On the 3rd Day of
April 1915,
Somewhere on the
Eastern front,
A fierce fight
intensified between
Russian and
Austrian army's.
As evening turned
to night,
Russian troops attempted
to hold
The fortress of
Galeszikow.
On the 3rd night of
April 1915
The battle raged
into darkness,
As Austrian
shellfire rained harder,
Down on the Russian
held fortress.
The order was given
to retreat;
Some small
resistance remained.
One such Russian
infantry soldier,
Alexis Makukha
stood his post.
Assigned to act as
a telephonist
He crawled out to
repair damaged
Lines - He started
to make progress,
As behind him,
Russians troops left.
This brave Russian
Infantry soldier
Became separated as
the Austrians
Eased their fire,
to rush forwards
To take the
fortress - two Officers
Of the Austrian
force, seized on the
Acting telephonist
to get information.
The two officers
demanded answers,
As they jabbed him
with revolvers.
One grabbed him by
the throat -
The 25 year old
held up his hands
In surrender - the
two Austrians
Exchanged words
about interrogation.
Again they demanded
answers -
How many Russians
are there?
Where are all your
positions?
What are the army’s
compositions?
Alexis Makukha once
again refused.
The one in front
made him stand.
Forced to move
Alexis Makukha
Faced them both, as
one forced
Him face down -
finding his arms
Pulled back as an
Austrian sat
Heavy on him -
grabbing his head
They both turned
his face about.
His mouth opened,
Alexis Makukha
Resisted - as his
felt taste of metal.
One pulled out his
tongue, the other
Took the bayonet
and made two cuts
In it and left him
to his fate - the soldier
Was abandoned in
the trench to suffer.
One version said
that he escaped,
Back to the Russian
lines and that
He could only speak
in a whisper -
The date of his
torture as 20 March;
Another said his
tongue was cut out.
A second statement
spoke of Russian
Tactic, in making a
counter attack
To find Alexis
Makukha in the trench
And promoted by
Commander in Chief
To post of non
commissioned officer
Thanked for his
duty to his oath.
Alexis Makukha was
also to receive
Cross of St George
of first Degree -
The Commander in Chief
gave
His case to the
Emperor, so that he
Be awarded doubled
rate of pay, for
First class non
commissioned officer.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. Austrian
Savagery - Heroic Russian Soldier - Tongue Cut Out. The Daily Telegraph,
[online] 5 Apr. P.7.
Col.2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11514460/Daily-Telegraph-April-5-1915.html
[Accessed: 5 April 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 5 April 2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Russian #WW1Austrian
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