A ROSSENDALE schoolgirl's poem has come runner-up in a north west competition to mark the 90th anniversary of the Royal British Legion.

Lest We Forget, written by 14-year-old Lucie Briggs, was chosen out of hundreds of entries in the competition.

Her poem, presented on a poppy shaped piece of red paper, went on display at the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester and was picked as one of the top three in the 11-14 age category.

And the Year 9 pupil at Fears Community Sports College, Stacksteads, has now met a Dunkirk veteran to share memories of the Second World War.

Lucie, from Newchurch, said: “I got the idea for my poem from the three colours that make up a poppy - red, green and black for the centre.”

She received book tokens for her poem and as a result, her English teacher Rebecca Roach set up a meeting with Jack Saunders, from Higher Cloughfold.

The former Territorial Army recruit was aged just 18 when he was called up to fight.

Recalling the naval evacuation, Mr Saunders said: “As we were heading back to Normandy it was every man for himself. We got to the beach at Dunkirk and we were on the sand dunes with nothing for cover, still we were being bombed and shot at and hundreds of lads lost their lives.

“The sun was shining and sea was like a mill pond. I could not swim and I had my full kit on and I was thinking, ‘Is this it?’ So near home and yet so far away.’”

Mr Saunders showed Lucie the field postcard he was given when he landed at Folkestone to send home to his family to let them know he was safe.

Four days after D-Day, in June 1944, he was sent back to France and when the war finally ended he was serving near Hamburg.

Miss Roach added: “The poem was a fantastic piece of work and we are all very proud of Lucie for doing so well.”

Lest we forget Red, red, red as a rose
Red, red as the blood that comes
from the ones we love the most. Black, black, black as a bullet
That goes through the
ones that fight for us. Green, green, green as the grass
where the poppies grow under foot.