Poem ~ Fighting Above The Mud, Monday 6 August 1917 - Wednesday 8 August 1917

Source: File: German Aerodrome. See an original image at: <http://www.earlyaeroplanes.com/archive/image5/GermanAerodromes.jpg> [Accessed 06 August 2017]

Winter in August enshrouded

In dankness; an army dug in as well

As they could into a swampland.

Vile Flemish weather created

Glutinous mud; shell holes as ponds.

As insects in a ploughed field

Walking wounded made their way as

Best they could, trying to avoid

Shelling arriving at clearing

Stations, as weary figures of mud. 

The foulest of weather was not

Confined to ground, where in the air

The forces of aircraft did not

Hesitate to take part over

Enemy territory to create havoc.

31 July saw keen embarkation

Of eager airmen to add their part,

Swooping low over marching

Heads of enemy to scatter

Them, or taking bombs to camps.

These airmen often flying low

At tree height - as one air pilot did

Till coming to an aerodrome.

He targeted the hangers - those

On ground initially saw him as own.

Then a bomb hit the first hanger

Causing panic, whilst he swooped

To the open doors firing inside -

Lifting, soaring to the second

Shed to provide a gift of a bomb.

A third hanger took another

Bomb; a delay in the handle's action

Sent fourth bomb onto ground

Near to a railway siding, close

To a train - the Germans took aim.

They fired at the English

Plane but the pilot undeterred led

Straight into them in return

Of fire, to scatter them about -

At 20ft to target the sheds again.

Firing last of his bullets the pilot

Lifted away to a cloud. With renewed

Ammunition this aerodrome

Saw the return of the flyer so

Low to skim the ground again,

Firing into hangers on mechanics.

Having left that aerodrome

In disarray, the English pilot came

Across two German officers

On horseback, to dive low

Over their heads; the horses bolted.

Further along from a height

the pilot swooped to a marching

German column, letting loose

Fire In their midst, they scattered

To seek safety in ditch and hedge.

Having used all ammunition

The pilot retreated to fix a third

Drum - he emerged from

Cloud to discover German

Craft in pursuit in ariel battle.

In evasive action and

Reaction the three fought briefly,

Until in pursuit a German

Crashed to ground to see

A German crowd gather round.

Without hesitation he turned

Again and targeted the crowd.

The British pilot left them

To encounter a civil train

Finishing bullets returned to base.

by Jamie Mann.

Gibb.P,1917. Heroic Airman In The Battle Of Flanders -Amazing Exploits. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 03 August 1917. P.5. Col.5-6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214748/Daily-Telegraph-August-3-1917.html [Accessed: 06 August 2017].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 06 August 2017). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214748/Daily-Telegraph-August-3-1917.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Belgium 

Poem ~ Innocent Spies - Thursday, 2 August 1917

 Impression sketch: Innocent Spies. By Jamie

Liege - a Belgium city lying on river Meuse,

Where M'siuer Groneret a merchant shop

Keeper lived with wife and two daughters -

A well known family of Liege, whose head

Of house had influential status, was arrested.

Charges laid on Groneret were on grounds

Of spying - over 3 days the family underwent

A trial - while there had been no proof of given

Acts of espionage, this Belgium Groneret

Family under German held Liege, saw fate set.

The two young Groneret daughters, aged 14

And 20, after three days were transported,

Forced to stand beside a firing squad - the

Officer in charge ordered the soldiers to aim

And fire, executing the girl’s parents outright.

The officer approached the two stunned

Girls and forced them to stand where their

Father and mother lay dead - by their pools
Of blood, the German officer calmly looked 
Both girls in the eye and questioned them.

He said, 'tell me the names of your parents

Spying accomplices. If you tell me your

Lives will be spared, this I promise you.'

The youngest girl a moment later shook

Her head - her older sister gave her reply.

The young woman glared at the officer,

Her voice firm; 'If we speak we could

Cause fifty more people to be killed.

We would rather die alone.' The officer

Grabbed the young girl, pulling her aside.

With an indifferent voice the officer gave

The order to shoot the older girl - they

Aimed and fired and she fell dead over

Her mother and father - the distraught  

14 year old was forced to look on them.

All her family lay dead as the German

Officer promised her a pardon, but only

She gave the names of all her families

Accomplices - but the girl would not

Speak, believing she was to be shot.

Yet her fate was worsened as they

Began to torture her in unsaid ways,

Then given to the squad who were

Ordered to use her - finally broken

The Groneret girl found relief in death.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1917. Quadruple Murder - Fresh German Atrocity. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 01 August 1917. P.5. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214747/Daily-Telegraph-August-1-1917.html [Accessed: 02 August 2017].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 02 August 2017). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214747/Daily-Telegraph-August-1-1917.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Belgium