scattered on foreign fields lie the burnt out hulls of our dead armour old landscape wreckage and this earth now scorched selfless acts of bravery in the face of overwhelming force hold position position held retained new glory sought shattered defenses now alone cover the tactical withdrawal outgunned outnumbered though never outclassed spent the ammunition of faith weaponry exhausted now reduced in numbers numbers reduced to the last face to face with cold dead eyes the final register of death crushed are the adversaries the kill rate ratio rising one hundred to one honours withheld in travesty presented falsely to another with courage unspoken all heroes die1