High Flight

“An Irish Airman Forsees his Death”

And this for all who lost their lives in combat defending this land and its people

Martin

I echo your sentiments entirely Martin, almost the first thing I did when I heard of the tragic event at Shoreham, was to look up “An Irish Airman Forsees his Death”, a favourite poem for many years.

I raise a glass to all the hero’s!

Eric

This is for all the Pilots who have tragically lost their lives this year.

High Flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds – and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew –
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
No 412 squadron, RCAF
Killed 11 December 1941

I cannot think of any more fitting words than this to the pilot who lost his life flying the Hurricane at Shorham.

My sincere condolences to Brian Brown’s family,friends and aquaintences .

And this for all who lost their lives in combat defending this land and its people

I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My country is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan’s poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.

WB Yeats
An Irish Airman Forsees his Death

featured IIRC in the 1990 version of ‘Memphis Belle’

Martin