Thursday, 22 January 2015

Poem ~ Telegraphists Go To War - Friday, 22 January 1915


Source: File: The Post Office Rifles.jpg, 2015. Postal Museum and Archive.The Post Office and the First World War. 18 January 1915. [online] Available at: <http://www.postalheritage.org.uk/explore/history/firstworldwar/> [Accessed: 22 January 2015].

In honour of telegraphist workers,
Colonel Ogilvie ceremoniously
Unveiled a scroll, that listed
447 names of men - who had,
By 1915, joined the army ranks,
From Central telegraph Office.

With his role of Second Secretary,
Of the Post Office, Colonel Ogilvie
In addition, had prior connections
With the 24th Middlesex Post Office
Rifles - from the start of war
He had been given appointment,
Of Director of Home Signals -
With the power to recruit soldiers,
From all the signals companies.

In his speech the Colonel gave
Reference to Brigadier Fowler -
Chief of the Military Telegraphic
Communications, at the front -
Who had also added his tribute
To telegraphists' for exceptional
Work, that could only be made,
From their lives in the service.

The Central Telegraph Offices'
Controller, Mr J. Newlands, said
How the scroll was a gift, provided
From the girls in the department -
At that time 500 had left the office.

With other telegraphists still to go
To war - these numbers proved
To be the greatest contribution
In the war service, coming from
The biggest telegraph office -
Of 30,000 men, then in service,
4,000 were from telegraph forces.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Telegraphists at the Front – A Roll of  Honour. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 22 Jan. P.4. Col.1. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11357979/Daily-Telegraph-January-22-1915.html [Accessed: 22 January 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 22 January 2015). 



#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered
#WW1England

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