At an unnamed town,
In North West France,
Was a Hospital Base.
Being the scene,
Of a double mystery.
Soldiers of the Indian
Army arrived, to be
Treated for wounds.
All of which were,
In their left hands.
An Indian medic
Gave reasons why -
How the Indian troops
Engaged to fight
Prefer hand to hand.
This they do by grabbing
Hold of the enemy’s
Bayonet in their left
Hand, taking action by
With a right handed knife.
An equally puzzling
Query, was conveyed
By a Sergeant, from an
Unnamed Regiment,
Who fought in battle.
This sergeant was given
Frequent surprises,
As numbers of hands,
Rise above the edges
Of enemy’s trenches.
The reason provided,
Was from a wounded
German soldier, saying
That many among
His German compatriots,
Wished for the war’s end.
With no outcome
In sight, many seek
To get from the firing
Line - This they often
Tried to achieve.
Gaining a wound
To fingers or hand,
Is certainly painful,
But allows the man
To return home.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1914. Wounds in Hands – Two Mysteries Solved. The Daily
Telegraph, [online] 7 Nov. p.13. Col.1. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11208721/Daily-Telegraph-November-7-1914.html
[Accessed: 7 November 2014].
Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 7 November 2014).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered
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