives were lit by the moon
Some to live, some to die,
On the dawn of D-Day the sixth of June.

Like silent black bats each glider swoops in
Thought and emotions hidden under camouflaged skin
Pilots easing controls as treetops pass by
On the day of destruction and those to die.

Soldiers pray inwardly not breathing a sound,
Disembarking quickly as they crash land across the ground.
Each man rushing forward in a nervous sweat
Attacking the bridges in proud silhouette.

Bravery and daring now being shown,
Machine-guns blazing, grenades already thrown,
A surprised enemy sentry quickly turns and looks
Seeing the advancing men from the Oxford and Bucks.

Too late now his enemy curses, too late his defiant cry
Some to live, some to die.
On the dawn of D-Day the sixth of June.

Thanks to:

Please wear a Poppy for me
By Scarf Jones
Ox. and Bucks, GreenJackets and Royal Green Jackets (Ret'd)
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