Honed and True

A Right Honourable Gentleman Cornwall proud, of Privilege, high status born into a future oxford background who's life would change countless lives through the eons of time, with truths of war and herosim sublime.A man of is time though his time was short please doff and remember the battles this Englishman fought.

Groom pressed strides, horses canter through dew at dawn, then polo, cricket about Lanhydrock's manicured Lawns.The host of solstice banquets and evening masked balls, a holder of ageless charisma, an exponent of a tale told tall a respected politician a respected local man with a kind word for everybody as only a caring man can

Etiquette held corona smoke now drifts about the dim lit billiard room exhaled by gentry discussing politics of war and the Kaiser's sinister shadow that looms over Cognac hand warmed and pensively turned, the chrystal cut snifter reflecting the fireside ember burn, a silent worry not knowing the enemies game but knowing British lives will never be the same

The Huns cold bayonet touch can now be felt accross England's fields green,the parliments call to arms echo reaches gentry, the middle class, Cornish miners toiling at their seams Enlist they do, all classes becoming one, a sense of brotherhood unity, fight together will father and son ,until both die or they survive and the war is won

Hobnail, spit and polish click clack in time upon a county's cobbled streets, gas lamp held bunting, crying wives throwing kisses at their husbands cheeks,from the ranks the Honourable Gentleman marches forth to Coldstream to Hussars, for the lead in frontline action and conflict medals named battle scars

Away to war leaving friends and loved ones to stories of heroism, glory, dug deep trenches and deafening guns, and an unmentioned waste of life on an unimaginable scale, the khaki dead will fill the obliterated landscape, the remnants of freinds will lie beneath their fighting feet ,chlorine and mustard will strip and burn and meagre rations they will have no choice but to eat

Over the top to a silent bugle horn against driving rain and MG-08 rat a tat tat tat, waves of falling brothers try to gain a few yards of ground, but fall silent among the razor,wired barbs and mortar holes blown into the acne scared ground

"Stand close lad!" the honourable gentleman said  " on my order Make for that ridge, to avoid the Huns woodpecker lead."the young lad now shook with nerves ,wet fear was upon him now, his short life passing before him, the feeling of his Mothers goodbye kiss still fresh on his brow, like many of his friends this could be his last moment, the end of his life, no future, no children, no loving wife,he began to urge his stomach churned he prayed silent for his safety, he prayed silent for his return 

The officers order came, the lad kept low, charging for country, for glory, to be a reluctant hero but the hidden sniper's eye was honed and true, DOWN went the lad with a cry,his left shoulder shot through, writhing in pain the lad crawled out of the snipers sights confused, in terror, no help for his plight, just dead friends for company,relentless rain deafening gun fire and Herr Mausers increasing pain. 

The honourable gentleman didn't see what happened but he could hear the lad's cries, looking through the smoke and fire he could now just see where he lied, his revolver drawn, towards the lad Tommy began to run,upon allied wasted lives his hob nails tripped and stumbled upon,dodging mortar,shrapnel,the spotting eye and the concealed, camouflaged sniper waiting patiently behined his cross hair sights He finally reached the lad who was now laying face down in the mud, bloodied, bruised, crying for his mother, tears aflood, "Pull yourself together lad," Tommy said, "Today is not the day for either of us to be dead"

The fearless, young officer raised the lad from the mud and debris, carried him close in his arms back to the dug deep trench safety. The medics arrived and stretchered away the now unconcious lad but in their haste they did not realise  Tommy was injured bad In the battle within the battle to save the lad, the sniper's eye had been honed and true, the bullet was inside the honourable gentleman, where? nobody knew. Herr Mauser's damage was good and done but two days longer Tommy lived, still holding a smile with Officer encouragement to give to his injured brothers the nurses ill equipped unselfish to the end the British stiff upper lip

One sad, cold autumn morning Tommy's eyes opened no more,his brothers in arms respectfully bowing their heads to the hospital church floor, acknowledging the devestating loss to,country, andTommys family at Lanhydrock. At the moment of his death it is said the deafening guns seemed to fade, the low sun in the sky fought free from the smoke and rage, and kissed softly the honourable gentlemans face, through the mullion windows were below he peacefully lay

As did he, his headstone stands proud upon a foreign land, beside his brothers who fought for justice, peace, a country's belief so profound. Yet a shadow now waits respectfully silent beside Tommy's grave, tears aflood at the heroic life he gaveI it be the lad with crimson poppies and kneeling prayer giving thanks to the honourable friend  for saving his life with a heroism quite rare