Poem ~ Ice Water Trenches - Monday, 3 April 1916

Impression sketch of snow bound trenches, Galicia - by Jamie. From an original image that can be seen at: <http://ww1blog.osborneink.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Galiciai_llsok_egy_foly_homokos_rszn_180120.jpg> [Accessed: 3 April 2016]

Within the bitter fight of a front,

Arrived onslaught of nature's thaw.

Over seven days temperatures

Began to rise to burn wintery ice.

Under water's manifest, across

Galicia and Bukovina, the lower

Ground of trenches became as

Viaducts, to push out Germans.

Driven onto the parapets led to

Result of exposures to Russian

Fire - forcing the enemy back

Down into the flowing, icy waters.

Suggestions came how Germans

Side having nervous prompts -

From possible advance of allies -

Their intentions being to interfere.

Whilst sodden earth inhibited, all

Activities were moved towards

Higher, stable ground - separate

Germans attacks were carried out.

With no unified aim, detached

Forces worked forwards to hinder

The unified Russian preparations -

In the wet, as if in slow motion.

The amounts of melt brought

Disadvantage of using all heavy

Motors, as prisoners groaned

From irregular food supplies.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Russian Army - A Flooded Front. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 3 April 1916. P.6. Col.1. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12206732/Daily-Telegraph-April-3-1916.html>  [Accessed: 3 April 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 3 April 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12206732/Daily-Telegraph-April-3-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ Battle of Tarnapol - Monday, 13 September 1915

Impression sketch of Russian troops retreat in disarray, Galicia, 1915

- by Jamie. See original at: http://greatwarproject.org/2015/03/04/in-east-thousands-of-jews-expelled-and-murdered/

Amid the active Austrian Front,

One Danish Correspondent

Reported to Belingske Tidende;

The Daily news of Copenhagen.

In early September Grodno fell,

In the East of the Galicia line -

To where Russians retreated,

Altering the Russian positions.

Regrouping and reaffirming 

Their strongpoints', Russian

Forces situated their stand,

To east bank of River Sereth.

Maybe for such an eventuality,

Preparations had already

Been readied at fortifications -

Reinforced at certain cities.

Close to Trembovia, a high

Mountainous presence,

Saw Russian positions dug

Deep - believed hard to take.

While near Tarnapol - a city

Of 35,000 - a line of Russian

Entrenchments, curved about

A lake, with shellproof forts.

 by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Defence of the Sereth - Russians Strong Position. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 11 September. P.9. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11823047/Daily-Telegraph-September-13-1915.html [Accessed: 13 September 2015].

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

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11823047/Daily-Telegraph-September-13-1915.html

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

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Poem ~ Russians Fight at Gorodok - Sunday, 20 September 1914

Across the spreading war of Europe,

In the Region of Belarus and Smolensk,

Involved the Russian town of Gorodok.

Within density of forests and woodland

Marked by Austrians firmly entrenched,

And Germans, forming a line of defence.

As September sun shone upon thickets,

Behind each tree's undergrowth, lurked

Austrians, who stepped out to shoot at

The storming of Russian advancement.

For seven times the soldiers fought over

Their slain, before dislodging the invaders.

On the edge of one wood, a detachment

Of Russians, came on an emplacement

For a Austrian patrol, being in telephonic

Communication with their headquarters.

On cutting up this enemy, a Russian officer

Called down the wire of enemy's retreat.

Soon afterwards the Austrians advanced,

Into the ruse - from out of the trees appeared,

Falling before the force of Russian guards.

In the capture came evidence of bullets

Of the dum-dum kind - these expanding

Weapons, shot from rifle and machine guns,

Littered the trenches the enemy had occupied.

Among the Russian wounded was a young lad

Aged 16 - Vacheslaw Bershanoff, a volunteer.

A veteran of nine battles, was in the regiments

Charging front rank, breaking into the enemy's

Lines. In capturing several guns and standard,

The youthful hero was awarded for gallantry.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Dum-Dum Bullets - Russian Discoveries - Fierce Fight in a Wood. The Daily Telegraph - Special War Edition, [online] 20 Sept. p.5. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11107177/Daily-Telegraph-September-20-1914.html [Accessed: 20th September 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 20 September 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11107177/Daily-Telegraph-September-20-1914.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Ukraine #OTD