Monday, 10 April 2017

Poem ~ Cadet Bombardier Harry Warren - Thursday, 12 April 1917 - Saturday, 14 April 1917

Source: File: Harry Collier Warren. Available at: <https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/72073> [Accessed 12 April 2017]

The experience was exhilarating
As they left the ground - sudden rushing
Of air against his face, Harry Collier Warren
Saw the blurring of ground move away
From beneath their craft - the lift inside
His belly, a lightness held by wings.

Harry was learning to fly, a member
Of the Australian Flying Corps - the Avro
Carried them neatly, high into the air. Lincoln
Fields and South Carlton had in seconds
Shrunk to toy size the Cadet's instructor
2nd Lt Gland Lowery called orders.

Cadet Warren acknowledged Lowery
As they lifted steadily in the early April
Sky - the young Australian briefly felt control
Of the Avro 504B B389 - only one of thirty
Contracted, from the Wolverhampton
Sunbeam Motor Car Co. Limited.

Cadet Warren grinned in pleasure
To consider how far he had then come
From home; South Australia.  Harry's family
Lived at Port Pirie, a small seaport on east
Coast. Only aged 19 from Freemantle,
He had sailed on HMAT A7 Medic.

His Majesty’s Australian Transport
Medic had returned back into service
After 14 years. Previously the boat was used
In the Boer war to transport troops -
His previous life as Articled Clerk
Seemed a long, long time ago.

The troopship had taken them across
To Egypt. Harry Collier Warren was then
With the 3rd Australian Field Artillery Brigade -
His service number 1899 - being a driver he
Would never have imagined his chance,
To be able to join the Royal Flying corps.

They climbed steadily higher, Lowery
Had the control again of the dual craft -
Harry felt his was the big adventure, far away
From days of training to be a solicitor back
In Australia - The biplane carried them
Easily to reasonable height of 150 feet.

A seven-cylinder Gnome Lambda rotaryEngine chugged away. Lieutenant LowerySteered them into a good position ready forCadet Warren's second flying lesson. Possibly In the lads eagerness the craft lurched intoA sudden spin; Lowery tugged controls.

No response. The spin took away any
Ability for him to regain control - suddenly
The plane flipped into a nose dive  - in silence
Of the accident's inquest the one survivor,
2nd Lt Gland Lowery, advised that he
Was unable to recover from spin.

Bombardier Harry Collier Warren had
Died from accidental injuries aged 23.
A court of enquiry decided how the spin had
Resulted, possibly from the cadet's use -
Lieutenant Lowery was lucky to survive.
Harry's sister and family later learned
By post, to say a brother had died.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1917. Flying Fatalities. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 9 April 1917. P.5. Col.4. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214440/Daily-Telegraph-April-9-1917.html> [Accessed: 12 April 2017].

Source: File: RSL Virtual War Memorial, Warren Harry Collier. Available at: <https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/72073> [Accessed 12 April 2017]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 12 April 2017). 



#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Australia

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