This selection of poems were written by wounded soldiers of the First World War at Blair Hospital, Bromley Cross.

The book of poems belongs to The Bolton News reader Mrs Shirley Nightingale, of Lennox Gardens, Bolton. Mrs Nightingale found the book amongst her former mother-in-law's possessions.

Her mother-in-law was Mrs Edith Nightingale (nee Phethean), who originally came from Farnworth and was Commandant of the British Red Cross, Bolton Branch, at Blair Hospital during the Great War.

The poems

“If in doing your bit you get very hard hit, And you come back to Blighty quite wrecked.

You forget all the woes brought on by your foes, If in this hospital you are “Kecked”.

Cpl A Ince, No 7976, 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers, Invalided from Arras, October 1 1915.

With the greatest respect to Nurse Phethean The person to whom this book belongs May she never come to any serious harm.

Her talent she is using right And I will respect her all my life.

Private E W Morgan No 20555, 15th Battalion Welsh Regiment. Wounded on July 10, 1916, at Mametz Wood.

In Nurse Phethean’s book I now am writing, I’m to go out again and do more fighting, I’ve done it once I’m to do it again, But the second time it gives me pain.

Private H Himmins, No 7309, 2nd Suffolk Regiment. Wounded at Hill 60, February 24, 1915.

When lying in bed and contorted with pain, You shout, nurse please come here and torment me again, She comes in a moment, though she’s nearly dead beat, From morning til night she is run off her feet.

But she never complains though at times sorely tired, As sometimes they all want the nurse at their side, And you get all attention and every care, As long as Nurse Phethean is on duty there.

A Marshall, East Yorks Regiment.

I will cling to you is the motto Though seas do us divide.

And my love shall be as constant As the glowing of the tide.

Though seas do us divide And oceans do us part, Others have got my company, While you have got my heart.

Private H Smith, 1st Battalion N Staffordshire Regiment. Wounded at Neuve Chapelle. March 11 1915.

If right must conquer over might and bloody turmult cease And darkness long give way to light and everlasting peace.

Though many a noble son has gone and found a soldier’s grave Sacred is the ground that they lay on for they have died to save.

If friends or relatives should go, just have no pain or fear Just smile and with a kerchief so brush off a rising tear.

There are many who have died and yet many more will find the grave For God this good example set and like him they died to save.

Sergeant J McCaffrey. 4 East Lancs Regiment. Wounded at Gallipoli, June 4 1915.

There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave, These are souls that are pure and true.

Then give the world the best you have, And the best will come back to you.

Private Carroll, 13th Middlesex regiment. Wounded at Vermilles, September 27 1915.

The Bolton News: i

Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn.

Sergeant Brown, 10th Yorkshire Regiment, Wounded September 26 1915.

They give us sweets and picture books and cigarettes and things, And they speaks to us respectful – like us though we all was kings; And they asks us silly questions but they means well in their way.

So we tells them how we fought and fell on such and such a day.

And we talks a bit to please them when the ladies come to call; But the things that we have done and seen they haven’t seen at all.

Private I Evans Royal Welsh Fusiliers, wounded on April 10 1916 at Mesopotamia

The Bolton News: i

The sand of the desert is sodden red, Red! With the wreck of a square that broke, And the Gatling’s jammed and the Colonel’s dead, And the Regiment’s blind With the dust and the smoke.

And the River of Death has brimmed its banks, And England’s far nd Honour’s a name.

But the voice of a schoolboy rallies the ranks, Play up! Play up! and Play the Game!

No 10956, Private T Greenhalgh, 2nd Kings Shropshire

The Call rings loud and true To all men sound and fit, Your country’s Call to You!

How shall you answer it When others do and dare Across the narrow sea.

Can your heart declare They have no need of me?

Listen once more! The Call, Beats in the throbbing drum Bidding not one but all Of Britain’s manhood come!

Because your comrade went Freely and nothing loth, Shall all his toil be spent To keep you here in sloth?

What use to shut your ears?

Your country claims her debt, And in the coming years Your heart shall judge you yet!

think of that future day And choose the nobler plan, That you may truly say “At least I played the Man!”

Private W Brown, No 10022, B Company, 2nd Battalion East Lancs Regiment as part of the 8th Division, 24th Brigade, British Expedition Force, France.

On the Battlefield of Belgium Where the warrior plays his part Where the blood is leaping madly In each swelling British heart.

Far away from rural Ireland From the swelling Curragh Plains To bleeding outraged Belgium Antwerp Termonde and Louvain Let’s get out and let’s get under But to meet the vandal race Could we meet the Death’s head Lancers Blade to Blade and face to face.

When we meet the German Foeman Primed with hatred blood and lust Rest assured our sights are upright Venom in each bayonets thrust.

Heaven itself cries out for vengeance Through a storm of blood and tears And we wait but for the order Forward Munster Fusilliers!

Private D Mansfield , 6th Royal Munster Fusiliers. Invalided from Gallipoli, October 1915.

Money and the Man How a Jollity Girl gained both.

A smart little maiden of jollity fame, With her very glad eye played a cute little game, How the Earl that she landed was ugly and fat, While the man of her dreams was as poor as a rat.

But still this was not the first puzzle she'd met, she thought the case over and turned Suffragette, Till the Earl overcome by her obstinate chatter, Informed her he'd altered his mind on the matter.

so she took him to court where his letter was read And the jury awarded one million instead.

So now she is happy for she can afford To marry the man she has always adored.

No9560, Private G H Stringer, 2nd Battalion Gloucester Regiment, BEF, France.

A game of Nap I'll go one said Austrians, I'll go two said France, I'll go three said Russia for I think I have a chance, I'll go four said Germany and swipe them all off the map.

But they all dropped dead; when England said: God blind me, I'll go nap.

Private H Smith, lst N S Regiment, wounded at Nueve-Chapelle, March 11 1915.

Retreating from Mons, The Battle of Aisne, The Battle of Labassa, The Battle of Ypres, The Battle of Kemel, The Battle of Neuve-Chapelle, and wounded on March 12 1915.

No 7218, Private Vincent Woodham, 1st Wiltshire Regiment.

Little drops of Whiskey, Little drops of Beer, Makes you see blue devils If you persevere.

A Marshall, East Yorks Regiment. Joking decides great things; Stronger and better oft, than earnest can.

Lance Corporal Smallwood, 1st Gloucestershire Regiment. Blair Hospital August 4 1915.

Friends tried and true are few, So take this wish from me, That you and I as years go by, The same good friends may be.

Private H Smith, 1st Battalion Staffordshire Regiment, wounded at Neuve-Chapelle, March 11 1915.

With best wishes and kindest regards to the nurses for the kindness shown to me during my stop in this hospital. Blairs.

Lance Corporal F Steele, 15th battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers, August 20 1916.

The happiest days I spent in my life, Were spent in the arms of another man's wife - my mother.

Private J Smith, 3rd Duck of Wellingtons.

What, me write in this book Where all the ladies look?

Not I! I'm shy.

No 2375, Private R Ashton, South Lancs.

Home town: Latchford, Warrington.

Some can eat an' ha'e nae meat, Some ha'e meat an' cannae eat, But some ha'e meat, an' they can eat, So may the Lord be thankit.

"Jock", 2578 Lance Corporal David G Birss, 5th Royal Scots.

Many have written in this book And many again may write But there is no one can love you better Than the one who writes tonight.

Private Len Beavan, 9th Battalion Welch Regiment, wounded in a bayonet charge at Contalmaison, July 16 1916.

Am writing a line at your request Although I'm not a poet, Would like towrite a wee bit more But, bells just gone, so I'll blow it.

Sgt Clarke, 9th KO Scottish Borderers, wounded in Great Advance, Loos. September 25 1915.

My you live as long as you want, And never want as long as you live.

Private Edwin Roberts, The Border Regiment. Christmas 1915.

Beer when a man is well, makes him sick.

Beer when a man is sick, makes him well.

With best wishes to Nurse Phethean for her kindness towards me during my stay at Blairs.

Sig Tony Summers, Tyneside Scottish, wounded Somme push,July 1 1916.

With best wishes and kindest thoughts Someone waits for that happy day When victory is won Someone is longing just to say Welcome nurse, well done.

No 10551, Private William John Spiers, 2nd Battalion York and Lancasters Regiment, British Expeditionary Force, France.

Wounded in an attack on August 9 1915 at Hooge near Ypres.

Always, eat when you are hungry, Always drink when you are dry, Always close yoru eyes when sleeping, Don't stop breathing or you will die.

Private W A Davis, 1st Wilts Regiment, 7 Brig 3 Div, British Expeditionary Force, wounded Ypres.

The Bolton News: i