Saturday, 9 July 2016

Poem ~ Boots Are Made For Marching - Sunday, 9 July 1916

Source: File: Three Russian Soldiers. See an original image at: <https://www.flickr.com/photos/sunnybrook100/3377341300/in/album-72157615683192081/> [Accessed 9 July 2016]

Source: File: Russian Army in World War I - Mad Monarchist, [online] <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4wg04_ZqEg&feature=youtu.be> [Accessed: 09 July 2016]

In necessity of an army's day-to-day
Living, frequent marching, running,
Fighting across varieties of rough
Terrain - not to forget days of training,
An allied army required sturdy boots.

Manufacturers of this footwear created
Their own trade references - heavy
Leather was needed to create army
Boots - tanned hide parts prefered
Over butts, shoulders and the cheeks.

Released details of the Army Council's
Intentions to take possession of 'all
Bends of 10lb upwards' - making
Claim to all named parts mentioned;
Would likely push up all leather prices.

Yet the fact was not particularly new -
The Boot and Shoe Manufacturers' 
Secretary stated, on 7th July,
Government's order already done
This - to believe effects as not serious.

Furthermore, an enormous Russian
Order for infantry and ankle boots
Of 3000,000 that would likely
Double - with 3000,000 Cossack
Boots - could push up high demands.

Price rise rumours by such orders
May have added some effect,
Along with reasons, such as
Scarce male labour, to include
Insufficient war bonus from 1915.

More grant applications were under  
Way, while a bubbling crisis came
From obtaining enough leather
To complete big contracts - to find
Sources in time created pressures.

A month had been given to find
All sources for leather uppers
Of tallest boots - for future
Needs, in a current shortage
Of quality, was to import the hide.

The government’s restrictions from
Taking their claim for leathers
Suitable for army boots,
Had resulted in there being
Limited resources of good quality.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. 1916. Army Boots - Russia's Enormous Orders. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 8 July 1916. P.6. Col.2. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12211872/Daily-Telegraph-July-8-1916.html>[Accessed: 9 July 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 9 July 2016). 



#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Uniforms

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