Thomas Brown G M

Thomas Brown died in his teens
A hero of his country
He never learned to fire a gun
But yearned to do his duty

Born in nineteen twenty-six
To a North Shields mam and daddy
The deeds he was destined to do
Would make his family happy

Just sixteen years old when he tried
To join the Royal Navy
The powers that be told him “No!”
We don’t enlist young laddies

But Thomas wasn’t the type of lad
To take “No!” for an answer
Still only sixteen years of age
He enlisted with the NAAFI

He served on H M S Petard
A new “P’ class destroyer
So pleased to serve upon a ship
Built on the Tyne by "Vickers"

In October nineteen-forty-two
Patrolling near Port Said
His ship attacked a U-Boat
And forced it to the surface

Thomas with two other men
Swam to the stricken vessel
To retrieve all documents
They could lay their hands on

The other two brave sailors
Died in the operation
But Thomas brought back papers
Vital to our Nation

The Enigma Code Books
That’s what we now call them
All the secrets they revealed
Helped us beat the Germans

When the war was over
He went back to his family
But sadly perished in a fire
He hadn’t yet turned twenty

No knowledge had his parents
Of his deeds courageous
Until the day that they received
A letter from the King*

Saying

Your son has been awarded
For gallantry my Medal
For his fearless actions
In the face of peril

Thomas Brown died in his teens
A hero of his country
He never learned to fire a gun
But boy he did his duty

@ rowland paul hill 21 April 2020

* George VI

https://attheexchange.info/thomas-brown/