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| Ian Daglish |
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| Tragically, the members' friend and guide for their time in Normandy, Ian Daglish, was seriously injured when a light aircraft he was flying got into difficulties and crashed into houses in Salford, near Manchester on Friday 29th July. Ian died from his injuries in the early hours of Sunday 31st. His funeral service was on Thursday 11th August and his remains cremated on the following day, Ian leaves behind his wife Joy and two teenage daughters, Hazel and Fiona. A much respected military historian and author of several books on the Normandy battles, Ian will be sorely missed among groups such as The Friends of the Somme Mid Ulster Branch. |
| The following poem written by a 19 year old WW2 'Battle of Britain' Spitfire pilot was read at Ian's funeral service. |
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High Flight |
"Oh ! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter - silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air..
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew;
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God." |
Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
412 Squadron RCAF
Killed 11th December 1941 |
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| Copyright 2006-23 © Friends Of The Somme Mid Ulster Branch |
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