Impression
Sketch of Mr Purcell confronting Mrs Decksart - By Jamie Mann.
Philip Purcell, an elderly gentleman, lived
At Shepherds Bush, Wood Lane - to
appear
In a police court West London -
regarding
An incident of Mr Purcell making
insults
To Louisa Decksert, a Wood Lane
resident.
Both parties, it transpired, were boarding
Houses owners on Wood Lane - Mr
Pierron,
On behalf of complainant Louisa
Decksart.
A lady whose business was doing the
better
Of the two parties, prompted by the
war.
It was noted by John De Grey to say,
That it was strange how navy
and army
Personnel lodged with Germans, in
time
Of war between their two countries.
Mr Pierron explained that the reason
Being this house was close to the
Naval
Station and White City - therefore
such
Lodgings to military personnel, proved
Important to both the army and
navy.
April 3 at 11.45 p.m. Mr Purcell
walked
To The house of Ms Decksart, who then
Lodged some naval officers and a
family
Of an Army officer, with wife and
children.
Mr Purcell proceeded to bang on the
door
Once opened, he began using abusive
Language - calling out for soldiers
to raid
The house - saying it was full of
Germans;
To the police he gave his name of Jackson.
At that point, some forty people
gathered
About the door - Ms Decksart
admitted
When questioned, how she had used
two
Names in England - as she had
married
Twice – a remark was added by Mrs
Read.
Mrs Read spoke of her husband,
who
Was a 2nd
Lieutenant in Gloucestershire
Regiment - she had lodged in the
house
To learn two days later, the owner
was
German; she remained due to comforts.
Mr De Fleury said that the defendant,
Mr
Purcell felt a duty to speak -to
tell officers
That Ms Decksart was German, suggesting
The lady was actually less than
respectable.
John De Grey stated the serious
situation,
Of military officers lodging in a
German
Kept house – any conversation might leak
To the enemy - at a cost - without
opinion
To their being either a good or bad
woman.
Adding that it was duty of every
officer
Not to stay in any German kept house
–
As was his personal opinion - concluding
That the defendant, Mr Purcell, was
bound
Over to keep the peace for twelve months.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. British Officers in a German
Boarding House.
The Daily Telegraph, [online] 13 Apr. P.7. Col.6-7. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11520566/Daily-Telegraph-April-13-1915.html
[Accessed: 13 April 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 13 April 2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone
#worldwaroneremembered #WW1London
