A GERMAN SAILOR’S POEM
There are no roses on a sailor’s grave,
No lilacs on an ocean wave,
The only tribute is a seagull’s sweep,
And the teardrops that their sweetheart’s weep.
A GERMAN SAILOR’S POEM
There are no roses on a sailor’s grave,
No lilacs on an ocean wave,
The only tribute is a seagull’s sweep,
And the teardrops that their sweetheart’s weep.
War is the terrorism of the rich... Terrorism is the war of the poor. - Peter Ustinov
Thanks for all the feedback, and the epitaph!
The report can now be viewed on my site here. A regular 'location report' and a bigger gallery will follow very shortly.
Amazing Snappel. I went to see this after the museum had closed and stood outside the perimeter fence and gazed at what seemed to be a rust bucket.
An amazing set of pictures on the interior!!
That is a most fitting epitaph Miguel and appreciated by a retired Officer in the Royal Navy. Thank you.
Hi Snappel
Excellent pictures and report, Snappel. You also helped inspire a poem. See below.
Chris
***************
Not a whale
-- not exactly:
some might say
a shark or wolf
comes to mind
more -- and blood-
red swastika flags;
for the water laps
languid at Birkenhead
where a rusted U-Boat lies:
Kriegsmarine U-534
sits dry above a dock,
a predator at bay:
a beached whale.
Christopher T. George
Snappel, if you don't mind I am posting this poem on a few poetry sites and crediting you, giving the http://www.level-two.co.uk/u534.php website address also. If you have any objection to same, I can remove the images there. Let me know.
Christopher T. George
Editor, Ripperologist
Editor, Loch Raven Review
http://christophertgeorge.blogspot.com/
Chris on Flickr and on MySpace
Too sleek to be a whale Chris, but the words to the poem, inspired are sleek and meaningful to me. Thanks.
Excellent Chris, I like it! Worth pointing out though, that even though red swastika flags were carried by the U-boats, most members of the Kriegsmarine were not Nazi's themselves, and in fact many despised them. Speaking out and denouncing Hitler and the regime could, however, lead to unpleasant consequences.
I only point that out in defence of the men who were just (like our own sailors) serving their country, not because it doesn't work in the poem!
Thanks, Steven & Snappel.
Chris
Christopher T. George
Editor, Ripperologist
Editor, Loch Raven Review
http://christophertgeorge.blogspot.com/
Chris on Flickr and on MySpace
Well done Snappel. Great report.
Snappell, I have put a link to this thread on the Sailors Home I hope you don't mind. The sites compliment each other rather than being in competition.
You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else.
Winston Churchill
I don't mind at all. The more people who find it interesting the better!
Snappel you have done a great job, there was never much room in those
Subs, i was a seaman most of my working life, but i don"t think i would have the guts to sail in them.
Snappel I haven,t as yet read your report but will later, but I find the photos of the u boat brilliant. There is a neighbour of mine who was in the subs during the war and his wish is to go and see this u boat at Birkenhead. Unfortunately the poor old chap is unsteady on his feet and has undergone surgery for cancer and will never get up to see the u boat. With your permission I will print them out and take them round to his home so the old chap can see a glimpse of the inside of it.
Cheers
Yes yes, by all means print them. If they won't print to a decent resolution I'll do some A4 on a colour laser and send them to you/him free of charge.
One of the reasons I really wanted to get in there was to take a set of half-decent interior shots. The more people who enjoy them, the more worthwhile it made the whole 'operation'!!
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Thanks Snappel, just read your report, very good. Sometimes it,s just as well we read about the other side,s stories, could make us feel human .
Thank you again for your permission, Frank will be pleased.
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