Oddly, perhaps,
despite cultural suppression,
Of black
expressions and the proliferation
Of British
Institutions, many British colonies
Gave staunch
support to the outbreak
Of war. In spite
of hardships these people
Gave donations - thousands
of pounds -
But more notably
gave themselves to fight.
Comes the curious
article from the time,
On human
fraternity between the British
Troops and the
‘blacks from Senegal.’
Together they
were to fight side by side.
A reporter witnesses
how on French soil
How they and Tommy
Atkins become friends.
The reporter tells
how Tommy is surprised
When a black man attempts
to speak French.
Their
conversation is made by gestures -
A picturesque sight
is made in a village,
Whenever Tommy
and a black man meet.
Using fingers, hands
and arms, until
A Senegal speaks English
words to say
‘Me fight with
France, you fight with France too.’
The basic English
words from the black man,
That this
reporter believes, must be gained
From some African
port. Fraternity is made
Stronger from the
broken talk - Tommy laughs,
As the black man
takes a glass to tell him;
‘Black man drink
no beer, black man drink wine.’
Other fresh
arrivals of black soldiers join them,
Who are yet to
raise their rifles at the enemy.
The men are eager
to prove what they can do,
Through an
interpreter ask, 'where is the enemy?'
The ‘tall
stalwart Negros’ then gave their word,
Not to cut up the
dead - It is enough to kill
The enemy, then
leave them to kill another.
More laughter and
beer is made again in offer.
But taking it
they ask for better tasting water.
Until the order
comes to start their march.
They are told the
Germans are only ten miles
Away - they stride
as if distance was nothing,
Smiling - soon
signs of shells are seen nearing
Their progress. During
a halt, some of them climb
A tree, looking
to see the enemy shells bursting.
Black men, with
impatient swinging of arms,
Act as if they
are ready to catch the shells.
They're assured
by Tommy Atkins not to worry.
Before the day is
ended Tommy promises,
The fresh
soldiers will see many more shells.
by Jamie Mann.
Beaumont, A.,
1914. Brothers in Black. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 3 Oct. p.10. Col.3. Available online at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11137066/Daily-Telegraph-October-3-1914.html
[Accessed: 3rd October 2014].
Howe, G.
D.,2013. A
White Man's War? World War One and the West Indies
Brothers in Black.
BBC [online] (Last
updated 2011-03-10). Available
at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/west_indies_01.shtml> Accessed 3rd October
2014].
Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago -
Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 3rd October
2014).
#WW1 #Senegalese #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar
#ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered
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