Poem ~ Canadian Brothers Lost - Sunday, 15 April 1917 - Monday, 16 April 1917

Source: File: Image of Hubert William Peacock's Commonwealth War Grave headstone, at Lincoln (Newport) Cemetery. Added by: Military Historian. See Original image at: <https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=59978703&PIpi=51556651> [Accessed 12 April 2017]

From the port city of New Brunswick,

Brothers Hubert William Peacock

And Reginald Fawcett Peacock had

Enlisted in Canadian forces - aged

19 Reginald would become a Lance

Corporal, to served New Brunswick

Canadian infantry, A Company.

Reginald followed his older brother

Who had enlisted 5 November,

By 23 days, to join 28 November.

Taking different routes Lance

Corporal Peacock 69743, was killed

Close to Ypres 13 October 1915 -

The cause of his death unknown.

Hubert, older by a year, attached

To the Royal Flying Corps, gained

Rank of second Lieutenant attached

With 45th Squadron - having taken

His wings he became a qualified

Pilot. Stationed in Lincolnshire,

England he took to air 4 April 1917.

While qualified Lieutenant Peacock

Was still increasing flying hours

To build experience - those on the

Ground watched him flying at height

Of some 100 feet - Peacock made

A steep turn and shut off the engine.

Such an act at low height was fatal.

The Lincoln inquest some three

Days later, heard his commanding

Officer state, to shut off an engine

Could only be done at a greater

Altitude - the craft Peacock flew

Had flipped over and nose dived,

Without chance to regain height.

The Second Lieutenant was killed

Outright - the coroner questioned

The officer, to suggest such young

Pilots flew alone before they had

Gained experience - but this was

Denied  - a verdict was accidental

Death saw lost Canadian brothers.

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: 15 April 2017].

Source: File: Canadian Virtual War Memorial - Hubert William Peacock. Available at: <https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/72073> [Accessed 15 April 2017]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 15 April 2017). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214428/Daily-Telegraph-April-4-1917.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Canada