Friday 10 July 2015

Poem ~ The Heat of Gallipoli - Saturday , 10 July 1915


Impression sketch of Port Iero, Mitylene - by Jamie. See the original at: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205395814

From the Aegean Island of Lesbos,
Word rolled out from the ancient city,
Mitylene - to state believed progress,
Within the Dardanelles.

On Thursday 9 July, a report came
Via trenches of Gallipoli Peninsula,
Conveyed by an English soldier,
From the southern front.

Allies had acceptable development;
As all remained hopeful, with great
Advances on Monday and Tuesday-
Fifth and sixth of July.

A continual falling bombardment,
From accurate allied field batteries
Commenced on Turkish positions -
Prior to their advances.

Moving onto that ground in heat
Of a summer's day, bodies were
Found lying where they had fell,
Quickly decomposing.

With lingering masses of black flies,
Likely to spread deathly disease
To the living was need to bury them;
Halting their advance.

During the Sunday and into Monday,
Barked a Turkish bombardment,
Near Kum Kale - on Asiatic shores
Of allied encampments.

In the night Turkish gun positions
Were hard to locate in hidden
Locations - but as day came allied 
Planes found the places.

In firing combination from a French
Battleship and on shore batteries,
The Turkish guns were finally
Knocked silent.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Dardanelles  - Camps Bombarded - Artillery Silenced. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 10 July. P.11. Col.2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11721663/Daily-Telegraph-July-10-1915.html [Accessed: 10 July 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 10 July 2015). 



#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Gallipoli

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