Saturday, 5 December 2015

Poem ~ Trench Stove Gift - Sunday, 5 December 1915


Source: File: A Practical Trench Stove. jpeg, [online] see original at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12025612/Daily-Telegraph-December-4-1915.html/> Accessed: 5 December 2015].

Just a little gift for Christmas,
For the fighting man,
Were made in varied shapes,
To then arrive at front
Taking forms of varied sizes.

A hot little number,
Available from Selfridge's
Was advertised
As the 'Kudos Trench Heater.'

Status and distinction
In a name of gift,
To counter cold trenches,
In depth of winter
Of fighting men's exposure.

Stove and heater,
Standing two foot high,
Weighing 15lbs -
Designed for all dugouts.

Gift wrapped no doubt -
Ready to burn
Any hard fuel - charcoal,
Coke or coal -
Complete with extras.

All to fit inside the stove,
Were pipes, poker,
Cap and wires - along with
Drying brackets -
For a nimble price of 18/6.

With a picture to show
An officer drying
Out his coat, the stoves
Target was more
For men of higher rank.

While a standard military
Issue, gave Tommy
Small, neat stove - fuelled
With solid alcohol.

Yet these had notoriety -
The reason being,
It might take two hours
To simply boil up
Just a half pint of water.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915 Advert - A Practical Trench Stove. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 5 December. P.7. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12025612/Daily-Telegraph-December-4-1915.html [Accessed: 5 December 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 5 December 2015). 



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

No comments:

Post a Comment