Near Troyon, during the Battle of the Aisne,
Various incidents involved a detachment,
Of a Northamptonshire regiment, showing
Cool bravery and dogged determination.
160 men, two subalterns, three officers,
And a captain - being some way ahead,
Of the main body, set to make entrenchments
By a roadside. Opposite
them up to 500
Germans were also entrenched - between,
Lay a turnip field - some 250 yards wide.
Finding their trench fed by waters rolling
Off the road, the British quickly found
Themselves knee deep in water logged mud.
a lack of greatcoats, lost in their retreat from
Mons only added to make rest problematic,
Along with the need to observe the enemy.
General discomfort further caused by shelling
From the German guns, set behind the enemy
Entrenchments – the British finding at their rear
Shelter and a haystack, where seventy German
Wounded remained - left by their own forces.
This basic 'hospital' where the deserted, injured
Germans lay, lucky to still
receive treatment,
Could only be accessed by a man crawling
On all fours – bundles of hay were gathered,
Utilised in trying to dry the ground of the trench -
Again and again the water percolated through.
To gain water and bully beef men had to crawl
At night to the rear - Equally the German side
Dared not lift above ground for fear of British
Shots. During the five days a British Captain
Lifted his head to the skyline, to be shot dead.
Later a subaltern being severely hit, also died.
The result as a single subaltern with less than
A year’s service, was forced to take charge.
The haystack sheltering German wounded
Was finally hit by a shell and set ablaze.
Under heavy fire men in the British trench
Could not move to assist them – they heard
The yells and horrendous cries of wounded
Men unable to escape from the fierce fire.
As each day passed in the Northamptonshire
Trench – the appalling
conditions made ague.
While increased wounds reduced the effective
Fighters - among the
company a man, a crack
Shot, took action on successive nights -
Camouflaged with a wool knitted hat, disguised
With turnip leaves, crawled into the turnip crop.
The Northamptonshire sniper waited, patient,
Until any German movement was made - then
A trigger pulled, a pained cry and one foe less -
After more days came the end of the stalemate.
The Germans, believing in the British strength,
Raised arms and rifles in surrender - in scattered
Formation, marching to them across the field.
Cautiously the subaltern left the English trench
To meet the enemy – A German private moved
To him, but the subaltern made the insistent order
That an officer should approach – the private retired.
Then another private came forward - Again a yelled
Command was made for an officer – then came
Forward a captain, a sergeant and a private.
The English subaltern waited and addressed them;
‘You are my prisoner.’ The German captain snapped
‘No, you are my prisoner!’ – while the original idea
Was to surrender, their intentions changed when
the Captain glanced into the English trench to see
A greatly depleted force, The
German Captain
Made a signal to his men, about the field to move.
They edged towards the subaltern - under the threat
Of the Captain's intent, the subaltern fired and shot
Him dead - he turned and killed the sergeant.
The private leapt at the subaltern and they fought
Falling on the ground - as German shots rang about.
The subaltern fell down unconscious – two shots
Had passed into the top of his cap a third hit his
Regimental cap badge to stun him - a fourth bullet
Wounded him in the shoulder. At the very outset
Of the event, some Northamptonshire soldiers
Had also left their trench as a number of Germans
Handed over their rifles to shake hands with them.
Other Germans edged towards the trench, then
At the parapet, opened fire at point blank range.
A skirmish ensued, as a machine gun opened fire
On the Germans, to cut them down, while others
Fell to the bayonet – 300 out of 500 being killed.
At a short distance, a machine gun detachment
Of the Queen’s regiment, had observed and made
Assistance - in the force of Coldstream Guards
The final 100 German infantry surrendered.
Over the five days of the Northamptonshire
Trench of the soldiers left, from the original 166
Were eight and four wounded men still fighting fit.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1914. Thrilling Story of Fight Against Heavy Odds –
Subaltern’s Adventure. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 28 Oct. p.12. Col.7. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11186051/Daily-Telegraph-October-28-1914.html
[Accessed: 28 October 2014].
Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 28 October 2014).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
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