Le Petit Journal
of Paris, retells
A tale of some
months before,
When war was new
- to change
Normality for all
matters French.
A very brave
young girl - who could
For this tale be
called Jeanne - worked
In a town, at a
girl's boarding school,
That on news of
war sent pupils home.
Jeanne, being a
servant remained
Behind, keeping
company of an old
Lady, who was partly
paralysed and
Deaf - perhaps to
look after her.
Within the area
fighting had been
Happening - with
the likelihood that
The Germans would
invade -when
Ten English
Tommies appeared.
The men staggered
into the school
Grounds
exhausted, as Jeanne came
Outside to see
them - an English officer
Warned her of the
Germans approach.
At any moment the
forces would
Be there - Jeanne
was calm, saying
It did not matter
- she would hide
Them, before
doing anything else.
Into the garden
she led the ten
Men, down into a
grotto - the space
Was cramped and
damp, for such
A number of men
to be left there.
The town did not
have very long
To wait - the Germans appeared
And marched into
the girl's school,
To search from
basement to attic.
All bedding and
linen they found
Was taken for
their own troops and
Wounded - who
instead of using
The building,
rested in the chapel.
Some time later
Jeanne returned
To the hidden
Tommies, to promise
To secure them
better. When safe
She led them
secretly to the attic.
With the hidden
lodgers above,
And the installed
Germans below,
Jeanne took the
chance that no
Curious German
might find them.
Then there was
the problem
Of feeding hungry
English men.
To start, she
gave them her ration
Then gained the
help of friends.
Collecting all
pieces of bread
Or vegetables to
fill her basket.
When the Germans
questioned her,
Jeanne said it
was for their men.
With her calm
convincing air, Jeanne
Offered her
services to the Germans,
As a cook - to
further allow her to get
Foodstuffs for the
hidden Englishmen.
A diet of food
though was not enough-
As the Tommies
missed their tobacco.
Rules of the
invaders was that every
Citizen was
alllowed a tobacco ration.
Jeanne devised a
way to provide
Enough stores -
with her own smokes
And with a little
boys army, who about
The town, bought
every small amount.
Carefully each
day, Jeanne made
Her way to the
attic, with supplies
For the hidden
men - who had become
Rested and ready
to make an escape.
Jeanne had an
idea to assist them
In a plan. The attic
dormitory was
Accessed by trap
doors on each floor;
Leading to a
ground room and garden.
In gaining a long
rope as tall as the
building, Jeanne
advised the men
To practice a
drill to descend - Jeanne
Was thrilled by
the practiced results.
With a rope
lowered through each
Trap the men,
with packed haversacks,
Could be ready
and prepared to slide
Down the rope in
under five minutes.
The preparation
for this escape proved
Unneeded - when
on 24 September
The Germans
evacuated and the ten
Men left, to
return safely to their lines.
One of the men
was said to be related
To King George.
As they left they had
Given Jeanne
their names and home
Addresses, so she
might visit England.
They promised her
a royal welcome.
With the start of
a new bombardment
On the town, the
German invaders
Returned, so
Jeanne decided to leave.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. Devoted
French Girl - Germans Hoodwinked. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 23 Mar. P.12. Col.5. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11486293/Daily-Telegraph-March-23-1915.html
[Accessed: 23 March 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 23 March 2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1France
No comments:
Post a Comment