Monday, 7 September 2015

Poem ~ Bomb Blows in Post Office - Tuesday, 7 September 1915


Impression sketch of Mount Pleasant Sorting Office - by Jamie. See original at: http://www.cityroadonline.co.uk/history-mount-pleasant-sorting-office/

Built on the site of Coldbaths Field Prison,
As result of the Post Office Act,
The Mount Pleasant Post Office became
One of the largest sorting offices
Across the world.

Opening in August 1889 on 12 acre site - 
By 1915 to be highly involved
In war effort - witness to soldier's post
Passing through from
Front to home.

Monday 6 September 1915 saw dawn,
On an early autumn day -
Business was usual, with one of the sorting
rooms on an upper Level,
With 30 men working.

Amid the packages was evidently
A wrapped shell -
Within the vicinity were two offices
And a Mr Fox, a post office
Overseer.

One soldier’s packed relic of war front
Exploded - with injuries
To Captain Baker, losing three fingers,
Along with one thumb,
Blown off.

As seriously injured in the explosion
Was General O'Callaghan,
Who was taken to Royal Free Hospital,
With shrapnel wounds,
To his arm.

Less seriously, Mr Fox suffered
with an injury to his left hand,
But did not need to stay at the hospital -
No other injuries were made,
Nor damage to the building.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Explosion of War Relic - General Injured. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 7 September. P.10. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11817077/Daily-Telegraph-September-7-1915.html [Accessed: 7 September 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 7 September 2015). 



#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1London

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