Impression sketch
of French Woman overhearing German Spies - by Jamie.
A woman from social divisions
Of petite bourgeois,
lived in Paris.
The terms usage
in the context
Of its time,
likely consciously
Derogative - described
one lady
With connections
of North East
France, living
in Paris capital
To connect to a
story of spies.
This lady of some
ordinary
Class was a
regular traveller
Of Parisian
underground metro -
The French
capital being well
Populated by
military both
French and
English soldiers.
Having herself no
knowledge
Of English, she
had observed
Two uniformed
officers - both
Men whom she
found very
Handsome - to
listen closely,
To hear only German
tones.
As the train
progressed they
Talked, sometimes
louder -
To sound like
German words -
When at one
station a heavy
Man trod on the
toes of one
Officer to give a
German oath.
The train came to
the station
Of Etoile - by
then intrigued,
The woman
followed the two
British officers.
They walked
To Porte Maillot
and entered
A low class
lodging house.
With her
suspicions raised
By officers
language and
Shared behavior,
she noted
The address - she
sought
Out a policeman,
who could
Do nothing but give
advice.
The lady took her
suspicions
To nearby police
commissary,
Reporting her observations
Of German voices
in British
Uniforms - with
this done
The woman heard
no more.
Later in mid
January 1916
A letter fell
through her
Door - the
signature made
By a high
official from
French military
authorities' -
Enclosing 3000
francs.
The official
letter stated,
From her given
information,
That those
British officers,
Were in fact two
leading
Spies then captured
- this
Petite bourgeois’
felt pride.
Pleased both for
her service
To war and sudden
wealth.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1916. Spies
Captured in Paris - Supposed British Officers. The Daily Telegraph,
[online] 27 January 1916.
P.10. Col.1. Available at
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12120440/Daily-Telegraph-January-27-1916.html
[Accessed: 28 January 2016].
Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 28 January 2016).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Paris
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