Poem ~ George Waltjens: A Non-Spy - Thursday, 30 September 1915

Source: File: Anti-Aircraft Guns at the rear front of Kenwood House, Hampstead Heath. [online] Available at: <http://www.hampsteadheath.net/hampstead-ww1-training---defence.html> Accessed: 29 September 2015].

In the outcome of a case,

That involved a gun station

Photograph taken by a young

Belgian man; who was found

Both guilty and not guilty.

On remand the 19 year old,

George Waltjens had then

On 18 September, made

A trip to a place in London -

Being a site of a gun station.

Before witnesses, he aimed

His camera to catch a picture

of the defences - openly

In front of those on duty,

Without any criminal intent.

On behalf of the Comite de

Protection des Soldats

Reformes, Mr E. G. Lewis

Stood for the defence -

Pointed out acts stupidity.

Of good character, George

Waltjens served in the Army

Of Belgium - to be temporarily

Invalided out, with bronchitis

And problems of the heart.

As a soldier he was in receipt

From the Belgium Government

For 14s a week - being briefly

Employed by a Gentleman

Of Belgium, as a bank clerk.

Magistrate Hopkins heard

A good report of a Belgium

Officer and his employer -

Who was happy to continue

Employing George Waltjens.

An agreement was conceived

That there was no evidence

Suggesting any ill intent - but

People should not assume

To take pictures of defences -

Without permission gained

From such establishments,

And be able to walk free -

The Realm's Defence Act

Was not a 'dead letter.'

Persons with disregard for

The Act, had to be seen

To take punishment - stated

Lt-commander Sinclair,

On behalf of Royal Navy.

With magistrate's sympathy

For the detained, the only

Way to avoid gaol was by

£25 fine - with time to pay -

Or two months in prison.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Gun Station Photograph. [online] 28 September. P.5. Col.13. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11885813/Daily-Telegraph-September-28-1915.html [Accessed: 28 September 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 28 September 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11885813/Daily-Telegraph-September-28-1915.html

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

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Poème ~ 'Ne tirez pas!' - Mercredi 29 Septembre 1915

Source: Fichier: 1er tranchée de ligne dans Champagne.jpg, [en ligne] Disponible à l'adresse: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tranch%C3%A9e_de_1%C3%A8re_ligne_en_Champagne_1915.jpg> Consulté le 29 Septembre ici à 2015 ].

Cinq jours dans la bataille, qui a débuté
Samedi 25 Septembre à midi,
Vu soldats blessés fatigués
Rejoindre Paris - leurs uniformes
Et le visage tourné pâle, à partir de
La boue crayeuse de Champagne.

Incongrue au milieu de la capitale,
Ils sont arrivés - apparaissant comme
Meuniers de pays dans le Parisien
Ville - de dire comment jusqu'à zéro heure,
Canons français, avec plus féroce
Bruit, n'a jamais cessé.

Ces soldats parlaient miller
A propos de leur régiment, entre
Le premier support - impatience
Leur tenue dans les tranchées, jusqu'à
Samedi de routine des sirotant
Soupe a pris fin avec un cri.

À peine fini dans leur tâche
Des armes de nettoyage, l'écorce
D'un ordre était «en avant!»
Comme les hommes possédés, cria
Un cri se battre, comme ils ont soulevé
Eux-mêmes de leurs trous.

L'avance de la ligne de ces Poilu,
Avait déjà progressé -
Bien au-delà des lignes allemandes -
Avec peu de résistance de ces
hommes ont couru à suivre camarades,
Passant beaucoup de morts allemande.

Comme un abattoir morts empilés
Jusqu'à leur front et sur les côtés -
Cratères qui étaient effondrés
Déjà rempli de Fallen Earth -
Comme roches en cuir, bottes
Avançait en rez tourné frais.

Comme dans un jeu morbide, ils
Arrêtée et a tiré une botte pour
Des signes de réaction, ce tout
pourrait être en vie - aucun d'entre
Eux étaient, donc partir Ils se précipitèrent
Au milieu de coups de feu.

Un contingent féroce à droite -
De bord d'une fosse, la machine
Guns ratissé terre battue -
Mais le poliu élance
Pour faire taire les tentatives de l'ennemi
Par la poussée de leur baïonnette.

Un autre combat féroce a suivi -
Résistance est devenue divisée
Entre le rendu.
Tandis que d'autres ont continué
Combattre; ceux qui ont survécu
Crié 'Kamerads!'

D'autres ont appelé 'Pas Kapout!'
Pour jeter les armes faibles -
D'autres prisonniers encore tiré
Avec un revolver d'une artillerie
Le capitaine a tiré une balle dans
Une main gauche du Poilu.

Le Français a frappé
Lui au sol et assis
Sur la poitrine Allemands, qui
Demanda grâce - à dire
Il avait une femme et des enfants;
L'homme français a eu pitié.

L'Allemand se tenait à nouveau,
Pour remercier le Poilu sauvagement
Faire des offres d'argent,
Qui fait rire
fort pour les contes étaient
Ces soldats meuniers dit.

Un autre autre homme français,
Dans la réception d'une balle
Jetant sa tête, dit
Comment dans l'infanterie attaque
Ils sont venus à se blottit
Des Allemands, les mains levées.

Une impression était de savoir comment
Ces Allemands, touchées
Par la canonnade Français
Old Men - tournés vers idiots
Et le jeune possédé,
Appelé sur 'Pas kapout!'

'Pas kapout! Pas kapout!'
'Ne tirez pas! Ne me tuez pas! '

par Jamie Mann.

Anon., 1915. Combat à la baïonnette - Ligne allemande Transporté d'urgence. [en ligne] 29 Septembre. P.10. Col.3. Disponible à: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11896789/Daily-Telegraph-September-29-1915.html [Consulté le 29 Septembre 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. il ya 100 ans - Poèmes de Jamie Mann. [lettre] (communication personnelle, le 29 Septembre 2015).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11896789/Daily-Telegraph-September-29-1915.html

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

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Poem ~ 'Don't Shoot!' - Wednesday, 29 September 1915

Source: File: 1st line trench in Champagne.jpg, [online] Available at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tranch%C3%A9e_de_1%C3%A8re_ligne_en_Champagne_1915.jpg> Accessed: 29 September 2015].

Five days into battle, that began

Saturday 25 September noon,

Saw wounded weary soldiers

Reach Paris  - their uniforms

And faces turned pallid, from

The chalky mud of Champagne.

Incongruous amid the capital,

They arrived - appearing like

Country millers in the Parisian

City - to tell how until zero hour,

French cannons with fiercest

Noise, never once stopped.

These miller soldiers spoke

About their regiment, among

The first support - impatience

Held them in the trenches, till

Saturday routine of sipping

Soup ended with a shout.

Hardly finished in their task

Of cleaning arms, the bark

Of an order was 'forward!'

As possessed men, shouted

A cry to fight, as they raised

Themselves from their holes.

The line ahead of these Poilu, 

Had already progressed -

Far beyond German lines -

With little resistance these

men ran to follow comrades,

Passing many German dead.

As an abattoir, the dead piled

Up to their front and to sides -

Craters that had collapsed  
Already filled with fallen earth -

Like leather rocks, boots

Jutted in fresh turned ground.

As in a morbid game, they

Stopped and pulled a boot

For signs of reaction that

Any might be alive - none

Of them were, so onwards 

They rushed amid shots.

A fierce contingent to right -

From edge of a pit, machine

Guns raked battered ground -

But the Poliu dashed forward

To silence enemy's attempts

By the thrust of their bayonets.

Another fierce fight ensued -

Resistance became divided

Between the surrendered.

Whilst others continued

To fight; those that survived

Shouted out 'Kamerads!'

Others called Pas Kapout!'

To throw up feeble arms -

Other prisoners still fired

With a revolver one artillery

Captain shot a bullet into

One Poilu's left hand.

The Frenchman knocked

Him to the ground and sat

On the German's chest, who

Begged for mercy - to say

He had a wife and children;

The French man took pity.

The German stood again,

To thank the Poilu wildly

Making offers of money

Which made him laugh

loudly - so were the tales 
These soldiers millers told.

Another other French man,

In receipt of a bullet

Glancing his head, said

How in infantry attack

They came to huddles

Of Germans, hands raised.

An impression was how

These Germans, affected

By the French cannonade

Turned to idiots - men old

And young possessed,

Called out  'Pas kapout!'

'Pas kapout! Pas kapout!'

'Don’t shoot! Don’t kill me!'

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Bayonet Fighting  - German Line Rushed. [online] 29 September. P.10. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11896789/Daily-Telegraph-September-29-1915.html [Accessed: 29 September 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 29 September 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11896789/Daily-Telegraph-September-29-1915.html

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

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Poem ~ 'On War Service' - Tuesday, 28 September 1915

Impression sketch of War Badge - by Jamie. See original at:

http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/on-war-service-badge

In protection of certain men, disallowed

To enlist, was devised a simple method;

This being the issue of ‘war badges' -

For prevention of humiliation and insults.

Workers within Inland Revenue were not

Allowed to enlist in the forces - yet had

Also been refused issue of such badges.

While the emblems had been provided

To Labourers of the Port of London -

Such a questionable situation was then

Raised in a Estate Duty Officer's letter.

Written by a man who had found himself

In that situation, was provided a truthful

reasoning argument - writing to say, while

Physically fit, he could not join the forces.

With colleagues he was disallowed to be

A special constable; such was misfortune

Of their working in revenue department.

All were forbidden to be in occupations

That might compromise dutiful work -

The paradox being asked to do unpaid

Overtime, in production of 'silver bullets.'

The term, coined to encourage saving

Money; shown on posters, gave advice to

Turn silver into bullets at the post office.

Therefore a tier system appeared to exist

Shown by Customs and Excise colleagues

Had been granted the symbolic badge;

One silver bullet maker given the priviledge.

This man told how his position became

More difficult - daily agitated by recruitment

Sergeants - even being openly insulted.

Whenever stating his position, he would

Be asked, 'so where is this war badge?'

When he told they had not been issued,

Their accusing smile suggested he lied.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. War Badges. [online] 28 September. P.4. Col.1-2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11885813/Daily-Telegraph-September-28-1915.html [Accessed: 28 September 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 28 September 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11885813/Daily-Telegraph-September-28-1915.html

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

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Poem ~ Thermite Bombs - Monday, 27 September 1915

Impression sketch of Thermite Zeppelin bombs, before and after - by Jamie. See original at: http://www.stedmundsburychronicle.co.uk/galleryww1/galleryww1page_04a.htm

With continued Zeppelin raids,

Aimed on the London capital,

Guidance came on how to fight

Incendiary bombs.

The Commissioner of Police,

Sir Edward Henry's guidance,

Was for effective uses of sand

And water.

To agree British Fire Prevention

Committee, advised how powder

Or chemical extinguishers were

Less suitable.

Regarding the incendiary bombs,

This committee gave their advice

Over tackling those fires, resultant

Of air raids.

Straightforward and economical,

Were buckets of water and hand

Pumps - with sand to douse spirit

And oil fires.

For public education reasons,

Came explanations, with details

Of Germans bombs of Zeppelins

And their dangers.

Conical metal and 10'' diameter

Base, they had a cup and funnel.

At the top was the handle, along

With ignition device.

Thermite filled the funnel - when

Ignited, an intense heat along

With concussion, makes molten

Metal of 5,000 °F.

Furthermore the funnel, caked

In resinous skin and bound

With tarred rope - adding white

Phosphorus in cap.

Resin and phosphorus create

Bilious fumes - often petrol

And celluloid chippings were

Also present.

When such a bomb struck,

The "Goldschmidt reaction"

Made molten metal, fumes

And resin smoke.

All measures should be ready

For horrendous incendiary

Fires - thus a forewarned public

Should be prepared.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Zeppelin Raids - Bomb Construction - Extinguishing Incendiary Fires, [online] 27 September. P.6. Col.5. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11885788/Daily-Telegraph-September-27-1915.html [Accessed: 27 September 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 27 September 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11885788/Daily-Telegraph-September-27-1915.html

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

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Poíima ~ Ellinikí Ypostírixi tis Servías - Kyriakí, 26 Septemvríou 1915

Pigí : Archeío : Ellinikó Strató Kinitopoiiméno 1915.jpg , [ se apeftheías sýndesi ] Diathésimo sti diéfthynsi: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greek_Army_mobilisation_1915.jpeg > Prospelástike : 26 Septémvri, 2015 ]

Mia synthíki pou ypegráfi to 1913, eíche

Symfonitheí gia tin parochí voítheias Servía,

Eán dechthoún epíthesi
Apó to Vasíleio tis Voulgarías.

Pémpti 24 iméra tou Septemvríou -
Athína, i protévousa tis Elláda ,
Epikyrónetai to mesiméri éna ntoulápi
Synántisi - syzítisi sta sovará.

I anánki ítan chóras Asfáleia -

Elláda éprepe na dei na energísei -
Tin kinitopoíisi ólon ton dynámeon tous.

Aftí i krísimi katástasi metaféretai
Me Ypourgós Venizélos, o opoíos
Odigíthike me to aftokínito apó to Tatói,
Milóntas stená me to vasiliá.

Sto 16:00 Premier Elefthérios
Venizélou me ton vasiliá, dílose
Óti i Elláda chreiázetai na kinitopoiithoún.

I syzítisi aftí akoloutheítai
Me synántisi tou Vasiléos Konstantínou
Ypourgós tou polémou, stratigó Danklí.
Aftó odígise stin diatýposi vrády.

Diafygón sympérasma emfanístike
I móni dynatí apántisi se stási
Tis voulgarikís diadikasía gia pólemo.

19:30 Pémpti 24 Septémvrios,
Ótan stin Elláda tou vasiliá Konstantínou,
Me tin ypografí, édose to vasilikó diátagma
Gia tin kinitopoíisi tou ellinikoú stratoú.

Argótera ekeíni tin iméra, 22:40 eidíseon
Éftase stin Athína, méso tou Týpou
Tis voulgarikís kinitopoíisi.

Me ekdoménon efimerída ekeíni ti nýchta tou,
I prósklisi gínetai gia ólous 21-45
Etón oi ándres na anaféroun, entós
Entós 48 orón apó ti dimosíefsi.

Eíkosi táxeis kaloúntai na tous colourso
Entáchthike i ektísei poiní tessáron?
Étsi ellinikís gis dynámeis kinitopoiíthikan.

I telikí apófasi emfanístike
Stis afíses, topothetoúntai se paráthyra
Tis efimerídas grafeíou tou opoíou
Apotélesma anadévetai stous drómous tis Athínas.

Makriá apó tin patrída, énas Éllinas
Apoikía sto Londíno exéfrase tin ikanopoíisí
Eidíseis apó tin enthousiódi lógia.

Énas ánthropos pou syndéontai me tin politikí
Tis patrídas tou, se dílosi
Na poúme to stoicheío tis pro-Germanías
Exakoloutheí na paraménei sti chóra tou.

I parousía aftón ton anthrópon
Sképsi episkiástike apó
Kómma Elefthérios Venizélos.

 apó ton Jamie Mann.

Anon., 1915. Vasilikó diátagma ypogegramméno. I Daily Telegraph, [ se apeftheías sýndesi ] 25 Septemvríou. R.9. Stíli 4. Diathésimo se: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11885769/Daily-Telegraph-September-25-1915.html [prospélasi: 26 Septémvri tou 2015 ].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 chrónia prin - Poiímata apó ton Jamie Mann. [ epistolí ] ( Prosopikí epikoinonía tis 26is Septemvríou 2015).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11885769/Daily-Telegraph-September-25-1915.html

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

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