Poem ~ Tragedy Of The Belgian Prince, Thursday 9 August 1917 - Sunday 12 August 1917

Source: File: Two Survivors of the Belgian Prince. See an original image at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-40831765> [Accessed 06 August 2017]

A steamer, Belgian Prince, out at sea

Some 200 miles from Irish coastline,

With a crew of varied origins - they

Included an American black man,

William Snell and a man of Tyneside

Thomas Bowman - Chief Engineer.

Built by Laing James and Sons Ltd

In 1904, the cargo ship was built

To reach 10.5 knots - The Belgian

Prince then owned by Prince Line.

Tuesday 31 July 1917, Thomas

Bowman was on deck; time 8 p.m.

175 miles distant from Tory Island

On Donegal coast, a German sub

U 55 was on a mission to sink any

Allied shipping - commanded by

Oberleutnant zur See Wilhelm

Werner; Belgian Prince was seen.

The U boat's engines were thrown

Into action and a course was begun.

The U boat launched a first torpedo.

Then struck Belgian Prince lurched

Sideways - chief engineer Thomas

Bowman fell on deck, hit by debris.

Boat's crew of 42 men took action

As the vessel gave a list, taking

To the lifeboats. Once in the water

The submarine came alongside

Fired on the disabled Belgian Prince

To foil attempts to call assistance.

The crew in the lifeboats were

Ordered by the U55 to remain

Alongside - with no other choice

They did so - a veteran of close

Escapes Thomas Bowman, told

How they were ordered aboard.

Among the 42 standing on the

Submarines deck Captain Hassan

Was separated and taken below -

Their prize from steamer Belgian

Prince that now hung limp in sea -

U boat crew focused on the crew.

While some took axes to the life

Boats other Germans removed

The lifebelts from all but 8 men;

Told to strip off their outer clothing -

Oars, balers and gratings were

Taken from the smashed lifeboats.

Without any consideration of 41

Men’s lives, the U55 crew climbed

Into their vessel and closed the

Hatches - Thomas Bowman told

How the U boat began to move

To wash them all into the waves.

One of eight Thomas Bowman

Still wore a life belt - a number

Of his fellow crew floundered

In the water to be pulled under

By the U55's swell - others swum

Back to the wrecked steamer.

By then the submarine was two

Miles distant, their Captain's fate

Unknown - hanging in water was

2nd Cook William Snell, of Florida

Jacksonville, and able Seaman

George Silessi; time passed.

The youngest apprentice aged 16,

Edward Sharp was calling out

For assistance - Bowman dived

Back into water and swam

To the boy to reassure the lad -

Bowman held him above water.

Hours passed into darkness,

As the figures left were carried

By the sea. Thomas attempted

To keep Edward awake but

The lad losing consciousness

Succumbed to exposure - he had

To let the boy drift from his hold.

Midnight was judged to pass

Still in darkened hours - the final

Survivors waited for daylight -

Finally some time after dawn,

Emerged on the sea the floating

Hulk of steamer Belgian Prince.

Smoke still drifted up from wreck

As Thomas Bowman summed

Energy to crawl through water,

When an explosion from debri

Halted chance to reach any kind

Of safety; around him were bodies.

Crewmates hung limp in the water -

In their isolation two others were

Still alive - able Seaman George

Silessi had already returned to their

Stricken steamer, to remain for hours

When a submarine lifted from sea.

While not certain this was the same

That had attacked them, Silessi saw

Numbers of Germans climb aboard

To claim any loot - Silessi slipped

Away into the water and made for

For the remains of a small boat.

William Snell, the American cook

Had also spent the same hours

Afloat, having concealed lifebelt

Under his clothing - time and water

Had caused him to drift in distance;

In daylight he saw Belgian Prince.

Holding onto his life Snell began

To head back towards the wreck -

At some distance he judged a mile,

Snell paused - close to the Prince

He saw the black U boat shape

To believe Germans had returned.

Stalling his return by his hesitation

He saw the final act to finish her -

The deck gun flashed twice with

A crack upon the hulk, the Belgian

Prince by her stern, finally sank -

He could do nothing but watch.

The slowly rising sun suggested

7 a.m. - was William Snell the only

Man left? The U-boat vanished to an

Underwater route, when little more

Than an hour later, a British boat

Found 3 survivors with 39 dead.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1917. Murder On The High Seas - Hums Fiendish Callousness. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 04 August 1917. P.8. Col.3. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214750/Daily-Telegraph-August-4-1917.html> [Accessed: 09 August 2017].

Source:  McCauley. C. File: BBC News: World War One: The sinking of the SS Belgian Prince 100 years on. Available at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-40831765> [Accessed 09 August 2017]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 09 August 2017). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214750/Daily-Telegraph-August-4-1917.html

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

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Poem ~ Cavell: Shock in America - Saturday, 23 October 1915

Source: File: Execution of Edith Cavell cartoon.jpeg  [online] see an original image at: <http://www.trenchartofww1.co.uk/edith_cavell_44.html> [23 October 2015].

By way of American media, a new level

Had shifted from indignation at Edith Cavell's

Execution; 'horror and disgust' of brutality

Of German military, in opposition of American

Plea and premeditated murder of a woman.

In a complete report, The New York Herald

Predicted waves of horror about the world;

In a killing of a nurse, in a matter of military

Routine - New York Tribune told of a German

Woman in Britain given a lenient sentence.

Could then German policies or conscience

See mercy towards woman as a weakness?

The British Telegraph sported American unity

Against the island's enemy - who would pay

Dearly for loathing raised in both countries.

For some there was no surprise in atrocities

Carried out in Belgium; 'Zabern military

Despotism’ seemed to have no limitations -

Edith Cavell's unapologetic murder might only

Increase recruiting, as any Zeppelin raid.

Back to an American view came Wall Street

Journal, in asking if it would be too much

To request Germany to promise to halt such

Actions on women and to stop such murders?

Or maybe this was merely for amusement?

German-American viewpoint also expressed

An indignity, via editor of Staats Zietung,

Herman Ridder spoke; Cavell being executed

As an unnecessary shock - while Secretary 
Of State, Mr Lansing, was asked for opinion.

Would there be protests or action taken?

But the deed was made and anything done

After would have no viable effect - an equal

Opinion from Washington President Wilson

Said nothing might improve this situation.

Maybe America was at war,
In everything but taking arms?

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. America Roused - 'Horror and Disgust.' The Daily Telegraph, [online] 23 October. P.10. Col.1. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11936838/Daily-Telegraph-October-23-1915.html [Accessed: 23 October 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 23 October 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11936838/Daily-Telegraph-October-23-1915.html

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

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Poème ~ la bravoure des Français Fille - vendredi 21 mai 1915

Impression croquis de soldats dernier baiser - par Jamie.

La petite commune française de Vervins,
En Picardie, était témoin
Pour une histoire d'un meunier local, qui a aidé
Onze soldats anglais.

Les hommes séparés de leur corps
Où laissés pour compte et
Devenu perdu, quand un meunier locale
Gardé les soldats cachés.

Les gens du village savaient d'entre eux,
Alors, quand les Allemands
Apparu le secret a été maintenu, à l'exception
Pour un soudoyé villageois.

L'homme a informé un officier allemand
De la présence britannique -
Comme les prisonniers, ils ont été condamnés
Pour aller devant un peloton d'exécution.

Arrestations ensuite inclus le meunier.
Avec sa famille;
Sa fille de dix-sept ans
A ensuite été remis en question.

Prié de dire si son père avait des complices,
La jeune fille resta ferme
Avant eux, elle ne rien dire - à faire
Avec elle ce qu'ils le feraient.

L'Allemand dit que les hommes Anglais
Serait fusillé - mais pourquoi?
Ils avaient rien fait de mal, seulement
Caché par elle-même.

Elle a fait la demande à la peine,
Mais on a demandé en outre,
Pour que l'homme qu'elle était une maîtresse?
Elle a pleuré: tous étaient amis.

Alors que l'allemand a cédé à elle dire
Était une bonne femme française,
Une mesure de représailles devait être effectué - 
Leur verdict reposait sur eux tous.

La fille de la Miller serait envoyé
Pour 2 ans de prison - son fils
De 15 ans, pour aller à Reformatory allemand-
Aa femme, 4 ans de prison.

Le sort du meunier devait être tourné, le long
Avec les Anglais - phrases
Pour être immédiate - onze hommes marchaient
Pour un mur - avec la permission
La jeune fille française a embrassé chacun d'eux.

 par Jamie Mann.

Anon., 1915. Héroïque Femme Française - Caché Anglais soldats. Le Daily Telegraph, [en ligne] 21 mai. P.8. Col.7. Disponible à: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11608898/Daily-Telegraph-May-21-1915.html [Consulté le: 21 Mai 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 il ya quelques années - Poèmes de Jamie Mann. [Lettre] (communication personnelle, le 21 mai 2015).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11608898/Daily-Telegraph-May-21-1915.htm

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

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Poem ~ Bravery of French Girl - Friday, 21 May 1915

 Impression sketch of soldiers last kiss - by Jamie. 

The small French Commune Of Vervins,

In Picardy, was witness

To a story of a local miller, who helped

Eleven English soldiers.

The men separated from their corps -

When left behind and

Had become lost, when a local miller,

Kept the soldiers hidden.

The village people knew of them,

So when Germans

Appeared the secret was kept - except

For one bribed villager.

The man informed a German officer

Of the British presence –

As prisoners, they were sentenced

To go before a firing squad.

Arrests then included the miller.

Along with his family;

His seventeen-year-old daughter

Was then questioned.

Asked if her father had accomplices,

The girl stood firm

Before them, saying nothing - to do

With her what they would.

The German told her the English men

Would be shot - but why?

They had done nothing wrong, only

Hidden by herself.

She made the claim to punishment,

But was asked further,

To which man was she a mistress?

She cried: all were friends.

While the German relented to say she

Was a good French woman,

A reprisal had to be carried out - their

Verdict was on them all.

The Miller's daughter would be sent

For 2 years in prison - his son

Of 15, to go to German Reformatory -

His wife, 4 years of prison.

The miller’s fate was to be shot, along

With the English - sentences

To be immediate - eleven men walked

To a wall - with permission

The French girl kissed each one of them.

 by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Heroic French Woman – Hidden English Soldiers. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 21 May. P.8. Col.7. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11608898/Daily-Telegraph-May-21-1915.html [Accessed: 21 May 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 21 May 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11608898/Daily-Telegraph-May-21-1915.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1France

Poem ~ Children and Canadians Crucified - Thursday, 13 May 1915

Impression sketch of alleged Crucified Canadian - by Jamie. The original can be seen at: https://shrineodreams.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/crux_cur.jpg

The House of Commons was to hear,

Questions by the Under Secretary

Of State for War - to be by Mr Houston.

This was to address the fate of three

Canadian soldiers, who had been

Captured by Germans, to be crucified.

It was alleged that by use of bayonets,

Germans nailed them to a structure -

Mr Tennant had no confirmation of this.

Mr Houston later said he had spoken

With one man, who had gained words

Of a dying office who witnessed this.

Murders of children also occurred -

At a farmhouse at Haecht - by hands

And feet a child no more than three,

Found nailed to a door - in garden

Was found a girl's body – having

Had been shot in the forehead.

Further shocking reports came in,

To say two children found in a cart,

At Capelle-au-Bois, were murdered.

Then at Eppeghen discovery of how

A child, aged two, had a German

Lance pinning them to the ground.

Yet to be confirmed, Louvain events 

Leading to vile massacred civilian
Attacks and the town partially burnt.

An enquiry was to see those taken

And killed had made wrongful acts,

Or if it was deliberate enemy policy.

Captured German diaries showed

Their armies disregard for Belgian

Civilians moved through Duisburg.

Along with the Oberburgomaster,

Civilians were subjected to martial

Law and 80 were accordingly shot.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Crucifixion of Canadians. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 13 May. P.9. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11593230/Daily-Telegraph-May-13-1915.html [Accessed: 13 May 2015].

Anon.,1915. Child Nailed to a Door. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 13 May. P.11. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11593230/Daily-Telegraph-May-13-1915.html [Accessed: 13 May 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 13 May 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11593230/Daily-Telegraph-May-13-1915.html

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

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Poem ~ ruského pôvodu v Memel - pondelok 22 marca 1915

Boj o uliciach Memel, pri vchode Libauerstraße dňa 21. marca 1915 - skica Jamie, vychádzajúce z pôvodnej obraz, ktorý možno vidieť na: http://www.deutsche-schutzgebiete.de/memel.html

Prastarý Pruské kráľovstvo,
Stal sa obeťou hraničných hier
Etnický región, aby zahŕňala
Slovanské kmene a poľský krv -
Na západ a na východ,
Pobaltské kmene - stará éra do konca
Pod germánskych rytierov -
Potom sa zase späť do Ducal Prusko.

Pestrá krajina od Gdańsk Bay,
Cez na piesočnú Kurskej
Spit na juhovýchodnom pobreží,
Zakrivenie na pobreží Baltského mora - 
Krajiny ten videl mnoho bitiek
A spory o svojich hraníc -
Všetko musí byť posilnené Versailles
Zrkadlový sála, 1871 reformovaná
Do zjednotenia Nemecka.

V pruskom územia, kde sa
Ústa Dán rieky tečie
Do Baltského mora - sedel mesto
Memel, mesto význam -
S rôznymi obchodmi a prístavy,
Miesto chemických prác, žehlička
Zlievarne, plodiny ľanu a obilia,
A centrum Baltského obchodu reziva -
Ak chcete, aby drevo cez Nemunas
River a zasielané v oblasti obchodu.

Mesto ležal ostro sedí, na
Uhlová súčasť nemeckého územia -
Dosiahol jedinú železnicou, o
Woody močaristá, roadless krajina -
Za týmto Vilna-Liba železničná trať,
Akékoľvek pokusy v priechodoch armád
Bude čeliť problematické problémy.
Fort obrany ležal Memel
Harbour - jeden na pevnine,
Druhý na Kurische Nehrung.

V rámci svojej obvody žil trochu
Populácia 22000 - keď je v
1914 vyhlásenie vojny prišiel,
Nič viac než pár nájazdoch
Videl, ako sa Nemci prejsť
Hranice - germánsky postavený Memel,
S malou strategickú hodnotu, cítil
Nedotknutej 1914 vojnou.

Potom, čo sa pomaly bol prestavaný po
Oheň 1854, na severovýchod
Mesto Nemecka Memel - bez
Veľa dôležité - sa konala len
Tým, nešpecifikované množstvo vojakov -
Prišiel do ruskej stratégie
Invázia - do Východného Pruska
18. marca 1915 prišiel pochodovať
Rusi - vyskytujúce sa podľa smeru
Zo severu a na východe od Kuronský.

Až 10.000 vojakov namontovať
Kind prišiel - ruská milície, hranice
Vojaci, Marines a záložníci -
V obsadení hraníc pruských, bola
Nemecký Nedostatok Landsturm sily.
Nízke počty potom viedol k pádu späť
Smerom Memel, potom ešte ďalšie
Späť do mesta, as ruštine
Topánky spadol do hranice Memel je -
Na večer 18. marca 1915.

V ruskom chodníku boli ponechané pálenie
Budovy - rukojemníkov z troch mužov
A Memel starostu bola prijatá;
Civilisti ležal mŕtvy - s deťmi
a ženy občania, zachytil veľa
Boli poslané z Memel do Ruska -
Napriek tomu nemecký Landsturm sila
Ustúpil, za Kurische Haff
Out na dunách v Baltskom mori.

Cez príkazy z ich
Veliteľmi, ruskí vojaci
Stále drancovali obchody Memel
Aj civilné domovy - do krátkej
Odstúpenie, videl mesto uvoľnené -
Na jeden deň - až v nedeľu
21. marca Rusi zo severu
Re-vstúpil Memel, ktoré musia byť splnené
Novými Nemci hliadky
Juh - tlačiť späť útočníkmi.

V zachytenie Memel, pod
Ruské sily, pouličné boje
Začíname s Przemysl silami
Odrazili - do slepej uličky
O Memel pevnosti.
Rusi priniesol šok
K Prusov, ktorí sa cítili
Safe zo všetkých inváziou - akt
Z divokej ruské vedenie
Trvalo Nemcov prekvapila.

Rusi teraz obrátil na okolie
Mesto litovského Gorzhdi, pričom
V západnej prístup k pochodu
Na tejto Landsturm slabé schopnosti
A bar ich cestu - pri zachytení
Guľomety a delá,
Oni si mysleli, mesto by dvadsať hodín 18. marca.

V ústupe dvoch Landsturm
Pluky, občania sa stal
Fighter je - nepravidelný "Franc-Tireurs" -
V odstúpení od zmluvy, k ďalšiemu zastaveniu
Close-handed akty krviprelievania,
Rusi namiesto toho začal hit
Mesto s delostrelectvom - asistovanej
Tým, lode kotviace v prístave, ľudia
A utiekol do Kurische Nehrung.

Evidencia nemeckej prekvapenie,
Prišiel s varovaním Berlína,
Na ruských spojencov - tu
Bolo by odvety, do miest
Posadnutý Nemci sily -
Ale argument zostal,
To či Rusi zbúraný
Mesto, zabiť celú samca
Počet obyvateľov, budú mať
Správal sa ako Nemci urobil.

Jamie Mann.

Anon., 1915. Ruský Raid na Memel - Podrobnosti o prevrate - mesto bez škrupiny - nemeckej Franc-tireurs. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 22.března P.11. Col.1. K dispozícii na adrese: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11480925/Daily-Telegraph-March-22-1915.html [sprístupnené: 22.března 2015].

Source., 1915. Prusko. Wikipédia [online] Dostupné na: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussia [sprístupnené: 21March 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 rokmi - básne od Jamie Mann. [Písmeno] (osobné oznámenie 22. marca 2015).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11480925/Daily-Telegraph-March-22-1915.html

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

# # WW1 WW1centenary #GreatWar # WW1poem #GreatWar # WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered # WW1Prussia # WW1Memel