Poem ~ British Officers in German House - Tuesday, 13 April 1915

Impression Sketch of Mr Purcell confronting Mrs Decksart - By Jamie Mann. 

Philip Purcell, an elderly gentleman, lived

At Shepherds Bush, Wood Lane - to appear

In a police court West London - regarding

An incident of Mr Purcell making insults

To Louisa Decksert, a Wood Lane resident.

Both parties, it transpired, were boarding

Houses owners on Wood Lane - Mr Pierron,

On behalf of complainant Louisa Decksart.

A lady whose business was doing the better

Of the two parties, prompted by the war.

  

It was noted by John De Grey to say,

That it was strange how navy and army

Personnel lodged with Germans, in time

Of war between their two countries.

Mr Pierron explained that the reason

Being this house was close to the Naval

Station and White City - therefore such

Lodgings to military personnel, proved

Important to both the army and navy.

April 3 at 11.45 p.m. Mr Purcell walked

To The house of Ms Decksart, who then

Lodged some naval officers and a family

Of an Army officer, with wife and children.

Mr Purcell proceeded to bang on the door

Once opened, he began using abusive

Language - calling out for soldiers to raid

The house - saying it was full of Germans;

To the police he gave his name of Jackson.

At that point, some forty people gathered

About the door - Ms Decksart admitted

When questioned, how she had used two

Names in England - as she had married

Twice – a remark was added by Mrs Read.

Mrs Read spoke of her husband, who

Was a 2^nd Lieutenant in Gloucestershire

Regiment - she had lodged in the house

To learn two days later, the owner was

German; she remained due to comforts.

Mr De Fleury said that the defendant, Mr

Purcell felt a duty to speak -to tell officers

That Ms Decksart was German, suggesting

The lady was actually less than respectable.

John De Grey stated the serious situation,

Of military officers lodging in a German

Kept house – any conversation might leak

To the enemy - at a cost - without opinion

To their being either a good or bad woman.

Adding that it was duty of every officer

Not to stay in any German kept house –

As was his personal opinion - concluding

That the defendant, Mr Purcell, was bound

Over to keep the peace for twelve months.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. British Officers in a German Boarding House. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 13 Apr. P.7. Col.6-7. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11520566/Daily-Telegraph-April-13-1915.html [Accessed: 13 April 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 13 April 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11520566/Daily-Telegraph-April-13-1915.html

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