The oldest son of Lord and Lady Rossmore,
William Westenra, took part in the defence
Of Antwerp - in action with the Naval Brigades,
Described moments before the fall of Antwerp.
Writing to his mother, once back in Ostend.
Previously he had sent post card to his mother
Happily saying ‘Just off to Antwerp. Hooray!’
He notes how he has been through kinds of hell.
Believing that perhaps God had been helping -
As ‘if anyone in Antwerp ought to have been
Killed, it was I'. Imagine the scene for two days
He drove a car across the city, back and forth
As all about, big shells were bursting – he saw
The whole side of a house come down in dust.
Then fire took over - within minutes the area
Burned, as countless people passed by in panic.
Driving down a boulevard at 40mph he saw
A woman emerge from her house - with a crash
A shell burst right at her door, she would have
Died instantly. With most of the people gone
Some left hiding in cellars – seeing him they
Emerged to ask news of the situation – one
Said they should go, as the English have the city.
Everywhere faith was held in the British forces
Without pretence of being heroic, he said shells
Are the worst on the nerves, but he stuck at it.
Pleasing himself as he drove about the town.
It was mentioned that there were two motorbuses,
Still situated on the other end of burning Antwerp.
With two Piccadilly Busmen and a Captain
They took another ride across the city upon
It was dark except for burning houses –
Every street had shell holes of two feet
Deep and tram wires hung down everywhere.
Forming a small bus convoy they fled the town.
Noting how he had never slept for three days,
Westenra had lost all his kit and other clothing,
Except for what he wore - he fell from his car,
As they made for their only exit the pontoon
bridge - In escape the Germans gave pursuit,
And a bomb dropped close to them. Westenra
Concludes on a high, of how happy he is,
Being proud of getting through it
- even for
£40,000,000 he would not have missed it.
by Jamie Mann.
Westenra, W.,1914. Saving London
Buses.
The Daily Telegraph,
[online] 20 Oct. p.12. Col.5. Available
online at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11165490/Daily-Telegraph-October-20-1914.html
[Accessed: 20 October 2014].
Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 20 October 2014).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered
1914_1019,
Antwerp, Transport
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