A party of sappers based in
Colchester
In the county of Essex, on 30 April,
went
To recover equipment beneath a
trench.
In taking part of their training, a
mine
Had been set off - in the
routine of work
Sapper Williams of his section,
climbed
Down the 12 ft passage, shortly to
return.
He complained, feeling very dizzy to
say
Not to enter - the space
was dangerous.
Yet ten minutes later Sapper
Williams
Went back underground - with no sign
Of him, another
Sapper went after him.
In pitch-blackness he could not see
him
But heard his groans – set to get
him out,
With Sappers Bullock, Scott and
Simpson.
The descended but then they
succumbed
To the lingering fumes – another
Sapper,
Along with Corporal Blyth got them
out.
Williams still remained somewhere
inside.
Word was sent to Lieutenant Darton, who
Came by cycle, breathless he went
down
Into the mine – but did not then
reappear.
After a time several sappers went
after
Him - both men, Lieutenant and
Williams
Were recovered, but both remained
quite
Unconscious - although given oxygen
The men died, Bullock was
hospitalised.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. Colchester Tragedy – Soldiers
Asphyxiated. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 1 May. P.10. Col.7. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11574498/Daily-Telegraph-May-1-1915.html
[Accessed: 1 May 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 1 May 2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Essex
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