In Felixstowe Docks many years ago
As the country was ready to sleep
There was a group of British seaman
With a dangerous rendezvouz to keep

At a time when World War 2
Was really at it’s height
A small flotilla of minelayers
Had to cross the English Channel at night

To join them on their mission
M T B’s and M G B’s as well
Always ever hoping
There wouldn’t be a heavy swell

As they made their arduos journey
Not knowing what they might meet
For they would be travelling with lights extinguished
In order to be discrete

With strict maintenance of silence
For this convoy of the night
The only contact with each other
A minimal stern blue light

The crossing it was Oh! so slow
To minimise the noise
A strain on all these Sailors
Some of them merely boys

The object of the exercise
A field of mines the layers to lay
In yet another attempt
To keep the enemy at bay

And finally they entered the target zone
To carry out their deadly task
And leave again intact
Is all the Skippers could ask

And just as they had finished
Someone fired a signal flare
Fired by a German E-boat
Who had come across them there

Immediately the order was given
Full throttle lads and home
At 25 or 30 knots this time
The Channel was awash with foam

Spewed out by those powerful engines
In ever roughening seas
The labouring Minesweepers
Led by the MTG boats & and awesome MTB’s

Good fortune favoured the brave this night
As casualties there were few
And the air was full of sighs of relief
As the Harbour came into view

Events like these seldom come to light
As they were everyday events then
To highlight our need as an Island
For highly skilled Royal Naval men

To protect this sceptered Isle
From enemies far or near
Ever hopeful that another catastrophic war
Would not be a constant fear.