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/

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Poem ~ Night Fighting on the Aisne - Tuesday, 29 September 1914

From a Battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers,

A Lance-corporal recounts a night attack

On the Aisne. After a hard day in the trenches

The men were tired and wet to the skin.

So in order to dry out tunics they lit fires.

All at once came flashing firing along the line,

And like ‘mad-men’ Germans rushed

Forward, from out of the darkness.

The Fusiliers fought back in shirtsleeves.

Close proximity made hand-to-hand combat,

Very hard work, in employment of bayonets.

In darkness the enemy, supported by cavalry

Who charged in force to run them down.

The Fusiliers held them off, until support

Of infantry and allied cavalry arrived,

And succeeded in driving them away.

During the fight a competition occurred,

Between Lancer regiment and Battalion,

As to who could get at the Germans first.

Despite the Irish Battalion lack of horses,

They won in the end - running at German

Hordes with trained shouting and bayonets.

Then the Lancers followed and the Germans,

Were cleared away from their front line.

Worse was still to follow for the French.

The Germans, back in strength, had massed,

Across a front position, where they faced

A mass of French infantry, who now advanced.

In the night, at the double, made for the enemy,

But suddenly German batteries opened up,

From the shelter of woods - letting loose

With shrapnel showers and machine guns.

The long French line wavered and contracted.

This corporal saw the worst sight with sounds,

Of shells slicing through the close packed

French ranks - Men went down like grass,

Under a scythe - a hundred fell and more

Until the mass opened up in extended order.

The French still rushed at the enemy guns,

Despite at each step under heavy attack,

By relentless German cavalry and infantry

Until finally the French silenced the guns.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Battle Stories - Fight with Bayonets - Silencing the Guns. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 29 September. p.5. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11124060/Daily-Telegraph-September-29-1914.html [Accessed: 29th September 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 29th September 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11124060/Daily-Telegraph-September-29-1914.html

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

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Poem ~ Black Watch Charge - Monday, 21 September 1914

A private from the Black Watch Guard,

Writing from Netley Hospital, informs

A friend of his recovery from a wound.

Gained at the Battle of the River Marne.

Being bowled over and out, he found

He was back in plenty of time to read,

Of that battle's victory in the papers.

This private, in a regiment of advanced

Guard, was in a company moving ahead.

On reaching a hill of dense brushwood,

Encountering scouting French cavalry

In returning, reporting the hill all clear.

As the Black Watch marched forward

About the hill, in discovery of Germans

Opening fire - the enemy being well hidden,

They realised Germans were entrenched,

From the very foot of the hill to the top.

The first enemy line being about ninety

Yards ahead, meant the first firing volley

Took down a lot of the private's company.

With two Cameroon companies attached,

They fixed bayonets preparing to charge.

The private said their actions were swift -

As before any might say 'Jack Robertson' -

They dived into the first line of trenches,

To see how the Germans ran like rabbits.

With swift reinforcement of the regiments

Remainder of the hill was then speedily taken.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Battle Stories - A Black Watch Charge. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 21 Sept. p.12. Col.1. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11107186/Daily-Telegraph-September-21-1914.html

 [Accessed: 21st September 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 21 September 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11107186/Daily-Telegraph-September-21-1914.html

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

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

Poem ~ Shackleton Heads for Antarctic – Saturday, 19 September 1914

In a break from war, on Friday, yesterday,

The Trans-Antarctic Expedition,

Of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his teams,

Departed London for the South Polar Region.

The exploration teams headed off

In two sections. Team New Zealand,

For the Ross Sea edge of the Antarctic,

Departed Friday morning to Tasmania,

Via Tilbury. Those for the Weddell Sea,

With Sir Ernest himself, later that day,

Headed towards South American shores.

Since the refitting of the Aurora,

Two weeks ago, the Ross Sea ship,

Under Lieutenant McIntosh,

Would depart from Hobart –

The Ross Sea team, upon the Aurora,

Will then part for the Antarctic.

If the land team of Sir Ernest do not cross

The Continent, within the first season,

The Aurora with the crew of 20,

Will winter in the Ross Sea –

The hope being for Sir Ernest

To meet up with the Ross Sea team,

In April 1915, or if failing that, April 1916.

With Frank Wild, second in command,

Sir Daniel Gooch and Sir Ernest,

Assisted with the dogs in preparation.

The physician Mr James and Mr Wordy,

Geologist, departed to join a steamer

On the Houlder Line for Buenos Ayres,

Along with motor sledges and 70 dogs.

On October 18, Sir Ernest and team

Will meet The Endurance –

Now on route to South America.

Sir Ernest stated that outbreak of war,

While not altering plans, had increased costs.

With need of scientific instruments,

Ordered from Germany, to be paid

Prior to delivery, had not been received.

The plan, upon landing the party,

In the Weddell Sea, was for the Endurance

To sail to the Falkland Islands.

Reaching there January 1915,

Bringing first news of the explorers.

Wintering in the South Shetlands,

The Endurance would make three bases,

Within the Antarctic region.

Those who left during Friday included:

Mr H.G. Lemard, Second officer of the Aurora

Mr J.R. Stenhouse RNR chief officer of the Aurora

Mr D.S. Mason Chief Engineer, Mr Hay Stoker

Mr Manger, carpenter, Mr J.L. Cope, Biologist

Mr H.L. Wild, in charge of stores, Mr A.H. Ninnis,

Cousin of Lieutenant Ninnis, who died during

‘Mawson Expedition’, in charge of the motors

Mr Spencer Smith, Cambridge Blue,

In charge of Photography and Mr A. Stevens,

M.B., B.Sc., Assistant Lecturer,

Of Geography at Glasgow University.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Antarctic Expedition – Departure from England. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 19 Sept. p.3. Col.7. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11107159/Daily-Telegraph-September-19-1914.html [Accessed: 19th September 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 19 September 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11107159/Daily-Telegraph-September-19-1914.html

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

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