Poem ~ Two Privates Rescue Colonel - Friday, 31 October 1914

Speaking to the Birmingham Daily Mail,

Private G Jones, of the 1st Battalion

Coldstream Guards, returned home

From the military hospital at Chelsea,

Having received wounds at the Aisne.

On the 14 September forces began

To push forward from the river Aisne.

Late morning; the advance situation

Halted for the Coldstream Guards.

The 2^nd Brigade heavily being engaged,

The 1^st Brigade moved to help gain

Positions on the other company’s left,

At the top of the ridge the 1^st Cameron

Highlanders and 1^st Coldstream Guards

Caught by enemy artillery and machine

Gun fire, found themselves stalled there.

Forming an ad hoc company from

2^nd Brigade, the Coldstream’s,

Cameron Highlanders and Black

Watch, Colonel Ponsonby led them

Across the Chemin des Dames.

A Birmingham man, Private Jones

Was in the advance party, under orders

To move towards the German lines.

Through fog they made their way,

To the far end of the captured ridge

And the village of Cerny - taking

Themselves deep in German lines.

Coming to a halt on that spot,

For the remainder of that day.

In the cover of night  they made

Discovery, finding a German position

Of Maxim guns - to find they had been

Cut off from their own British side.

The fight over the Chemin des Dames

By the days end, had become stalemate.

The Germans could not be pushed off

The ridge and the British could not be

Pushed back across the Aisne.

Units that had advanced were pulled

Back - in torrents of rain and deep mud,

The first spadefuls of earth were thrown;

So began the birth of trench warfare.

In moving into the German position, 

Firing began - falling in front of them

Was their Colonel Ponsonby, who lay

Out in the open, under German guns.

Fearful that their Colonel might be

Dead, Private Vennicombe and friend,

Private Jones, decided to reach him.

The two of them, under hails of bullets,

Dashed across darkness to the Colonel.

Shot in the leg, the Colonel was alive

But unable to walk – With quick effort

They carried the officer back between

Them, safely reaching the other men.

Due to their lack of force, the decision

Was taken for them to retire – placed in

A difficult position, being cut off from

Their battalion, they were now a party

Of 40 - with 3 officers.  Making further

Difficulty was an inability to tell their

Exact position, within the battlefield.

Coming into their company came

Captain William Warde Aldham an

Officer of the Black Watch, appointed

Their leader. In the dark, with a compass

He led them to a wooded position,

That had been noted early that evening,

A place known to have a village nearby.

In cover  of trees they placed sentries

About the party in an attempt to rest.

Then in discovery, they realised the wood

Was between two German outposts, seeing

Enemy soldiers moving in the distance.

Shapes of a German convoy moved close

By -  but their lack of numbers meant their

Party could not make any successful attack.

Rain had, for some time, been falling

Hard - which while hiding them, turned

The ground to mud – any movement

Between the trees, was made difficult

With any noise likely to raise the alarm.

Moving at one mile every hour

Four men took turns to carry the Colonel.

The party made its slow, trudging way

Through the woods and by light,

Managed to rejoin their full company.

In the dark rain, they had passed

Through German outer lines, covering

Almost six miles in the night.

Colonel Ponsonby returned home to

Recuperate and in gratitude to the two

Birmingham men, gave Private Jones

A presentation, to put him forward for

Recommendation - Private Vennicombe

Since then went missing in action,

With the hope that he was taken prisoner.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Battle Stories – Rescuing a Wounded Colonel. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 31 Oct. p.4. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11186100/Daily-Telegraph-October-31-1914.html [Accessed: 31 October 2014].

Dickerson, B.J., 2009. Submitted by SteveMerc Globe at War - 1/Black Watch on the Aisne. [online] (Updated Saturday, 16 September 2014) Available at: < http://www.globeatwar.com/blog-entry/1black-watch-aisne> Accessed 31st October 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 31 October 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11186100/Daily-Telegraph-October-31-1914.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered

Poem ~ The Dead Stand Up - Friday, 30 October 1914

On the 29^th day of battle Lieutenant

T.H. Watson explains to a lady friend,

That rather than a battle, they are

Almost taking part in a campaign.

The 2^nd Worcestershire Regiment

Began their part on 13 September

And remained in the front line,

For a total of eight days, then moved

Away to rest – they found shelter

Out on a farm until they were shelled.

Lieutenant Watson described,

How he then lived as a nomad.

Staying in one village during the day

To spend the night in another village,

Until finally they returned to the front.

The Guards Brigade, with the artillery

And his Worcestershire Regiment,

Captured eight guns – who had lost

Some 500 men within the woods –

One enemy gun suddenly stopped

Firing - later they found that a shell,

Had ripped off the gunners head.

The following day rained heavy

As heavy – they found a barn

Half full of straw, open on all sides,

In which they buried themselves.

Lieutenant Watson on waking

The next morning found a heavy

Quarter master-sergeant,

Pinned on him, so he could not

Move - still soaked on waking,

The rain was then joined by wind.

Remaining there until the evening,

They moved to the German positions

Encountering a patrol where three

Men Were hit – they found the field

Covered with Germans, dead, dying

And wounded – they came to a trench

Where 30 Germans stood, their rifles

On the parapet, but all were dead.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Battle Stories – Standing Upright, but Dead. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 30 Oct. p.3. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11186087/Daily-Telegraph-October-30-1914.html [Accessed: 30 October 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 30 October 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11186087/Daily-Telegraph-October-30-1914.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered

Poem ~ Canada & Irish Loyalty – Wednesday, 16 September 1914

The Canadian cultural city of Montreal,

Described as a cosmopolitan place,

Was the host, on Monday past,

For day one of a week’s campaign,

To raise a up to a million dollars.

The purpose being of this patriotic fund,

Is the caring for dependents

Of Canadian men - currently volunteering,

For war in Europe –

Both home and abroad, this movement

Is held up as an illustration,

To show how Canadian people,

Are doing their duty.

The President of the Canadian Pacific,

Sir Thomas Shaughnessy,

Proudly presided over the Luncheon,

Of this fund’s opening day.

Along with the head

Of Canada’s, Roman Catholic Church,

The prelate Archbishop Bruchesi.

Standing as the main speaker,

He informed all attendees

Of current successes of Allied forces.

Such news raised determined

Enthusiasm, to support the British

Empire - to the end.

Whether the campaign is to be

Long or short, Canada will provide,

Both money and men –

But adding, it would be unlikely,

That a second army contingent,

Will be required of Canada – Yet if a call

From Britain comes, for 75,000

More men, the response will be,

No doubt as eager as before.

The Archbishop states in equal stance,

Declaring, that whatever race,

All Canadians owed their loyal support,

To Great Britain, in the struggle

For world liberty. And in so doing,

The Archbishop pledged 1000 dollars

Of his own monies to the fund.

Upon that evening of this same Monday,

Members of Montreal’s Irish people,

Gathered together, to stand

At the United Irish League,

To endorse Mr John Redmond’s stand,

That all Irish men. must

Rally to the Empire’s support.

The Vice President Of the League,

C.F. Doherty, addressed the assembled,

To urge all Irishmen,

Across the world, to support

Great Britain in the war's just cause.

By this very act would be erased

Any English suspicion of Irish Loyalty.

In a show of resolution,

The Irish Leaguers started to sing;

‘God Save the King.’

The singing reported as enthusiastic.

The contingent of Canadian troops,

At Valcartier Camp are proceeding

With all preparations... (Pause-

For the mark of a censor’s excision).

The Duke of Connaught has reviewed.

The 30,000 strong Canadian men,

Who proudly presented themselves

As business like - ready for service,

And perhaps like mustard -

Keen to get to the European fight.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Canada’s Loyalty-‘To the End’. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 16 Sept. p.4. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11077911/Daily-Telegraph-September-16-1914.html [Accessed: 16th September 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 16 September 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11077911/Daily-Telegraph-September-16-1914.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered

Poem ~ German Advance over North France –Tuesday, 15 September 1914

The German advance through Northern France,

Before they were repulsed by Allies, is described

By an official’s return from across the channel.

The enemy’s passing through towns in move of rapid

Advance include; Tourcoing, Roubaix, Douais, Lille,

Amiens and Arras - met with hardly any resistance.

Each town has 'leniency' shown - with charged levies

Of war – amounts of monies demanded include,

Two million Francs From Amiens, and from Lille

Seven million Francs.

In making communication with town authorities

The German's promise respect to all inhabitants -

This will be on condition that no hostile act is made

Against any German soldier – In each settlement

The German stay was short, as at Lille from Sept 2nd,

To Sept 5th – but some areas suffered fighting.

The Aisne Department at Hirson, Wassigny, Vervius,

And Bohain experienced various elements of damage.

Crumbling under 12,000 shells – Guise being first hit

By the Germans who then quickly occupied the town,

Followed by another bombardment, to be occupied

By the allies – only again to be retaken by Germans.

Part of the town of Saint Quentin was shelled, but saved

The museum - Senlis was burning, as Laon put up great

Resistance - yet Soissons and Compiegne undamaged -

While the forest of Compiegne reported to have burned

Down did not happen - thick black smoke from the trees

Made the impression, to the town’s people, of a forest fire.

In fact it was the destruction of petrol tins, burning - Allies

Set them alight, and whatever they could not take,

Before their retreat, to prevent their fall into enemy hands,

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. 'Northern France – The German Occupation'. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 15 Sept. p.9. Col.2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11077896/Daily-Telegraph-September-15-1914.html  [Accessed: 15th September 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 15 August 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11077896/Daily-Telegraph-September-15-1914.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered