The Mechanic
I first met Benny years ago, we went to the same school
Loyalty, Trust and Friendship was our motto’s rule
His dad made model aeroplanes, powered by rubber bands
Balsa wood and tissue paper, built with loving hands
Spitfires and Meserschmitts were launched from the backyard
We’d pause and stare in wonder, as our playthings sparred
They’d crash and lie there broken and no longer flew
So he would always help us out, with a tube of glue
He’d thrill us with his stories, of those days of yore
When freshly out of high school, he served in the second world war
How many aircraft he destroyed, will remain unknown
But down through many decades, the number has steadily grown
He must have been a hero, in allied pilot’s eyes
As hordes of German aircraft fell down from the skies
No quarter ever asked, no quarter ever given
When the slightest error, could never be forgiven
I still catch up with Benny and recall those days long gone
Those airmen have all left life’s stage, but the memory is still strong
And when we spin our “waries”, we remember Benny’s dad
By far the worst mechanic, the Luftwaffe ever had
By Tomas ‘Paddy’ Hamilton
20 October 2020
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