Impression sketch
of the Fateful Route March - by Jamie.
Dense and dark grey clouds,
Edged their way over a Suffolk
Countryside, a British weather
Pattern for a British summer.
The deluge and the thunder
Rolled across a distance,
As a troop of soldiers below,
Continued their route march.
An army had to prepare for
Fights in all kinds of weather -
Thus the route march carried
On as storm clouds grumbled.
An unplanned storm along with
The planned out route march,
Combined to create conditions
Being more like a frontline winter.
From his high mount one officer
Looked down over the men
Marching - the sounds of their
Boots muffled by the rainwater.
Pouring rain had quickly made
The road into a deluged state -
Rapid formed puddles covered
The Woodborough Road ahead.
Over the sound of downpour,
This officer heard dominant
Splash, splash of rainwater
Rather than the thump of boots.
With water dripping off his cap
The officer looked down across
On the marching men, whose
Waterproofs glistened with rain.
With slight hunched movement
They moved, head down into
Driving rain, the groundsheet
Rain capes evoked ancient army.
The shifting storm had caught
Them - the grumbling and flecks
Of once distant lighting suddenly
Overhead - the officer looked.
A flash caught his eye as two
Clouds discharged - without
Knowing the foot soldiers
Below the sudden electricity
Amid them Private Woodliffey
Marching before the mounted
Officer was singled out as bolt
Struck, throwing the men about.
The mounted officer felt his
Horse shudder and saw the
Strike directly before him as
His horse tumbled down
The lightning had hit part
Of the marching column lying
Dead Private Woodliffey along
With the horse and injured men.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. Soldier
Killed by Lightning. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 24 July. P.10. Col.5. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11742048/Daily-Telegraph-July-24-1915.html
[Accessed: 24 July 2015].
Mann, J., 2015.
100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 24 July
2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Suffolk
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