Poem by George Weddell of Seaton Carew who witnessed the Hartlepool bombardment from his window that December morning, 1914.

COME!

Sons
Of the Islands, rise!
The German guns
Bellow to the skies.

And rain their shell
Like hell
On England’s coast.

This
To fulfil their boast,
Is but the first
And not the worst
Their hate will hiss
This German host.

They
Had sworn to come.
They had sworn to come.
They drank ‘Unto the day,’
For years prepared the way.

Now hear the shrapnel hum
They will come, again!

Drum
And trumpet sound again:
Never before such need
For glorious deed.
Come up, come up, men!
You see your country bleed:
Come!