Poem ~ Scots Troops killed on Train - Monday, 24 May 1915

Source: File: Scottish Train Crash.jpg, 2015. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 24 May. P.3. Col.2-3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11621705/Daily-Telegraph-May-22-1915.html  [Accessed: 24 May 2015].

i

Among the worst recorded disasters

To date of May 1915, was a railway

Accident. On 22nd in the early hours,

Were trains caught in triple collisions.

The Glasgow Express was travelling

North - as a local train manoeuvring,

While Royal Scouts travelled south

On a troop train - when all coincided

At St Quentins, near Scottish border.

The local Caledonian train, leaving

Some minutes after 6 a.m. moved

On the line, just before a troop train -

Containing the regimental companies

Of Royal Scots from Larbert, Falkirk.

A collision occurred between both

Trains, minutes before the Express

Was due to reach that spot - with

No time or attempts, to stop the next

Express train ploughing into them.

The resulting triple accident was

To create a bursting fire, that race

Amid smashed wood and twisted

Steel, spreading quickly to suffocate

And burn alive any wounded people.

ii

Raging flames broke through

The triple tragedy, so within

Minutes, three train wrecks

Were furiously burning -

Between two great engines

The Scotch Express sleeping

Carriages consumed

By fire resulted in officers

Being burned or killed

Outright - as well as troops

Ammunition was carried -

So that explosions amid

Burning carriages. blasted

Elements. adding further

To risk of deaths - nearly

All occurred on troop trains.

Despite the presence of fire

Engines, the wrecked trains

In fierce flame, reduced

To little more that twisted

Steel and iron - those able

To get from the wreck, turned

About to help those still

Trapped - the only way

To release some of them

With arm and leg amputations.

 by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Scottish Train Disaster. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 24 May. P.8. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11621722/Daily-Telegraph-May-24-1915.html [Accessed: 24 May 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 24 May 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11621705/Daily-Telegraph-May-22-1915.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Scotland

Poem ~ How to Make a Gas Mask - Thursday, 29 April 1915

Source: File: Two types of gas makes to make at home. jpg. The Daily Telegraph, [online] P.3. Col.3-4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11561784/Daily-Telegraph-April-29-1915.html [Accessed: 29 April 2015].

An odd thing occurs in war,  

When an appeal is made,

For households to produce

Vital soldier's equipment.

The War Office had issued

Requests for protections,

To be made against new

German weapons of war.

Two types of respirators,

Might easily be produced -

An oblong pad may make

A mouth and nostril cover.

3 in by ¾ in. by 5 ½ in. 

Absorbent cotton Wool –

Bleached, covered by 3

Layers of cotton gauze.

Then a band will hold this

About the head, to keep

In place - made of ½ in.
Cotton elastic 16 in. long.

Alternatively, comes the

Makeshift idea, of double

Stockinette, 9 ½ in. long and

3 ½ in. wide narrow to 2 ½ in.

  

Attached at each end will be

Thick plaited worsted 5 in.,

Attached at each end, to loop

Over the ears to stop all gas.

Illustrations were provided

Of a soldier, wearing each

Alternatives for the home

Industrial gas mask makers.

All seems a little amateurish -

For almost a privately funded

War - furthermore an address

Is given to send in batches.

Requests for 100 of homemade

Respirators, to ordnance officer.

All having little, or no chance,

Of saving lives of their soldiers.

So what about eye protection?
Illustration A is a mock up made

By Ms. Boroughs And Wellcome.
Picture B gives stockinette look.

All being the unofficial image

With B possibly being marginally

Better fashion, until experiments

Decide on lack of effectiveness.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. An Appeal for Respirators. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 29 Apr. P.3. Col.3-4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11561784/Daily-Telegraph-April-29-1915.html [Accessed: 29 April 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 29 April 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11561784/Daily-Telegraph-April-29-1915.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered  #WW1Gas 

Poem ~ Deadly Silent Bombs - Thursday, 29 April 1915

Impression Sketch; Gas attack - By Jamie Mann. An original images can be seen at: http://www.wereldoorlog1418.nl/gasoorlog/gifgasslachtoffers.html

As one Canadian told his story of silent bombs,

The troopers were entrenched about Ypres,

Whose skills at digging to make trenches were

Noted -to be complimented by General French.

With everyman in the pink, ready as a fit fiddle,

All anxious to fight – setting up their machine

Guns, the chance came and they fired in their

Positions about the Belgium town of St. Julien.

This action worked as an attraction for reply -

As did presence of Red Cross – Shrapnel fire

Started to fizz down and susceptible officers

Despite their wounds  - fell as men in action.

Troopers clung onto the triggers and kept guns

Rattling – the Canadian Highlanders told how

Three close shells burst - to strike him on the leg

And head – A reminder to know what war was.

In honesty of warfare came the unknown, shells

Cracked like eggs in the air, to release a green

Yellow vapour – they came in numbers and did

Not disperse – a small ‘puff’, spread into clouds.

The strange vapour grew heavier; it spread then

Descended, appearing like a mist that hangs
Over water at sundown - the belief was that this

Acted as attack screen - they fired into the mist.

A surprise of seeing the strange cloud in the air

Left it unfolded drifting as a silent shroud,  as it

Rolled down into the trench - a stench of fumes

Gripped the throat, throwing irritation into noses 

Eyes forced to shut - was a question of the smell

An easy question proved difficult to make answer.

He said, a mild version chemical works was only

Comparable effects; mostly the wounded suffered.

The most helpless lying suffocated in condensed

Air - everything was covered in its path by powder.

Such an effects were impossible to continue life.

The Canadian had struggled to stand with his leg.

His blood from the wound on his head mixed with

Tears, caused by fumes  - in decision to move

He damaged the machine gun and began to crawl

Unsure if he was moving towards enemy direction.

To do what he could for an injured pal the Canadian
Dragged him along with him, so they reached a field

Station-despite efforts for the man he died, knowing

Himself luck to live; his wounds were then healing.

As he spoke the irritation from the green vapours lay

In his stomach – The young Canadian Highlander

Expressed keenness to get back - to help to regain

Their places that the Canadian forces had suffered.

This brave Canadian believed that his home country
Would raise more volunteers, to step forth for every
Loss - the news of the fog bombs would encourage
Those men wanting to fight in an 'above belt' war.

From the Doctor's view the report was that these
Canadians were the most happy wounded-amongst

their number one cheery fellow having lost both

Hands, when a shell hit, as he used a machine gun.

Even this man without any hands pleaded to return

In order that he could be useful – many are ready

To die for the old country – their true loyalty will fill

Places until they all return home to honour scars.

The Doctor's job was then to fix them all up to send

Them back into the line; this was where Canadian

Men want to go - while the man spoke of the bombs

Easily enough, he reluctantly spoke of his friend.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Poison Bombs - Canadian's Experience - Heroic Conduct. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 29 Apr. P.7. Col.1. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11561784/Daily-Telegraph-April-29-1915.html [Accessed: 29 April 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 29 April 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11561784/Daily-Telegraph-April-29-1915.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered  #WW1Gas #WW1Canadians

Poem ~ Strange Vapours - Wednesday, 28 April 1915

Impression Sketch; Gas attack - By Jamie Mann. 

With a casual turn of phrase came words

Of a young Canadian Highlander, whose

Experience glanced over gallantry  - thus

Being a daily occurrence across frontlines.

In the renewed fight about Ypres Belgian,

By the Canadian forces, this Highlander

Took a hit in the head and a knee; results

Of shrapnel flying about the turgid air.

Slowed down by the pain, the Canadian

Kept conscious to make observations -

When suddenly gas bombs fell about -

He watched as these bombs opened up.

As in a ripened crop of seeding flowers,

A yellow, green vapour mass floundered,

Lying like a gentle mist across ground -

In fascination he watched as it crept.

Any thoughts of a likely faulty bomb went,

As the hue enveloped him - to make him

Completely blind – about him in over ripe

Mist men began to drop down to ground.

Coughing, choking on the acrid effect

Of foul fumes - the Canadian struggled

All to flounder and recover - he crawled

Away – finding in his path a chilled sight.

Another Canadian lay, his face in part

Shot away by shrapnel cuts – he pulled

And dragged him to a field ambulance

Station – later to learn the man had died.

Linking both Canadian and French lines

A regiment of French troops suffered,

As the ‘creeping death fumes’ worked

Their choking way into soldier’s lungs.

The fumes that overwhelmed the hold

Of the line weakened them, so that

Heavy losses resulted in the fight,

Against a looming German presence.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. A Canadian’s Heroism – Effects of the Poison Bombs. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 28 Apr. P.8. Col.7. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11561770/Daily-Telegraph-April-28-1915.html [Accessed: 28 April 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 28 April 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11561770/Daily-Telegraph-April-28-1915.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered  #WW1Gas #WW1Canadians