Poem ~ Frontline Fears - Thursday, 30 November 1916

  Source: File: Victoria Station 1916. See an original image at: 
<https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/543739354994519159/> [Accessed 30 November 2016]

In the daily movement of war, London train

Stations remained busy - crowded platforms

Milled with khaki figures amid numerous

Civilians and women in uniform; nurses

Posted over to western front hospitals.

On a platform stood Royal Marine Light

Infantry members, among them two

Brothers; Harold Paul Bland, aged 20

And his older brother of 27, Reginald

Ashton Bland - they stood aside from rest.

Under backpacks and great coats, the two

Brothers loitered - both shivering but not

From cold  - for some time they had dwelt

On their futures, or what remained, once

They arrived in France and the front line.

Reginald Bland pushed a lit cigarette into

The lips of Harold Bland, who kept asking

'What are we going to do Reggie? What

Are we going to do? - We are under orders

To go. Reggie, what are we going to do?'

Taking a lengthy intake of tobacco Private

Bland the older, looked about to observe

The company NCO's - they were occupied.

Reginald had purposely positioned them

Near a place of privacy - it was time to act.

Now or never before they left English soil.

He clutched the shape in his greatcoat

Pocket - 'Well they can't make us march

Without us feet can they? Leave your pack

Here.' A puzzled Harold did as he was told.

Reginald did the same, dropping his pack

By a post and propping their rifles there.

'What are you doing?' Harold found his

Arm grabbed. Reginald pulled him under

The sign of 'gentlemen' to finish the deed.

For a moment or two the lavatory seemed

To be empty as Harold again asked, what

He was doing? The sound of flushing water

Came from the other end - Reginald turned,

Stomped to the cubicle in an agitated mood.

He confronted the man who emerged -

A civilian fastening his flies was shocked.

the soldier grabbed his collar - 'get out!'

Yelled Reginald, pushing him towards the

Door, ignoring protests to wash his hands.

The stranger hurried on seeing a hatchet

in the soldier's hand - in barring the door

With a mop handle Harold stepped back

Observing the hatchet produced from his

Brother’s greatcoat; 'I don’t want to die.'

A frightened Harold protested. Reginald

Took him by the shoulder - 'trust me, we

Will get out of going to the front - come

Over here and stand in the doorway.'

Petrified, private Harold Bland staggered.

He stood frozen as he brother yelled;

'Take your boots off!'  'What!' Reginald

Stooped and yanked at the laces - he

Pulled Harold’s boots off and threw them

Aside. A shaky Harold watched his brother.

They then stood barefoot in the public

Lavatory, facing each other - terrified

Reginald still determined he would save

Them both - 'the army cant force us

To march, if we don't have any feet.'

Reginald stooped and poised holding

The hatchet - outside some man found

The public lavatory door shut and

Walked off - two NCOs stood by two

Abandoned packs and abandoned rifles.

'Deserters you think?' said one NCO

As a short, bespeckled civilian came

Over, furious to tell how disgusted

He was by two soldier’s behavior

In the lavatory - close by all heard.

A sound of a sharp cry came beyond

The lavatory door - the two NCOs ran

Forcing the door open - a soldier laid

On the ground in a pool of blood; a toe

Half hung from the man's foot bone.

This soldier was out cold with another

Quaking soldier propped up, shaking

In one of the cubicle doorways a bloody

Axe on the floor, a handkerchief about

A wound from his blood-stained foot.

An NCOs looked to him, discovering he

Also had toes half hanging off - the other

Private moved, dazed giving an answer

To NCO's question; 'yes, I must have

Done it - I don't know what made me.'

'We were under orders and it worried

Me.' Two days later, Thursday 26 October,

A hearing at Westminster Police court

Saw Private Reginald Bland hobble over

To the stand, his foot heavily bandaged.

Private R. Bland 1531 S Royal Marine Light

Infantry: Portsmouth Division-Short Service

Was informed of his being in remand to be

Detained in prison for the actions of maiming
His brother Harold; he was carried from court.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Mutilation With A Chopper.The Daily Telegraph, [online] 16 November 1916. P.4. Col.3. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213737/Daily-Telegraph-November-16-1916.html> [Accessed: 30 November 2016].

Source: File: The Bland brothers, Royal Marines. Available at: <http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?/topic/240417-the-bland-brothers-royal-marines> [Accessed 30 November 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 30 November 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213737/Daily-Telegraph-November-16-1916.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Soldier

Poem ~ Ancre: Against All Odds - Sunday, 26 November 1916 - Wednesday, 29 November 1916

Source: File: Remains of Beaumont Hamel. See an original image at: <http://51hd.co.uk/history/battle_ancre_beaumont_hamel> [Accessed 26 November 2016]

Out of Gallipoli experience, the 63rd Naval

Division landed into the midst of Somme

Offensive - six months later, 7 October 1916

Brigades were stationed about Beaumont

Hamel - before the village 188th and 189th

Held trenches to banks of the river Ancre.

The situation was deplorable as October

Had sunk into atrocious weather - trenches

Had been wrecked by enemy shelling  and

All communication trenches ran throughout

A targeted area - without dugouts soldiers

Stood in restricted space of freezing mud.

Lying a right angle to the river valley

The 63rd Naval Division held a sector

1,200 yards wide north of the Ancre -

250 yards away lay the German line.

Numbers had dropped 200 to 500 men;

Finally orders came for planned attack.

Beyond a first objective on the ridge, stood

Second target, a fortified position - further

On higher ground Beaucourt trench, their

Third objective - after bombardment days,

Finally zero hour 13 November 5.45 a.m.

They stepped out behind a shrapnel wall.

5 minutes paced out 100 yards in a dense,

Dark mist - the left Naval brigades, to right

189th Brigade the Highland divisions set

Between the Hoods on the right - men fell

By positioned machine gunners to the right -

Still the fighters took over the German line.

The first waves of the Hood Battalions

Followed close to the barrage; the officers

Compass bearings kept them on track -

To swiftly take the three lines of trenches,

Relaying prisoners away - with sacrifice

Lt Commander Kelly took down a threat.

Kelly was killed in the action of putting out

Enfilade machine gun threat; the Drakes

Battalion suffered, losing half their force.

Despite wounded and killed officers

Lt Colonel Feyberg advanced, with 420

Men from both Drake and Hood forces.

Success was made, taking 400 prisoners

From Station Road dug outs to secure

The ridge - about the ridge and redoubt

Intensive fighting fought on and continued.

Lingering mists hid their target that had

Been missed by the artillery barrage.

German redoubt defenders occupied

With the Hawke Battalion, as the Nelson

Battalion pushed out, but with losses

At Station Road - Howe and Anson

Being right hand sections, had better

Gains; as Howe's kept to the barrage.

In tactics they reached the German line.

The third line was taken by 20 men led

By Lt. commander Sprange, but failed

To hold positions - enemy fighters from

The redoubt quickly emerged to re-take

Target; the Anson's men had more luck.

Leapfrogged and crossed Station Road

Valley to reach the ridge and their given

Objective - while 1st and 2nd Marines

Faced disaster with high losses under

German artillery - soldiers killed during

The first move, as followers had success.

3rd and 4th waves dropped into the two

Lines - low numbers formed the 2nd wave.

Dropped behind the barrage engaged in

Hand to hand fights, the advance had

Become scattered - the Redoubt proved

A headache to prompt HQ staff out.

They failed to make a difference, officers

Wounded or killed, yet Commander

Fairfax of the Howe formed a temporary

Center, to establish a hold on first lines.

A wait until 7.30 a.m. as the barrage

Indicated the attack of Beaucourt trench.

Freyerg's section had taken higher ground

Though Gilliland was in view of enemy -

To take advantage of gains came orders

Of a postponement for the village due

8.30 a.m. - advance took place 9.30 a.m.

Fairfax moved north in a bombing party.

Gilliland had led a southern push with

Enemy alongside in Muck Trench - while

Men pulled together under commanders

To take a hold on German third line - only

By early hour on 14 November did Anson

And Marine battalions join highlanders.

Into the darkness of 13 November was

Problematic - everywhere blown trench

Systems to make distance and bearings

Difficult - as seen by Private Macpherson

In the early hours, tanks rumbled out from

Auconvillers; mud became their undoing.

With one machine well bogged down,

Another tank was disabled by a hit from

A chance shell - while the third directed

By an officer, crawled a distance until

Succumbing to mud - but in a good position

Was able to fire on the enemy redoubt.

The result to be 400 number of surrendering

Germans, likely seen by the reserves being

Marched behind the lines - 7.45 a.m. and

Brigade and fusiliers pressed towards

The village - forced to take cover along

With Howe, Drake Hawke and Nelson men.

Lieutenant Colonel Freyberg with a further

Wound, led the fight into Beaucourt village

As other troops curved in from south east;

With Beaucourt captured by hardly any

Resistance - the east edge secured from

Rounded up enemy pockets from dugouts.

10.30 a.m. marked the minute of official

Possession of the target commune - within

An afternoon hour, the consolidated area

Had possible threat of enemy troops that

Massed a mile away at Farm Baillescourt,

But an effective barrage halted any attempt.

Finally by evening Lieutenant Colonel

Freyberg left the field, having refused

Until his final instructions were given -

Initially confusion had resulted from

The first objective, but he rallied men

Who were separated from their units.

He pulled them together to take their

Second objective, where he twice took

Wounds, displaying contempt at danger

To those about him - he held position for

Day and night without support - under

Heavy fire Freyberg organized new attack.

Freyberg led the rush of the fortified village,

Again taking two more wounds - to impress

The men of his strength of mind - the officer

Gained a citation for his deeds that led

To capturing of the forces furthest objective

Beaucourt village, to be held by allied hands.

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: 51st Highland Division. The Battle Of Ancre (Beaumont Hamel) November 1916. Available at: <http://51hd.co.uk/history/battle_ancre_beaumont_hamel> [Accessed 26 November 2016]

Source: File: Battle of the Ancre. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Ancre_Heights> [Accessed 26 November 2016]

Source: File: Battle of the Ancre Heights. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Ancre> [Accessed 26 November 2016]

Source: File: The role of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division in the Battle of the Ancre, November 1916. Available at: <http://www.ww1wargraves.co.uk/ww1_cemeteries/lt_colonel_tetley.asp> [Accessed 26 November 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 26 November 2016). 

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Ancre

Poem ~ Battle of Ancre: Heights and Lows - Sunday, 19 November 1916 - Saturday, 25 November 1916

Source: File: Battle of the Ancre. Prisoners taken in Beaumont Hamel by the 51st (Highland) Division, 13 November 1916.. See an original image at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Battle_of_the_Somme,_July-november_1916_Q4507.jpg> [Accessed 19 November 2016]

i

From September's push for Thiepval Ridge,

Emerged a new allied fight in the battle

Of the Anrce Heights - when summers path

Had led into inevitable autumn weather.

The allied struggle found Thiepval fortified

And determinedly defended - organised

Issues and poor weather conditions played

Badly against General Joffre’s intentions.

Days fed into one another to reach date

27 September - after a night and morning

Of German shelling, Canadian patrols made

Discovery; Germans had made a withdrawal.

North east of Courcelette, Canadian brigades

Moved on the trenches of Dyke Road, to gain

Their set objective -1st Canadians at Kenora

Trench, omly forced back in fight for occupation.

6 p.m. on 27th, an enemy bombing party failed

To retake Dyke road trenches - another allied

Advance found Zollern Redoubt fully devoid

Of Germans - Canadian gains finally joined.

A postponed advance led to orders for 3 p.m.

Still a further delay gave no definite hour -

The south edge of Stuff Redoubt was reached;

Again links formed up by Brigades successes.

With Zollern and Bulgaren trenches secured,

Into the early hour of 28th September resumed

Advance via Thiepval - 5.45 a.m. - then on hour

Of 11 a.m. the area about Thiepval was gained.

ii

Over the last official days of Thiepval's

Battle, the fighting had intensified about

Redoubts of Stuff and Schwaben - where

The British objective had been reached.

Yet many stubborn, dug-in Germans halted

British attempts to completely clear out the

Redoubts; although they captured a good

Section of the Schwaben by 30 September.

Without any final outcome a new chapter

Began; September ended badly for Germany,

In the region losing 135000 soldiers - with

Prisoners taken by army reserves of 10,000.

The Somme push from the summer was not

Yet over, with another chapter about the river

Ancre - troops were quickly gathered around

The northern bank, as divisions converged.

This was in the early days of October, when

Attacks were due on 4th to last until the 12th -

Intent had been to create a pocket by artillery

Hits about Irles, Pys, Puisieux and Miraumont.

Slowness on the Ancre's south bank sought

To gain Regina trench - determined Germans

Held on; inclement conditions made for delays

Both sides of the river to be almost impossible.

Mid October's turbulent conditions weighed

Down body and spirit into a trial - any plan

That Haig had made had become reliant

On pockets of environmental improvements.

iii

A shorter, sharper battle plan had emerged

By mid October, when a previous operation

From September was finally cancelled, for

Favour of a converging attack of river Ancre.

With fourth army failures and postponements

From dire weather, plans were again revised.

Haig and Gough desires different planned

Dates of attack, settled to wait for fair weather.

A need was for freedom of saturated ground.

With a conference called, no firm dated could

Quite be agreed; Haig and Foch 4 November,

Debated 4th army plans at Querrieu chateau.

Further came talks on 8 November at fifth army

Toutencourt headquarters where Gough, with

Corps commanders, proposed further attacks -

If the weather remained dry on 13 November.

Three days before, the time 5.45 a.m. was set

By Gough - Haig looked over the plans to give

Agreement; depended on weather if all went

Well, they would push towards Irles and Pys.

Five divisions would act alongside the river -

Gough's plan was to shrink the enemy salient

Between Serre and Thiepval; set out were

3 objectives, initially from Beaucourt Station.

First to gain 800 yards over Beaumont to Redan

Ridge; secondly 1000 yards west of Beaucourt

Onwards to Star wood - the third target to be

Puisieux road out of Stuff trench and Schwaben.

iV

From redoubt to line of Hansa, edging them

Out of defences to secure Beaucourt road

Bridges, target time 7.25 a.m. - a tactic was

Set to keep Germans in their comfort zone.

Each morning, 30 minutes prior to dawn,

Heavy artillery struck German frontline;

Hoping for the enemy to be complacent,

So they would not react to actual attacks.

Zero hour was set for 5.45 a.m. followed

By specific timed activity - 18 pounders

Would curtain advance - six minutes later

This would creep ahead over five minutes.

A barrage paused on German reserve lines,

Then onwards - giving 56 minutes to their

First objective - also using a machine gun

Barrage against their German equivalent.

Into the night of 11 November 1916, the rain

Ebbed away - a full moon rose to shine

Over a battered scape - as dawn came a mist

Manifested and general visibility quickly fell.

The curtain of dense fog helped the troops

Hiding their advance - though many soldiers

Lost the course of the barrage, further disabled

By heaving selves through thick, glutinous mud.

6.15 a.m. 117 Brigade advanced from Mill

Road, working to clear enemy dugouts along

The Ancre riverbank, meeting with lost troops;

Together to attack and take St Pierre Divion.

V

The 39th and 118th, unseen by Germans,

Advanced to Hansa line 7.30 a.m. - while

Battalions North West fought across to Mill

Trench, to reach Beaucourt Mill by 10 a.m.

Taking part in the forward force three tanks

Were to be involved, to set off from Thiepval.

But with one breaking down another found

Itself bogged; only one made the German line.

There the tank had tipped into a dug out, to be

Attacked at 7 a.m. - a pigeon was released

To get help, but for two hours none arrived.

Infantry appeared 9 a.m. and the enemy fled.

Amid the divisions the 9th Royal Scots were

Held in reserve - in keeping a diary Private

A. Macpherson had witnessed the approach

Of those tanks towards front on 12 November.

Near Auchonvillers they heard sounds of an

Engine running - odd reflective shapes lifted out

A trench, in its chinks of armour light escaped.

Without any time to stand and watch they left.

Waking from a few compressed hours of sleep,

Private Macpherson with his brigade, readied.

Being in position before the time of 5 a.m. then

Under sudden thunderous drumroll of gunnery.

Later he said, 'hard to believe humans could live

Through such a whirlwind of fire' - then a pensive

Wait, after columned shapes of prisoners came,

Marched down Mailly Maillet; a sign of success.

Vi

Beaumont Hamel stronghold had been taken,

Only to be tempered by failure - one division

Had not succeeded. The Royal Scots brigade

Were ordered to move out by that afternoon.

Private Macpherson and others readied

Under greatcoats and haversacks, to drag

Gun barrow through Mailly Maillet - while

Over their heads German shells whined.

From right of Auchonvillers Macpherson saw

Further prisoners - many dazed and fearful;

As one voice called, 'Guerre fini pour moi!'

Their guards searching them for souvenirs.

The reserves orders were to leave the gun

Barrows and ammo - with the battalion they

Moved along a rail-line near Auchonvillers

Where tanks edged outwards in snail pace.

Into slow hours of night they paused by old

Trenches and fresh shell holes - a salvo

Of shells aimed at the batteries, prompted

The whole battalion to get down to cover.

In seconds of silence blurted megaphones

Ordering - 'Number... ready to fire... fire!'

A stereo of 'bang, bang, bang' edging all

Along the line, to shake bodies and souls.

Seeping cold, edged into their fitful waiting

Game - someone illegally lit a fire - almost

Immediately were yelled orders, 'put it out!'

Soon they edged along Tipperary Avenue.

Vii

Filing down the communication trench was

Slowed by numbers - each having to weave

About collapsed walls left by tank tracks -

Briefly climbing onto Auchonvillers road.

Then dropping down into St Johns Road

Support trenches - some confusion flowed

Between them - without any officer present

The battalion stretched out, down the road.

Then a thunderous enemy bombardment.

The curse of shells hit a point on the trench.

Shouts of casualties were called out, a gun

Crew's lost survivors turned, about to move.

Back down in the narrow Tipperary trench, being

Shallow it lacked total safety, as Hun appeared

To have it in site - huddled down, they waited

For another shells arrival, like an express train.

A roar over hunched heads, tearing the ground

Throwing debris over them - a torture of a few

Minutes between each salvo - all expectant

Of death, sharing out words of casualty names.

Waiting, damning lack of orders - word of mouth

In Chinese whispers to say, 'back to the trench

Opening' - they edged down, fully knowing there

Was no authority in the order but glad to be safe.

They followed steps of companies to Auchonvillers,

Where police guards stopped them to quiz, why

They were leaving the line? But no one knew -

Came a random officer - confusion still continued.

Viii

Companies for White City? or for Auchonvillers?

Two were told to turn back in advance - not

Attached to them the Scots remained, to await

Correct orders - they roosted on the duckboards.

Night passed long and cold - cramp and dawn

Came. Combined efforts utilised bits of wood

To make a fire. Boiled water for tea and warmed

Tins of kippers served all a satisfactory feast.

14 November opened little better than the 13th -

A procession of souvenir hunters passed on route

To Mailly Maillet - the Scots advanced to Brooke

Street cutting into St Johns road to see results.

The bombardment of the last night very evident

In parapet damage - they stepped over bodies

To be guided by a runner sent by their officer;

Ordered down line to man some battered dugout.

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: 51st Highland Division. The Battle Of Ancre (Beaumont Hamel) November 1916. Available at: <http://51hd.co.uk/history/battle_ancre_beaumont_hamel> [Accessed 19 November 2016]

Source: File: Battle of the Ancre. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Ancre_Heights> [Accessed 19 November 2016]

Source: File: Battle of the Ancre Heights. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Ancre> [Accessed 19 November 2016]

Source: File: The role of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division in the Battle of the Ancre, November 1916. Available at: <http://www.ww1wargraves.co.uk/ww1_cemeteries/lt_colonel_tetley.asp> [Accessed 19 November 2016]

Source: File: 51st Highland Division. Pte. MacPherson Account of 154 Brigade at Beaumont Hamel 12-14 Nov 1916. Available at: <http://51hd.co.uk/accounts/pte_macpherson_beaumont_hamel> [Accessed 19 November 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 19 November 2016). 

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Ancre

Poem ~ Somme Rescuer - Tuesday, 14 November 1916 - Saturday, 18 November 1916

'The Battle of the Somme'; includes footage of the Somme Rescuer, filmed by official cinematographers, Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell. 

Impression sketch of Geoffrey Malins filming the Somme Rescuer - by Jamie.

i

136 days of the Somme had seen changes

Of a battle ground situation; the first days

Had been a fight through grass and crops,

Under heat of dust and sun - yet final days

Saw a quagmire of bitter, churned up mud.

Amid the presence of the fighters observed

Correspondents, recording stories unfolding

Before their presence and gain various events 

On film - Geoffrey Malins, a cameraman, had

Opportunities to move locations to film events.

Along with fellow cameraman John McDowell,

The two men lugged equipment about the field;

Moy & Bastie Cinecamera's - being a wooden

Box 16 by 9 by 18 inches, balanced on tripods -

To aim 400 feet of raw film onto their subjects.

Styled in uniform to carry out his task, Malins

Equipment would have been an easy target

For any enemy sniper - with these problematic

State of the art heavy cameras, such dangers

Led to some staged scenery amid real events.

ii

Day 1; with genuine footage of a mine blown

At Hawthorne, Geoffrey Malins turned his lens

Elsewhere - likely not to consider too deeply

To record those men that would be in view -

They snatched any possible interesting event.

To capture film shots these would be taken

Over a number of days as opportunities arose.

One such chance that would last barely six

Seconds would haunt audiences, to question

Identity of one; known as Somme rescuer.

Faces of the men were important to show,

Giving the film's future audience a tentative

Chance to spot a loved one - chancing one

Point, Malins pulled in a view across ragged

Ground, scarred with chalky trench marks.

Malins later recalled how many wounded lay

Lost in shell holes, crying out for help. They

Saw numerous attempts to get to fellows by

Red cross men who were simply shot down.

As one cried out; a trench mortar man heard.

iii

Would someone help to get him? One fellow

Volunteered - over parapets and between

Barbed wire, two men edged closer and closer.

Watchers with held breath witnessed success;

Was this then what Malins hastily filmed?

Filmed in the last stages, two men with a man

Hunched between, staggered up a slope then

Lowered him to cover, all in 13 seconds - closer

Inspection showed the limp unmoving soldier;

One rescuer taking a chance without his helmet.  

Likely in that same proximity, Ernest Brooks

Took a still image of these likely same two

Men, who carried the weight of a wounded

Man - they maneuvered him out of tangled

Barbed wire ditch - one held him on his back.

Brooks looked over boards at point when

A helmeted man lifted limp legs, as the bare

Headed rescuer sees the photographer -

An expression of effort to be always frozen

In their awkward angle, adding to questions.

iV

The soldier with cropped fair hair, slumped

Heavy, unresponsive over cardigan shoulders -

Loose arms with palms outwards - a diamond

Badge on ripped left sleeve, with a partly torn

Right shoulder; evidence of that filmed man.

They stepped from frozen image into focus

Of a cinecamera lens at end of a trench,

Sloping sides littered with debris - Malins

Positioned there - an official presence likely

Blocking way to any urgent passing traffic.

By absent seconds Malins missed a link

To solve the relay of that same limp figure.

His cropped head of hair on right shoulder

Of another, bent with his weight almost tips

Him over as seven men watch from behind.

One man evidently taking the second stage

Was suddenly burdened; the Somme rescuer.

By his job conveying unconscious man

He carries a pale look to camera - slightly

Self-conscious, to see Malins stand in his way.

V

The unconscious soldier's swinging arms, fell

Over broad shoulders - this carrier's burden

Almost biblical - whose efforts emphasized

By his untidy hair, pressed wet by perspiration

Across his forehead, with features stained.

He wears no tunic - thick, heavy boots stumble

Almost totally bandaged with khaki puttees. 

A process to echo personified desperation

To save a life - a moving image, he struggles

With effort in representation of every rescuer.

This is a strong man yet he's weighed down,

And in those minutia seconds he looks into

Malins box - his unconsciousness quizzes

Any observer - a phase of puzzlement like

A shadow. Hs expression is a question; why?

The way he carries him is awkward, hurried -

Holding him up with arms twisted around his

Lower back - the heavy, limp weight pushes

Him down; perhaps this carrier's expression

Is just reaction to the effort of his the burden.

Vi

Held in a piggy back as with children at play -

An action turned upside down - image of grown

Men into life and death, but without obvious

Signs of wounds - both devoid of helmets

Intensifies the fact that these are mortal men.

Rewind to first few seconds; what of those

That watch? Making no move to help them,

Only to witness him carry the wounded man -

An exception lays in one figure also devoid

Of any helmet; the same man Brooks caught.

The cardigan man with long, side parted hair

Holds a can in his left hand; the first carrier.

He sways left to right with virtual exhaustion.

Breathless he tips against the trench wall -

This is a shared effort to save one man's life.

Look again, this wounded man was no youth - 

Worn by exhaustion of his wounds unseen

Till later - his bereft chest reveals the fatal

Result - high-cropped hair gives air of youth;

Look again to see eyes of closed shadows.

The burdened man takes him out of the scene

Followed by another, a helmeted corporal

From out of the seven; his tunic buttons half

Undone, his serious eyes fall from the camera -

With another bearer he takes the wounded man.

Vii

Passing by Malins, the prone cropped haired

Man, tunic open shows wounds to his middle,

On the final stage by stretcher - though Malins

Reported he would be dead within 30 minutes.

Yet those 6 seconds made the greatest impact.

The premiere of the finished film, 10 August

1916, released widely by 21 August - by start

Of October across the British Isles some 20

Million people had seen the final footage of five

Reels, to last 77 minutes along with live music.

The words of Lloyd George prompted people

To think it was their duty to see the picture at

Multiple screenings across numerous cinemas.

While many folk were curious to see familiar

Faces, others felt it was seen as entertainment.

Such depiction of violence and its results were

Berated by church, which ran alongside shows

Of comedy - As divided critics people still went.

Many women would avert their eyes at the horror,

But then looked again for signs of familiar faces.

Viii

The growth of legend began with reel 5, that

Had depicted the 'Somme rescuer,' whose

Identity was never quite realised - Brooks

Official photograph had depicted a rescuer,

Who held a man on his back, to be a driver.

The man in the cardigan being Tom Spencer;

But the fame passed onto the man in shirt

Sleeves and braces, whose stare of pathos

Into Malins wooden cinecamera - the mystery

Resisting solving, with emerging later claims.

Perhaps Private Frederick Drakes - or perhaps

The face belonged to Bertram Leslie Andrews -

Known to have been in the locality of events,

Assigned to the Royal Army Medical Corps;

Still more emerged to share this anonymity.

While claims might carry on over a hundred

Years, it is 6 seconds of a man fatally wounded

Carried by the stooped frame of a piggy back -

Limp arms over equally unknown man whose
Eyes catch the viewers in pathos, to ask why?

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: Imperial War Museums: Moy & Bastie 35mm cine camera. Available at: <http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30004694> [Accessed 14 November 2016]

Source: File: Imperial War Museums: How IWM Is Trying To Identify The Man In This Film by M Lee. Available at: < http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-iwm-is-trying-to-identify-the-man-in-this-film> [Accessed 14 November 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 14 November 2016). 

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