Poem ~ 'Land of the Cursed Water' - Thursday, 22 July 1915

Impression sketches Canal at Boesinghe entrance to Ypres before and during war - by Jamie. See the originals at: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/36213/36213-h/36213-h.htm

An official French communication,

From 10 July 1915, gave information

Of further failed German attacks,

About the Yser canal – a wounded

French solider had provided a picture.

The German perspective of a ‘Land

Of cursed waters,' was given by one

Captured German. From their place

On right bank, here enemy made hold.

While all German caution had been

Taken, word reached French command

Of enemy preparations, for full attack -

With this information the French were

Prepared and ready for such an assault.  

9 July opened, with dawn of German

Gas bombs on the French left bank.

After the gas bombs, at 9 a.m. massed

German force provided little surprise.

An enemy formed a funnel attack over

The old stone bridge of Boesinghe -

Previously having made heavy attempt

In October 14 - chain bridges slung

Across, about the bridge of Yser canal.

Some shallow water allowed a waded

Crossing  - thus the German made

A tenuous hold on the French side -

Then confident, to be given new orders.

German troops were to take French

Second line trenches, a short distance

On - by then the bridges streaming

With German grey setting to reinforce

Their hold on the left bank of the Yser.

At a stage when a Bavarian Company

Filled the bridge, their luck halted in hit

By French 75’s - within moments bridge

Heads hit to fall into waters below,

With many Bavarians amid broken stone.

With crossing destroyed, more attempts

Of German chain bridges were hurriedly

Thrown across, amidst French counter

Attacks of Belgian and French Marines

Fixed bayonets, out to clear the left bank.

Chaos took over within German Lines -

They struggled, falling in their attempts

To assist two of their stranded battalions;

French 75's re focused on sappers work.

Under French fire they abandoned

Materials, if those soldiers were not hit

They fell to submerge in the canal depth;

Survival became nearly impossible,

'In the land of the cursed water.'

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Fighting at Boesinghe – Germans Trap. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 22 July. P.10. Col.2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11739263/Daily-Telegraph-July-22-1915.html [Accessed: 22 July 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 22 July 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11739263/Daily-Telegraph-July-22-1915.html

http://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Boesinghe