By Daniel Kelly – 2021
D G There’s a bend down in the river, C G Where the water’s running fast, C G And the shallow sand is hollowed, Am D Each step could be your last, Edward Kiley and John Davis, Had been told they couldn’t swim, But the voice of Sergeant Anderson, C D G Was ignored in youthful whim, C G I’m going down, I’m going down, D G The water’s flowing over me, C G Brother give me your hand, C D G It’s so dark I cannot see Help, help, the boys are drowning, The call came up the hill, Jeremiah and the other men, The ran down with a will. Jeremiah Mead the strong man, Pride of the football team, He dove into the water, Amidst the children’s screams Bill Sunderland a father, At home a loving wife, Despite not being a swimmer, He strode in risking his life Now four lay at the bottom, The cruel water it flowed on, The helpers and the helpless, Their life and future gone, Now in Yass stands a monument, Right by the local pool, A worn moss-covered obelisk, Not far from the high-school, A monument to courage, And men who gave their lives, Soldiers of strength and bravery, On which our nation thrives.