Wednesday 8 April 2015

Poem ~ A Memo on the Dardanelles - Thursday, 8 April 1915



Impression Sketch of Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty - By Jamie Mann the original can be viewed at https://ww1live.wordpress.com/2015/02/19/gallipoli/ 

From war correspondent of Boer War -
Progress saw Winston Churchill, from
Maverick MP to become First Lord of the Admiralty.
In such a position, he ensured the Navy
Was always ready and waiting for any signs of war.

Within short months of war, frustration
Filled the politician over the stalemate
Of the western front - something had to be done.
With war in East and West a new front
Would weaken the German army to breaking point.

One such frail front Churchill saw
In a cousin of the central powers -
To be Turkey - who was seen to have a poorly rated
Ability of an army - despite advice
For a gradual attack, Churchill pushed on his idea.

With the Lord of the Admiralty set,
Winston Churchill wrote down words,
On 8 April 1915, addressed to Admiral Lord Fisher.
The memorandum intended to give
Resolve to his most senior Lord 'Jacky' Fisher.

Under the oval logo of an anchor,
In the banded words of Admiralty
Whitehall - red words quoted sayings of Napoleon
And Shakespeare - of one beneath
The other's words of 'native hue of resolution.'

With words of the English bard -
Quoting 'lose the name of action,'
To back the secret memo of a debate to maybe wait-
When Italy fully declared part in war
To postpone or divert attacks elsewhere  - or risk it?

Churchill stated how Italy would
Affect the Dardanelles, to prompt
In the Balkans with Italy's possible dalliance
To see the outcome or attack Turkey
At another point at Haifa and capture Damascus.

Yet Churchill draws on the fact that
There is no hiding of their attack
On the Dardanelles - an attack elsewhere might
Be disconcerting to the Turks
Success probably but still to target the Dardanelles.

A debate then would be prudent,
To wait and move the imminent
Attack elsewhere, or take a risk to attack that moment.
Churchill felt such alternatives 
Were for War Council's immediate consideration.

The Lord of Admiralty rounded off,
In red hurried writing - the words
Of Napoleon, to state how war cannot be made
Without the worth of running risks -
Maverick MP had turned to maverick of the seas.

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: Churchill and the Great Republic: Winston Churchill to Admiral Lord Fisher, April 8, 1915. [online] Available at: <http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/churchill/interactive/_html/wc0063_1.html> [Accessed: 6 March 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 1 April 2015). 



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