<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.
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).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Soldier
No comments:
Post a Comment