Impression sketch of Sergeant Who? - by Jamie.
i
A missing Sergeant of the
Dardanelles,
Sergeant Eddie Dandy, supposedly
Reunited with his wife, Sally Dandy,
At their home in West Goton,
Manchester.
The tale continued, still yet to be
resolved,
To tell whether or not the man that
Had appeared, was to be who he said
He was, by an investigation and
witnesses.
The appearance of Sergeant Dandy,
Had been tentatively accepted by
Mrs Dandy - later some suspicions
Became raised; led to need of
questions.
Faced with charges by the Army Act,
With a further charge aimed at Mrs
Dandy -
For false personality of her husband.
The court had heard how an Inspector
Thomas took the man into custody,
At the Exchange Station Manchester,
In company of Mrs Dandy and her
sister.
This was 10 August, when Inspector
Asked him to account for whereabouts,
Between June and 16 July 1915.
Sergeant Eddie Dandy claimed
having
A memory blank for that period - then
The inspector inspected the man's neck
For an abscess, that Dandy was said
to have
No trace of this mark could be found
-
At this the man asked of Mrs Dandy
‘Would you have me locked up?’
‘No I would not,’ was his 'wife’s' reply.
While this had occurred at the
Exchange
Station – they returned to Dandy’s
home
West Gorton - here Mrs Dandy
produced
Two letters that her husband sent
from Egypt.
Inspector Thomas asked this sergeant
To write out the letter, as he
dictated.
Comparing the two letters; the
inspector
Was very dissatisfied by lack
of similarity.
Still insisting he was, who he said he
was,
The Inspector’s dissatisfaction, led
him to be
Taken to station, despite
protestations.
It was at the station he faced six
others
From Dardanelles, that knew Dandy -
He failed to identify any of them
correctly;
All six believed that he wasn't
Sergeant Dandy.
ii
On 16 July 1915, in deep mourning -
evident
In Mrs Dandy's clothes - she had
found
Him on doorstep - the details emerged
Of the conversation of this strange
encounter.
‘Who are you?’ 'It is Herbert.’ 'Never’
Then he cried, to add I’I am so
pleased
To get home to my wife and children
Then Mrs Dandy stated, ‘You have
altered.’
Mrs Dandy declared, ‘he must have
Had a shock enough to alter anyone’s
Appearance – later they talked over
Private matters, but his memory was gone.
After a week her suspicions had
arose
To feel she might have him locked up
but
Neighbours said that would be a
shame.
Further finding that he lacked the
tattoo
Her husband had – he replied that he
had
That removed – Sally Dandy then
wired
Her brother; who with slight doubt
believed him.
This was his sister’s husband; the
magistrate
Said that she deserved sympathy, on
hearing
How Mill girls had made taunts
towards her.
Eddie Dandy’s sister, Mrs Edith
Watson,
Visiting the house, embraced him pleased
On seeing her brother home – but
then
Cried, as she believed he had
changed.
A final twist then came by another
Witness - Mrs Ada Hall from
Patricroft,
Not far From Manchester, to identify
The accused man as her own husband.
George Parkin Hall – Mrs Hall then
Told that he had enlisted in early days
Of 1915 - she had last seen him in
June, when stationed at Penmarnmawr.
A trial was yet to beheld at
Manchester
Assizes - On leaving Court Mrs Hall Made
Comment to Mrs Dandy; 'being a
caution -
Not to know own husband,' she would
Know her husband in a hundred - So
ended
Deception - but what was his motivation?
by Jamie Mann.
Ann.,1915 Sergeant Dandy - Wife's
Dramatic Story - Doubts and Fears. The Daily Telegraph,
[online] 19 August. P.5. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11796935/Daily-Telegraph-August-19-1915.html [Accessed: 19 August 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 19 August 2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Manchester
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