Saturday, 2 May 2015

Poem ~ Saved...in a Pram - Sunday, 2 May 1915


Impression sketch of injured soldier in a pram  - by Jamie 


A tale told of one Canadian Private
From Montreal, fighting in battle
About Ypres, who gained a wound
To the leg  - he fell among others,
As they lay beneath a wind of fire.

Shrapnel bursts, bullets cursed -
The private looked at the wound
Through his puttees - not so bad.

Defending St. Julien his company
Was in retreat, when a British
Bugler without any word pulled
Him up - he helped the Canadian
To run, as a shell burst overhead.

They both fell flat as shrapnel hit
The bugler in the chest - he looked
On the bravery of his British friend.

But the bugler's wound was fatal.
Caught under ceiling of shrapnel
And lead, the Canadian crawled
On to a space near where turnips
Grew, to finally find his rescuers.

A stretcher-bearer saw the struggle
Of a Canadian and lifted him onto
His back-within a yard to take a hit.

Both fell awkwardly to the ground -
The bearer having gained a wound.
Close by other bearers came over
To their rescue - conveying both
Of them to nearby dressing station.

To carry Canadian out of danger,
He was placed in baby carriage -
To be ludicrously wheeled away.

Another odd sight he had seen,
Was a ploy of Germans to wear
Kilts - such tactics temporarily
Succeeded - causing retreat with
Heavy losses, until tables turned.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Defence of St Julien - Bugler Hero - Germans in Khaki Kilts. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 2 May. P.10. Col.4. 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, 2 May 2015). 



#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1StJulien 

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