Poem ~ Lady 'Talks' to Soldiers - Monday, 30 November 1914

While no detail is given of name or rank,

A man of the army had refused,

To allow the return of his wife home.

The reason being given:

That she had been speaking with soldiers.

Possibly the man was under the command

Of Admiral Sir Algernon de Horsay

Who addressed the issue,

At the Isle of White Bench on Saturday.

Drawn to his attention the Admiral

Gave the man some advice.

He explained that ‘every good woman

Has sympathy with soldiers,

Fighting for our country.’

Possibly with a humph, he added,

How French women kiss the soldiers,

When they meet, out on the battlefield –

So he advised the husband,

To make allowances for sympathy,

Provided by his wife.

With perhaps another possible humph,

Of contradiction The Admiral stated

That the wife should not continue to do,

What her husband disapproves of.

The Bench closed the curious case,

In hope that the two estranged

Parties would become reunited.

In the suggestion of some

Underlying story, -

Leads to wonder

What exactly is meant,

By the wife who likes ‘talking.’

With soldiers –

A connotation perhaps?

As the Admiral's judgments,

Pertains to liberalism, in war time,

While conjuring an odd picture,

Of battlefield romance.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Admirals Advice to Husband. The Daily Telegraph - Special Sunday Edition, [online] 30 Nov. p.4. Col.5. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11261317/Daily-Telegraph-November-30-1914.html [Accessed: 30 November 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 30 November 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11261317/Daily-Telegraph-November-30-1914.html
 

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Poem ~ Brave Driver, Job Drain - Sunday, 29 November 1914

 Source: File: Job Drain.jpg, 2014. The Daily Telegraph. [online] (updated July 30 2014)  Available at: < http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11258892/Daily-Telegraph-November-28-1914.html> Accessed: 29 November 2014].

Source: File: Job Drain's Victoria Cross.jpg, 2014. First World War: Barking’s Victoria Cross hero Job Drain commemorated in new book. Sophie Morton [online] (updated 10 August 2014)  Available at: <http://www.barkinganddagenhampost.co.uk/news/heritage/first_world_war_barking_s_victoria_cross_hero_job_drain_commemorated_in_new_book_1_3717372> Accessed: 29 November 2014].

A lad from Barking,

Of 18 years.

His name Job Drain,

Had already been

In the army two years,

When war broke out,

In August 1914.

With his full name,

Job Henry Charles Drain

In the position of driver.

Went to France and Belgium

In the Royal Field Artillery,

With the 37th Battery -

From the very start of war,

In August 1914.

On the day of the 26 August,

With the retreat of Mons,

Came conflict at Le Cateau.

A defensive line set

About the French town,

In forming protection

Of their forces - became

An artillery man's battle,

In August 1914.

In the chaos of retreat,

A formation of Howitzers,

Set out to protect BEF.

Among the teams,

A driver, Job Drain,

Caught in midst of fight,

To reform gun positions,

On a summers day,

In August 1914.

To regain two guns,

Captain Reynolds,

Of the 37th Battery,

Called for volunteers,

To recover their loss.

Driver Drain, Driver Luke,

And a man, Gobley,

Stepped forward,

At the battle of le Cateau,

In August 1914.

Together, the men

Moved forward,

Dodging enemy shots,

At a hundred yards -

Reaching the stalled guns,

Of 4.5 inch Howitzers -

Rapidly limbering up

They turned about

With Gobley mounted.

But the man was shot,

In August 1914.

With the Captain

Running, guiding

Another pair,

Driver Job Drain

Took the shot man's

Place, to move on,

And save that gun,

In August 1914.

This team helped

Prevent destruction

Of the BEF soldiers,

By their actions.

Captain Reynolds,

Driver F Luke,

Driver J Drain,

Received the VC,

Reported in November,

From August 1914.

Young Job Drain,

And Frederick Luke

Survived war,

Gaining the rank

Of Sergeants.

Later, Sergeant Drain

Formed the guard

Of honour, in the burial

Of the unknown warrior,

Long after that day

In August 1914.

Back in Barking

Life had changed

On Job Drain's return.

As he received honours

For his act of bravery.

Now his statue stands

To mark his courage,

With a foot forward

He looks outward,

From a battle day,

In August 1914.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Boy V.C. Hero. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 29 Nov. P.3. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11258892/Daily-Telegraph-November-28-1914.html [Accessed: 29 November 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 29 November 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11258892/Daily-Telegraph-November-28-1914.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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Poem ~ Poster Appeal - Saturday, 28 November 1914

Having joined forces of

The Territorial’s and Army,

Had been a flow of men,

Numbering 10,000 workers,

From the Lancashire mines -

With no abatement in sight.

These men were seen

As sturdy miners -

From Bolton’s Hulton

Colliery Company,

Out of 2000 workmen,

350 stepped forward,

Making their enlistment.

At Colonel Hargreave’s Pits

Burnley, 550 joined

From 3000 hardened workers.

For those miners that went

To the call, their employers

Generously gave their

Family’s allowances -

The Lancashire coal owners,

Then paid out monies,

To total some thousands.

Whitehall, Central London

And the Recruitment Depot’s

Publicity Department, -

Issued a new set of posters,

Designed to promote recruitment.

Described as attractive,

These were available

To anyone, that wished

To display a poster,

In the London County areas.

Formed in varied sizes,

These had replaced those

Out of date or soiled.

The designed posters,

Could be displayed

In Taxi cabs, motor cars,

Shop windows

And restaurants.

Invitations were soon made

To estate agents,

Who had any vacant

Properties on the main

Traffic highways,

Where placards and posters,

Were to be attractively placed.

Perfect places were Picture

Palaces - with their new

Gilded settings - these could

Entice audiences -

On seeing pictorial posters,

Would surely, swiftly swell

Recruitment numbers.

Also the call went out

To clubs, associations

And societies –

Asking secretaries to provide

Any number of branches -

Then recruitment posters

Would be quickly sent out.

One specific poster,

And handbill,

Was to appeal to both

Sports men,

And fans of football,

For show on such grounds.

In addition soldiers pay,

Detailed in pamphlet form,

Advised of allowances,

For family dependants,

Was soon issued.

Requests were addressed,

To Whitehall, in London’s

Publicity department -

So that no man in London

Might not turn, without

Seeing that posters,

Call out to his senses.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Men for the Army – Patriotic Colliers. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 28 Nov. P.4. Col.2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11258892/Daily-Telegraph-November-28-1914.html [Accessed: 28 November 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 28 November 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11258892/Daily-Telegraph-November-28-1914.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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Poem ~ War Over Neutral Territory - Friday, 27 November 1914

Questions over Neutral territory,

Were given issue

Within the House of Commons,

By a Mr Booth of Pontefract.

This issue was raised,

Due to flying attacks

On Zeppelin factories -

Based at Friedrichshafen.

The sheds based on Northern

Shoreline of Lake Constance -

Spanning the borders

Of Austria, Switzerland,

And Southern Germany.

Requests for clear instructions

Were required from the Prime Minister,

For Governmental Policy -

For flights of their war machines,

Passing over neutral lands and waters.

Mr Churchill stood in reply to Mr Booth,

Saying Naval flying officers,

Had been given orders to avoid

All such neutral territories.

They had been issued maps,

Which were marked with courses,

That indicated them to keep clear,

Of Switzerland's air space.

It was noted how in 1910,

At the Paris conference,

No agreement

Was finalised, with regard

To crafts in any act of war,

Above neutral territories.

In taking any accurate

Course, when flying at height

Makes for problematic

Decisions – except possibly

For those most skilled

Observers – the house agreed.

What was not said –

Is fact that those flying

Had not been allowed maps -

In case of capture - in fact

In their flying from France,

The route had to be memorised.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Swiss Neutrality. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 27 Nov. p.10. Col.2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11253900/Daily-Telegraph-November-27-1914.html [Accessed: 27 November 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 27 November 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11253900/Daily-Telegraph-November-27-1914.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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Poem ~ Italian War Preparations - Thursday, 26 November 1914

Another country perhaps,

Will fight on the allies side.

With the rumours

Of Italian contingents,

Becoming well prepared.

Yet caution shall remain,

Without authority,

To confirm, or liberty

To say,

That Rome may still keep

Their status quo.

But sights of Italian Forces

Are seen,

As making preparations;

So that Latin saying,

‘Casus Belli’ might

Happen sooner,

Rather than later.

Working in persuasion,

German resources

Have been raised,

To meet the standard

Of Rome - in hope

To halt ‘the inevitable.’

Sources of friction

Still stirred the surface

Of Italian and Turkey

Tensions -

That Turkey might

Be made responsible -

And how Italians

Would fight, to keep

Open the Suez Canal.

In the United States,

With many Italians

Numbering millions,

Against Germany’s

Military ambitions – Yet

Still the USA remained,

A country of neutrality.

Acts that can justify war,

Might also reverse such conflict.

Americans and Italians

May then have hoped,

Of Germany’s  withdrawal -

The world could yet be restored-

Beating out a pre war drum -

Seeking stability of leadership,

With a 400 year old saying,

Statu quo res erant ante bellum.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Italy’s Attitude – Expected Intervention – An American report. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 9 Aug. p.9. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11253879/Daily-Telegraph-November-26-1914.html [Accessed: 26 November 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 26 November 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11253879/Daily-Telegraph-November-26-1914.html

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Poem ~ Cycling to War - Wednesday, 25 November 1914

Source: File: British Army cyclists recruiting poster WWI.jpg, 2014. From Wikipedia Army Cyclist Corps. [online] (updated 1 October 2014)  Available at: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Cyclist_Corps> [Accessed: 25 November 2014].

Beginning as the Bicycle Union,

In 1878, formed by the purpose

Of regulating races -

And in the defence of cyclists -

Merged from 1882,

With the Tricycle Association.

This Nationalist Cyclist Union,

Gained a new purpose in 1914.

With enough cyclists

To form a company of its own,

Members of the Union, formed

The name of the 6^th Royal Sussex

Territorial Cyclist Battalion -

With additional cycling men,

To create an almost complete,

Additional Battalion.

Also comes the call,

For home defence cyclists,

Within the Kent Cyclist Battalion.

In Chancery Lane are the offices,

Of Nationalist Cyclist Union,

Where on the 26 November,

From 11 to 4 pm an officer,

From Canterbury Headquarters,

Attended - to welcome,

Kentish men and others

To cycle forth,

And join this battalion.

Such wheeled forces,

Had already made war experience,

In South African campaigns -

Quieter and lighter than horses.

Found their uses in communications

And reconnaissance -

At start of the 1914 conflict,

Were 14 territorial cyclist battalions -

Regular infantry numbered ten,

While 4 remained independent,

Of any regimental affiliation.

Their first purpose of defence

of the coast on the home isles -

Poster recruitment called out,

Asking if ‘YOU’ are fond

Of cycling – if so

‘Why not cycle for the king?’

As on one poster for

48^th South Midland Divisional

Cyclist Company.

An appeal to join, might be for

Provisions given, of uniform

And very own army cycles.

No fitness requirements

Are expressed - only to say,

‘Bad Teeth, No Bar.’

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Cyclist Companies. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 25 Nov. p.2. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11251495/Daily-Telegraph-November-25-1914.html [Accessed: 25 November 2014].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Cyclists'_Union

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 25 November 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11251495/Daily-Telegraph-November-25-1914.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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Poem ~ Five Irish Brothers - Tuesday, 24 November 1914

Large families of the time,

Prove their worth to the army -

As in sons given by a mother,

From County Armagh.

Five brothers of this mother

Joined the Ulster

Division of Kitchener’s army.

Upon hearing of these men,

Sir Edward Carson,

Wrote his praise to the lady.

Stating in the penned words

That action, of such volunteers,

From such a family -

Serves as a demonstration

To the enemy,

Of universal determination.

This enemy -

Whose state of aggression

Threatens European peace,

In perpetual instability -

By their emanation in ideals,

Of Prussian potentate.

Such brothers, such sons,

Encapsulates everything,

That their king could ever

Wish for -

To come from Irish shores.

Not the first, nor the last

Of such ideal brotherhood.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Five Sons Volunteer.The Daily Telegraph, [online] 9 Aug. p.4. Col.7. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11241616/Daily-Telegraph-November-24-1914.html [Accessed: 24 November 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 24 November 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11241616/Daily-Telegraph-November-24-1914.html

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Poem ~ Pumpkin Seed Plane - Monday, 23 November 1914

Source: File: RumplerTaubeInFlight.jpg, 2014. Etrich Taube. [online] (updated July 30 2014)  Available at: <http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etrich_Taube> Accessed: 23 November 2014].

Some travellers,

From Soissons,

Arriving in Paris,

Conveyed a tale

To the French paper,

Petit Parisien.

That on Saturday morning,

A German Taube

Type aeroplane,

Was seen at 10 a.m.

Flying above Soissons -

With intentions of seeking

Out some French batteries.

The Taube,

Also called ‘The Dove,’

Was a stable winged,

Pre war built craft -

Mostly employed

As a spotter plane.

Above 400 metres,

Their translucent form,

Made them hard to see.

Modelled, not on a bird,

But a simple pumpkin seed,

That floats in gentle spiral -

The type built of a single wing,

With edges angled back.

A nearby British flyer

Zoomed into the attack.

Diving on the Taube

Firing at its motor -

Flaying it with shrapnel.

By a volplane manoeuvre,

The enemy pilot attempted,

To reach his own lin

When a 75 mm shell,

Intercepted its course -

The craft crashed at Soissons.

At the site,

Of the burning Taube,

Was found inside

Two officers,

And a mechanic,

Terribly burnt to death.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Aeroplane Brought Down. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 23 Nov. p.4. Col.2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11241603/Daily-Telegraph-November-23-1914.html [Accessed: 23 November 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 23 November 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11241603/Daily-Telegraph-November-23-1914.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered