An unusual audience gathered,
For an annual event, made unique.
In a London Christmas tradition,
At the Drury Lane Pantomime -
Rehearsal has normally been
Boys and girls gathering to see,
The preview of this stage spectacle.
This event though, was for those,
Seen as more important than the
Usual boys and girls – for these
Are the men ‘broken’ by war.
A 1000 wounded accompanied
By their nurses - openly described
As guardian angels of the soldiers -
Slowly gathered on Thursday
Afternoon as Arthur Collins' guests.
With the injured Tommy ready
Making up the audiences majority,
Soldiers of the French nation,
And other men from Belgium,
Joined them to swell their ranks.
The organised British Red Cross
In preparation took manoeuvres
In forming an army of convoys,
Lined up outside London Hospitals.
Pressing themselves into all types
Of transport, of carriages, cars,
And Motor ambulances as they
Once had in heading for the front -
Now they were conveyed across,
To the comforts of Drury Lane.
Arriving in droves, they alighted
Onto the theatres steps, to make
A sight for passer-bys at once,
Cheery and tragic. In recuperation,
The young men took heavy steps,
Their faces betraying ordeals.
Those who could move unassisted,
Did so, as others with stiffened
Joints, bandaged foots, on crutches
Or with lost limbs -felt the
support
Of able nurses to alight the steps.
A thousand wounded soon filled
The auditorium and settled down
Into seats - then a change came
Over them - previously composed,
Became young men - almost devoid
Of pain and injuries - then cheered.
Seated in a happier place of escape,
They laughed and shouted to sing.
It was thought, no doubt some
Twinges might have been
felt from
Shrapnel wounds and stitches under
Such bandages on arms and legs.
Whilst other men may have groaned,
Smiles belied these boys’ winces,
With that same spirit that had seen
A retreat from Mons and in the odds
Of battle for that fight for Ypres -
The soldiers took their moments,
Joined with the greatest of cheers.
Before any sign of a curtain raise,
The entertainment had truly began
Breaking into their own tunes -
That began higher up in the tiers
Spreading down to boys in the pit.
So that the house began to sing,
Well within the third repetition
‘It’s a long way to Tipperary.’
As the singers made a finale,
There stepped to the platform
The conductor ‘Jimmy’ Glover.
Then the orchestra commenced,
With a medley of popular tunes.
Familiar songs that were then,
Not so old, took the audiences
Participation, to lead the music.
With patriotic fervour they sang
Through music hall ballads -
‘Whose your Lady friend?’
'The girl he left behind him,'
Till a tap of the baton of a bar
Of the 'Marsellaise' caused
Those that could, jump up
To stand as the anthem moved
Into 'La Barbanconne.'
'God Bless the Prince of Wales'
Weaved into reprise of 'Tipperary' -
With horn cornet, to accompany
The singers who had taken the tune
Down the Marne and roads of France.
Then if to prove any flagging
loyalty,
Came 'God Save the King.'
Such energy was just in prelude
For the opening of the pantomime
As they appreciated and were treated
To 'The Sleeping Beauty Beautified.'
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1914. Wounded Soldiers at the
Pantomime - Drury Lane Scenes. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 26 Dec. p.7. Col.1. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11310971/Daily-Telegraph-December-26-1914.html
[Accessed: 26 December 2014].
Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 26 December 2014).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered
