Red Berets

A forest of crosses near fair Arnhem stand
And written there well to the fore
Is "O strangers when passing, 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