"When you come home lad"

[Katie]

Prescot Reporter 16th July 1915

Rifleman Harry Cave who resided at Blue Bell Cottages Huyton with his parents, whilst training in the South of England was in a billet and the lady with whom he stayed, took a liking to him, and she sent him a piece of poetry while he was at the front.

"WHEN YOU COME HOME, LAD"

Toll in the trenches all day long.
Fending the pain with a smile and a song:
Turned in at night under sheets of flame.
Resting assured you have played the game.
You that I think of night and day.
You that I name when I kneel and pray.
Steep and rough though the path you climb.
You shall come home in God's good time.

"When you come home lad, all will be right,
Home will be sacred, won in hard fight:
Back from the brink of eternity,
You shall come home, lad, home to me"

Angels of death around you fly.
Darkening all the midday sky;
Death in the earth, and death in the air,
Stealing and wheeling everywhere,
Safe in the fortress you shall stay,
Girt by the prayers that rise all day:
Shielded at night by the dreams I see,
You shall come back, dear lad, to me.

"When you come home lad, when you come home.
Courted and honoured, gaily you'll come:
God give me patience when I am sad,
Till you come home again dear lad.

Death in the trenches- can it be,
Prayer for your life is a selfish plea?
Mothers and wifes in thousands pray
Death is an angel hard to stay.
Why should the answered pray be mine?
Why should I shrink from a gift so fine!
Life cannot part me, death remove,
Honour in armies and sweet home love,

"If you come home , lad if you win through,
God will have given me heaven with you:
If you go home lad, home to His rest,
God give me patience, He know best"

Private Harry Cave was killed in action 16th May 1915 aged 20 son of James and Matilda Cave.

"LEST WE FORGET"

[Katie]

Came across this Roll of honor notice as I was going through the Prescot report transcribing the Obituaries.

19th may 1916

CAVE- In sad but loving memory of our dear Harry Rfn. H. Cave, 5th King's Liverpool Regiment killed in action at Richsbourg La Avene, May 16th 1915 aged 20 years:

He marched away so bravely, his head so proudly raised.
His footsteps never faltered, his courage never failed.
We'll not forget you Harry, nor your happy smiling face.
You died for all of us at home, and the honour of your race.

Sadly missed by all at home - Mother.

under this there was the following

Also

In honored memory of Tom Johnson (Huyton Quarry) 5th King's Liverpool Regiment, one of his chums, killed in action at the same place, and who went out to look for Harry when first missing.

"Their duty nobly done"

Blue Bell Cottage, Huyton

The only Thomas Johnson I can find on CWGC site was killed 3 days later after Harry he is listed as being in the 7th King's haven't got a clue about battalions.

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casua ... %20TOM%20A

Lest We Forget