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The Beaches of St. Valery

from Loescher​+​Kenneth by Wolf Loescher & Mark Kenneth

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    1. Holy Grail - 1999
    2. Loescher+Kenneth (Remastered) - 2022
    3. Sheep's Clothing -2020
    4. Immigrant Songs - 2023

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about

A wonderful modern Scottish folksong by the late, great Davy Steele. It tells the true story of Davy’s father and his uncle Robert’s personal experiences in World War II, both of whom served in the Seaforth Highlanders (part of the 51st Highland Division) at the battle of St Valery en Caux in France. After a prolonged retreat, the British Expeditionary Force found themselves stuck between advancing German tanks and the English Channel, with no means of evacuation. Over the course of about a week, over 800 vessels (including many commercial and pleasure craft) made the 26 mile journey to Dunkirk to rescue over 338,000 troops…while the Highlanders were fighting a rearguard action to give them time to escape. Days after the primary evacuation, one boat made its way to St. Valery, and Davy’s father was one of the few to make it on board…but his uncle Robert was not so lucky.

lyrics

It was in 1940, the last days of Spring
We were sent to the Maginot line
A fortress in France, built to halt the advance
Of an army from a different time
But we were soon overrun, out-thought and outgunned
Pushed further back every day
But we never believed high command would just leave us
So we fought every step of the way

'Til the 51st Highlanders found themselves back
On the banks of the Somme one more time
It still bore the scars of that war to end wars
The old soldier’s scars deep in their minds
But we didn’t stay long for the Panzers rolled on
As the battle raged west towards the sea
Until on June the 10th when sapped of all strength
We entered St. Valery

CHORUS
And all I recall is the last boat leaving
My brother on board waving and calling to me
And the Jocks stranded there wi’ his hands in the air
On the beaches of St. Valery

So I huddled all night in a hammered old house
As the shells and the bullets rained down
‘Til just before dawn our hopes were still strong
For we moved to the beach from the town
But the boat that had left on the day we arrived
Was the last one that we’d ever see
An’ with no ammo or food we had done all we could
So we surrendered at St. Valery

When I returned at the end of the war
From the Stalag where I’d been confined
I read of the battles the allies had fought
Stalingrad, Alamein, and the Rhine
And with pride in their hearts people spoke of Dunkirk
Where defeat had become victory
But nobody mentioned that Highland Division
They’d never heard of St.Valery

No stories no statues for those that were killed
No honors for those who were gone
Just a deep sense of shame as though we were to blame
Though I knew in my heart we were not
So I’ve moved to a country I’ve come to call home
But my homeland lies far o’er the sea
I will never return while my memory still burns
On the beaches of St. Valery

credits

from Loescher​+​Kenneth, released March 1, 2022
Davy Steele
© Mechanical Copyright Protection Society Ltd

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Wolf Loescher Longmont, Colorado

Wolf Loescher is a singer / storyteller based in Longmont, Colorado. He sings songs and tells stories from the Old World and the New, accompanying himself on his custom 8-string Irish bouzouki, tenor guitar, bodhran, and foot percussion. He is often joined by fabulous musicians from around the country in his backing band “The Growlers.” ... more

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