Source: File:
Jacko.jpg, Garth Castle' mascot Jacko at Boat Drill, about 1914. Animals on
Boats. Voyages Extraordinaires. [online] (updated March 30, 2011) Available at:
<https://voyagesextraordinaires.wordpress.com/re Jacko monkey
picture> Accessed: 16 December 2014].
Serving on board one
Of his majesty’s ships,
Was a veteran of war.
A monkey, by name
Of Jacko - who had been
In South Africa, seeing
Fighting against the Boer.
How it came about
Was not exactly known
But Jacko the Monkey,
Found himself at sea,
Serving with the crew
On HMS ‘Loyal.’
A class of torpedo boat,
That took part in October,
At the Battle of the Bight,
‘Loyal’ was called to assist,
HMS Undaunted.
On the Dutch Coast,
‘Loyal’ took a hit -
But in the fight back,
Four enemy destroyers
Were shot and sunk.
The sounds and vibration
Of the action, were no
Small thing for a ship's
Cat and monkey – as
The feline took shelter,
So Jacko sought to hide.
Down into the boat,
Acrobatic Jacko, went
Against the tide of crew.
Down into the safety
Of the ship’s kitchen.
Amid the rattle of pots,
Jacko took to the pantry.
Nervous about pounding
Of guns on deck, he found
A fishkettle - in fear
Jacko squeezed his body,
Down into the metal.
When the fight had finally
Subsided, Jacko looked
Out and cautiously
Emerged - again lively
And bright – he was back
On the deck, to keep
The company happy,
With his entertaining ways.
On patrol of an English coast
‘Loyal’ now fought against
North Sea in December.
With tides of rough weather,
The sea was churning,
And the deck of Loyal awash,
With wild winter waves.
The Friday night was frightful,
And for some reason,
Perhaps for air or for curious
Matters, Jacko went out onto
The storm lashed deck.
A wild wave caught Jacko
And sadly, the ship’s monkey
Was suddenly washed away.
To say the least, the crew
Was saddened and mourned,
The loss of a mascot and friend.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1914. Death of ‘Jacko’ – A
Destroyer’s Pet. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 16 Dec. p.10. Col.6.
Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11294716/Daily-Telegraph-December-16-1914.html
[Accessed: 16 December 2014].
Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago -
Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 16 December
2014).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar
#WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered
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