IT was the year 1940, Britain was almost done.

The Battle of Britain had just begun.

The war in the air, it had to be won.

To stop the Germans invading our land, Britain had to make one more stand.

We were short of planes and pilots too.

Britain thought we would never come through.

But then one day from out of the blue Came Czech pilots and Polish too.

To help shoot down the German planes.

They were dropping bombs like falling rain.

Our fighter planes came in to land, with their engines hot.

The mechanics re-fuelled and re-armed the lot.

So they could go back into the sky To fight again – to win or die.

So we pay a tribute to the first of the few.

You men of the air, you really came through, To save our country when it was almost lost, So now it’s done we count the cost.

But now the years have flown by, We still remember, you gallant men of the sky.

You saved this country from a tyrant’s lust for power So now we all can say, this was their finest hour.

Fred Harper

Cashes Green