A place in Northern France,
That played a pivotal role,
Perhaps forgotten or taken
For granted - yet deserving
Of recognition - was the
Coastal port town of Calais.
With the drawing close of
Five months of battle and war,
Calais stood firm and resolute -
Determined and resourceful.
Protective with kind people.
The invaders from Germany
Had not gained their objective
Of the port - since the crisis
Point of October had passed -
With forces of allied armies
Beyond the towns defences,
Held back enemy advances.
While German troops edged
Their way down - Their planes
Dropped bombs onto the town -
Yet made little or no success -
As Calais people stayed calm,
Throughout the German push.
On a small corner of France,
Calais held an age long link,
Across narrow waters to British
Shores - Calais before war
was a place for travellers -
Who could meet the Paris
Express – not to forget Calais
Had its own unique industries -
Being a leading manufacturer,
And centre of lace makers.
A setback occurred to this
Industry, with the designers
Of lace - being young men -
Answering a call to arms,
Halted much production.
The small, significant port
Calais was home to 70,000.
After commencement of war
This part of French coastline,
Became a place of transience -
To welcome more than 200,000.
As a fulcrum of movement,
The port of Calais found itself
A centre of news and stories,
From battles raging northwards -
As over previous months, Calais
Became as a beacon drawing
Fleeing people to place of safety.
From summers unfolding fights,
Across French, Belgium borders,
Frightened people fled homes,
As fugitives from Lille, Roubaix,
Tourcoing and Armentieres -
Followed by many other places.
Carrying what possessions
They could, enforced refugees
Came, travelling by whatever
Way they could – in wagons,
Motors, trains - with thousands
On foot calm, -stoic Calais,
Felt the great tread of refugees.
As some biblical tale, peoples
Told of German atrocities -
So too did the next exodus,
That came Calais’s way -
As Ostend, Antwerp and
Ghent fell aside to onslaught.
As the sun arose daily, came
A river of displaced people.
With all the stories they were
Told - Calais was prepared -
Should the worst come - still,
As a population nearly tripled,
Calais could not be shaken.
An enormous task was taken,
In accommodating refugees
Somehow peacefully - this
Was done – all hotels, inns
And houses quickly filled.
Their plight also found a job
For any street boy, who could
Run from house to house -
For a penny - to find rooms
For the strangers - As hours
Moved on other boys appear,
Volunteering their parents
Homes, for a temporary stay.
Thousands each night bedded
Down, and Calais slept to shelter
Grateful refugees from the late
Autumn rains and early winter -
While rested, they would awake
With the needs of sustenance.
Foodstuffs could be in sudden
Short supply and provisions
Of tobacco and matches, sugar
And chocolate ran out –
As in whiskey for visitors, whose
Voices gave away their nation.
Whiskey, that had once been
Cheaper in Calais than England,
Forced needs of raised expense.
Still the feisty port managed,
And this population were fed.
In undertaking its provider role
The little tight-knit Port of Calais,
Was also to serve the wounded.
And buildings of a public nature,
As in Lycee des Jeunes Filles.
Became as British hospitals.
Battles raged about the Yser
And Ypres, - when at their height
Came 7,000 wounded – on one
Day four ships conveyed some
1,800 injured to Britain - In mix
Of nationalities Belgian soldiers,
Arrived at the Port's hospitals.
On two occasions Calais town
Was visited by Royal visitors.
The King and Queen of Belgium
Arrived to see their wounded –
Already Calais developed a feel
Of a Belgium principality.
Flanders Flemish being widely
spoken In the streets - as many
Employed Gendarmes wore
uniforms of the Belgium forces.
To welcome royalty, the flag
Of Belgium met the sovereignty -
Giving an illusion of their country.
With a need to control the flow
Of people, driven from their homes,
Were organised arrangements,
To move the transient populations
southwards, to other towns.
The Mayor, Msieur Morieux, had been
Called to join mobilisation, but then
Military authority felt with
importance
Being placed upon the port of Calais,
That instead of duty as artillery
gunner,
He was to remain as mayor - with rank
Given, of '2ème canonnier servant.'
German soldiers did get to Calais
But only arriving as prisoners,
Waiting to be moved further south -
So the little port of Calais,
resilient
And protected, witnessed months
Of unfolding war - giving transient
Population’s food and shelters and
Proved itself solid - holding its
own.
by Jamie Mann.
Beaumont, A., 1914. The Struggle for the Port of
Calais – Industry and War – Problem of Refugees. The Daily Telegraph,
[online] 26 Dec. p.8.
Col.7. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11310971/Daily-Telegraph-December-26-1914.html
[Accessed: 27 December 2014].
Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication,
27 December 2014).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Calais
