From Friday's Figaro,
Develops a debate,
Prompted by
Maurice Barres,
Of possible field
protection.
Barres believes,
how an
Innovation by the
Infantry,
Of French soldier
thinking,
Should be adopted,
Against shrapnel
wounds.
Barres has easily
noted,
How often comes
to his attention,
That shots of
shrapnel,
Have been halted
by soldiers
Haversacks - or by double folds
In their
regimental overcoat.
Barres pertains
to the thought,
Such bad bullets,
have little
Power to penetrate
these -
And how such
simple protection,
Might so easily
be harnessed.
As the infantry soldier's
tactics,
Is in fact to
fire from lying down,
The most
vulnerable parts,
Are the shoulders
head and neck.
Overcoats and
haversacks,
Properly protect much
of the body-
Barres believes
how the French
Kepi, might be
lined with metal -
While shoulders
of overcoats,
Be padded with
metal parts.
A possible problem
could
Come from
authorities red
Tape approval -
making long
Lasting delays -
To devise
Such simple developments,
Barres believes -
should be
Taken without
official orders,
To move such idea
forwards.
Zinc strips, or
even sardine tins
Can be taken in
experiment -
Barres speaks of
a story,
Of two soldiers -
placing
Lids of mess tins
in their Kepis -
Finding this fortunate
device
Helped save their
very lives.
On their return
from trenches,
Men show how
improvised
Hats were scored
by bullets.
Soldiers did not
take the idea
To their
commanders -
For fear of
punishments,
In abuse of state
property.
Maurice Barres declares
His suggestions,
to those
That might listen
- to develop
Techniques of innovations,
For approval's
consideration.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1914. Protection
from Shrapnel - A Simple Expedient. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 12 Dec. p.10. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11285827/Daily-Telegraph-December-12-1914.html [Accessed: 12 December 2014].
Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 12 December 2014).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone
#worldwaroneremembered #WW1Paris
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