Lonnie Donegan - Red Berets lyrics

A forest of crosses near fair Arnhem stand And written there well to the fore Is "O strangers when pa**ing, please say a short prayer For the men who the red berets wore" Red berets freedom berets covered all over in blood Red berets, red, red berets lying where brave men have stood In September forty-four with hard eye and grin jaw The warriors took off from Grantham field In Dakotas they flew whilst though none of them knew But their young lives they'd soon have to yield They landed with rifles small arms and grenades And fought against fifty tons tanks From Nijmegen they had hoped reinforcements would come But four days soon shattered their ranks Red berets freedom berets covered all over in blood Red berets, red, red berets lying where brave men have stood In a church Major Lonsdale collected his men From the pulpit he spoke from the heart Dear comrades we've orders to fight to the last So good luck now we have to part In Ter Horst tiny houses sheltered two hundred men All wounded and ten to a bed While the water supply was an old pump nearby Which was soon to be seen running red Red berets freedom berets covered all over in blood Red berets, red, red berets lying where brave men have stood There were few who survived but though many had died The safety of freedom was sealed And at Arnhem they sleep while their brave names we keep In the church of Saint Martin in the field Red berets freedom berets covered all over in blood Red berets, red, red berets lying where brave men have stood