The Ruffled Puttee…
A sombre neatness,
A sympathy,
A solemn tenderness
And resilient steeliness
Lie behind the infantryman’s empathy…
The hell, the pain, the filth and the horror
Of the maimed, the missing and the dead
Have been reverently glorified
And wreathed in memory’s honour,
Whilst the infantryman glares at the dread,
His parade-ground appearance exemplified
By his perfection: yet the slightest ruffle of one
Strapped puttee offers a glimpse of humanity
In the sadness, the remorse, the static tone,
As the casualties claim peace and deserved sanctity…
Pete Ray
20th July 2020
Sutton Coldfield’s war memorial in King Edward’s Square, near Birmingham…
The town has really looked after this plot and the statue itself is truly impressive…
Loved the slightly ruffled puttee around the lower calf of the soldier’s left leg…
The rifle is upturned as on a number of memorials…
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