Impression sketch
of Lance Corporal Leonard James Keyworth VC 1/24th County of London Bn (The
Queen's)
- by Jamie. See the original at:
http://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/vc/vc06.html
Amid crowds of
fellow Khaki,
Coming through
Victoria Station -
5 pm on 11 July -
was Lance-
Corporal Leonard
James
Keyworth, on 7 days
home leave.
In only a few hours
journey
From the front -
his uniform bore
Stains of frontline
mud.
Torn in parts - but
was pinned
With a piece of
scarlet ribbon.
On route home,
Lance Corporal
Keyworth paused in
London,
For a special event
on 12 July -
To be invested at
Buckingham
Palace by the King
for the VC.
The man of 22, with
the 24th
County of London
Battalion,
Was to be awarded
for bravery
From the night of
25-26 May,
At Givenchy, during
an assault.
With success of 24th
Londoners,
The plan was to
follow up with
A bomb attack - the
unit total
Of 75 men - James
Keyworth
VC, told modestly
of his story.
Prior to Givenchy
the Lance-
Corporal and his
mates had
Already been
'bloodied' - from
Festubert - in a
tight situation
They had experience
of fire.
Date; 25 May found
them in
Billets behind
lines when given
Orders - they were
to move -
Likelihood to be in
a charge,
But where, was then
unknown.
By 6 p.m. they
arrived, ready
In communication
trenches.
By 6.30 p.m. they
were to go
Over the top - with
Keyworth
A bomber in the 9th
Platoon.
Up, then out over
the parapet,
To face German machine
guns.
Five from ten men
fell, to leave
Half a dozen men -
the fact did
Not deter their
fighting spirit.
One of the first
shot was their
Officer Lieutenant
Mobberly -
Refusing to go back
he charged
With them, to the
right of the hill
As another bullet
hit his leg.
Using his rifle as
a crutch,
The Lieutenant kept
on move,
Urging the men on,
to hold
The hill until C
Company came;
They headed to the
Germans.
Keyworth found
himself left
As the only bomber
- he told
How everything
became a hot
Blur - he did not
think, he did
Not care, other
than his duty.
He bombed and made damage,
As the Germans
bombed back.
Other acts he saw
was Captain
Figg, who threw back
a German
Bomb - all fought
in distinction.
'Neck or nothing' -
no thoughts.
'Neck or nothing' -
all about him
Filled with pluck
to stir them all
As Lieutenant
Chance lost
His name - 'Neck or
nothing.'
Keyworth climbed up
the hill -
Stood alone others
though fed
Him bombs - as he
threw
Each one, about him
slaughter
Built, as he added
to the mass.
In facing the
German parapet
Young Keyworth
threw bomb
After bomb -
without shelter,
Exposed, aware of
sniper's
Bullets missing, to
hit others.
Earth flew about,
blinding
Him - as a fragment
flying
Past his ear - a shot
stopped
By his pocket mirror
case -
Vaguely aware of
shouts.
'Get down!' As they
tried
To build protection
of sand
Bags - but they
were killed
Or wounded, as he
stood
Seemingly immune to
all.
Across a passage of
strange
Time,flashing by - amounting
Over two hours, as
Keyworth
Threw endlessly - counting
A hundred and fifty
bombs.
With pride to be in
Queens,
Keyworth's reply to
get his
VC is fine how all
were brave.
At a recruiting
concert this
Man met a rousing
reception.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915.
Territorial V.C. - London Hero's Story of a Fight on a Parapet. The Daily
Telegraph, [online] 12 July. P.10. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11731998/Daily-Telegraph-July-12-1915.html
[Accessed: 12 July 2015].
Source: File:
Leonard James Keyworth. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online]
Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_James_Keyworth>
[Accessed: 13 July 2015].
Source: File:
Lance Corporal Leonard James Keyworth VC
1/24th County of
London Bn (The Queen's). The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment. [online] Available
at: <http://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/vc/vc06.html> [Accessed: 13
July 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100
years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 12 July
2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone
#worldwaroneremembered #WW1VC
