Poem ~ Tunnel Ambitions - Monday, 6 November 1916 - Wednesday, 8 November 1916

Source: File: plan to build a double Channel tunnel. See an original image at: <http://www.railwaywondersoftheworld.com/channel-tunnel.html> [Accessed 06 November 2016]

Prior press releases had well discussed

The likelihood of a tunnel being built;

From the English coast of chalky downs,

To pass beneath the sea and rise again

On French soil - emerging between Calais

Or Boulogne - all to help the war efforts.

The leader of these plans for a channel

Tunnel given to Sir Frances Fox - totally

Confident of ambitious plans feasibility -

Just to consider the existence of tubes

Beneath London, or the 1903 railroad

Simpson tunnel in Pennsylvania, USA.

Alongside technicalities of construction

Came argumentation over safeguarding

The tunnel's completion - Although

The channel tunnel's existence was little

More than paper blueprints, came evolving

Discussion on the idea of its destruction.

The debate of a report carried forward

By Telegraph's engineer correspondent.

Historically, there had been a long desire

For the creation of linking together Britain

And France - prior opposition had been

Raised by Field Marshal Wolseley.

While Wolseley had died a year prior to 
1914 world war, Garnet Wolseley put out

His theory that any such passage link,

Would be quite 'calamitous' for England -

He suggested an ever-present peril from

A continental army, seizing the tunnel.

At that time Edward Watkin had dreamed

The ideal of a rail line Manchester to Paris,

That began in 1880 - but big opposition

From figures like Wolseley and the Queen

Caused the ideas cancellation, for purposes

Of national security; arguments resumed.

Times changed, as came in a reminder

That in Wolseley's peak how poison gas

Was not known, or uses of high calibre

Explosives - electricity was then in its

Infancy; while no one could then have

Imagined armoured tanks carrying guns.

The new prospect had taken on a solid

Formation by Channel Tunnel committee,

Created within the House of Commons -

British Prime Minster Asquith had called

For a review in the light of experiences

Due to the war, from the war committee.

Supporter of the tunnel, Arthur Fell MP;

A figure that had previously produced

A paper for the tunnel in 1913 - in 1916

Led a delegation of MPs before Asquith,

Advising that many military oppositions

Had 'practically disappeared' off scene.

Governmental military advisers were

Well satisfied such a tunnel could not

Be used in any armed invasion against

Britain. A discussion then centered

On how the tunnel might be rendered

Unusable, for purposes against invaders.

The simplest of ideas would be to flood

The entrance over a short length - close

To the English coast there would be

A 'V' shaped dip, into which water could

Be filled by electric sluice gates - operated

Not just by Dover forts but from London.

Even a rat would not be able to pass,

And this would stop complete damage.

Their first plan had been to blow tunnel

Roof, to let water flood the whole length -

Originally a viaduct entry would be built,

Leading from the cliffs into the tunnel.

In emergency British war ships could

Blow this construction, in order to halt

Any enemy using the tunnel - yet since

The submarine came into service this

Idea was dropped - as any submarine

Could easily destroy such a viaduct.

A further consideration from such

Submarines was an attack actually

On the seabed, by laying of mines.

A hole might be blown, allowing the

Channel waters to flood the tunnel;

Likely thwarted by 100 feet of chalk.

Due to water pressure at that depth

Any explosion would be less effective

Than if on land - an additional plan

Of engineers focused on the French

Coastline where the tunnel opened;

Though positioned 4 miles inland.

The jurisdiction of protection would

Still be guarded by gunnery of British

Fleet - with consideration by engineers

To French side, regarding inland attacks;

to recall how first months had been threats

On Calais, targeted by German invaders.

New plans suggested making the land

Around the tunnel access into some

Type of fortress as a last stand -

To aid English side to put into action

All preventative measures - in addition

A French power station would assist.

Being able to supply electricity part

Way into the tunnel - they could

Halt any rogue trains trying to enter

The route by a switch; while a British

Power station would be out of range

Of enemy, being 20 miles inland.

Engineer Sir Frances Fox believed

That within 6 years the tunnel would

Be completed; a straightforward build,

To total £8,000,000 for English share.
With a ventilation system simpler than
London tubes, travel was 30 minutes.

The underlying suggestion seemed

To indicate that war with Germany

Would likely last, well beyond when

The tunnel would be operational; into

At least six more years of war. To add

France had no fears from the tunnel.

In the commons the discussions

Of the proposition in connecting

England to the continent came via

A reminder by Mr Fell to Asquith -

That peace with France had lasted

100 years, to be so for much longer.

To note rate of scientific progression,

By fifty or 100 more years to 2016,

No one could make any prophecy

As to what in future needs might be,

In protection from threats above, or

Below the sea or even from the air.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Channel Tunnel - Invasion Risks - Engineering Safeguards. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 06 November 1916. P.4. Col.3. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213599/Daily-Telegraph-November-6-1916.html> [Accessed: 06 November 2016].

Source: File: Edward Watkin. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Watkin> [Accessed 06 November 2016]

Source: File: Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garnet_Wolseley,_1st_Viscount_Wolseley> [Accessed 06 November 2016]

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

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213599/Daily-Telegraph-November-6-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ Friends Reunited at Front - Thursday, 4 March 1915

Source: File: Prince.jpg, 2015. Dogged determination. World War One Great war Stories, Luton's Great War, told by its people today Submitted by Deejaya on 14 August 2014. 2 March 1915. [online] Available at: <http://www.worldwar1luton.com/blog-entry/dogged-determination> [Accessed: 4 March 2015].

i

Since the earliest months of conflict

And movements of enemy and allied

Forces that weaved through Belgium

And France, people fled their homes

In villages and towns often destroyed

Burnt to the ground –

Through such deserted places as these

English soldiers found other abandoned

Refugees – dogs of those gone or dead

Who then attached themselves to these

English troopers.

With displacement of animal's homes,

A refuge was created near Boulogne -

On the road to Wimereaux - whereby

Pets, dogs or other animals, found by

Soldiers would be looked after - until

They reclaimed by the human owners -

Their missing friends.

ii

One such story of dog and human friend

Could be recalled from the earliest days

Of an opening war starting August 1914.

A dedication and affection between man

And his closest friend to be recounted

In the month of March 1915.

In that late summer month James Brown

From his home in Hammersmith, London

Said goodbye to both his wife and Prince -

Their Irish Terrier. Private Brown called

To serve With the King's army in France

A horseman in the 1^st North Staffordshire's

Some time passed and Prince pined for

James’ Company – when on September

27^th his wife then noticed Prince had

Gone missing, she looked about - sadly

Unable to find him anywhere, she became

Afraid to write to her husband to explain.

iii

Two more months passed when a letter

Came for Mrs Brown from Mr Brown both

Solving and creating a mystery. Previously

Confessing that Prince was missing, a reply

Of her husband said he was sorry Prince

Not being found there, but that their terrier

Was now with him, stationed at the front line.

The story of Prince being found, had began

At Armentieres - Private Brown had returned

From a patrol and on that day as he rode

Back with other riders, amid the men was one

Standing with a dog, who walked toward him,

At first thinking the dog was very like his own

Irish Terrier, James Brown saw the man grin

To say, ‘I believe that this chap may be yours.’

In dismount James could still not believe his

Eyes until he knelt to say his name, ‘Prince?’

Who then greatly made a fuss of him.

With man and dog united as the fellow gave

Explanation how the Irish Terrier had travelled

Over to France, journeying with other troops.

Mr Brown's words to Mrs Brown explained his

Wonder; ‘Just fancy His coming and finding me.'

He added Prince, 'is quite settled Down with me.’

Then how her husband had found some old

Great coats, which he had used to make Prince

A coat to keep warm and how his faithful terrier

Was then adopted by the regiment as their pet.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. The Soldiers Dog. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 4 Mar. p.8. Col.7. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11447670/Daily-Telegraph-March-4-1915.html [Accessed: 4 March  2015].

Source.,1915. The Dogged Determination Great War Stories. Submitted by Deejaya on 14 August 2014, [online] Available at: http://www.worldwar1luton.com/blog-entry/dogged-determination [Accessed: 4 March  2015].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 4 March  2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11447670/Daily-Telegraph-March-4-1915.html

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Poem ~ German With English Name - Wednesday 2 December 1914

At a court session, appeared

A resident of Tolmer’s Square,

Hampstead Road, London.

A young man in khaki uniform,

Who had been using the name,

Fred Taylor  -

But was in fact,

Siegfried Schneider.

The man,

Had been charged as an alien,

Having failed to notify,

Any change of address  -

He had also travelled,

More than five miles without

Gaining any permit.

As he agreed to a guilty plea,

To the second charge,

The court then heard, how

A Detective Sergeant Cox,

Of Special Branch,

Scotland Yard -

Had found the detained man,

On the evening of Sunday,

Employed as an orderly.

This occurred at No. 14

General Hospital,

As he attempted to work

As an Orderly,

In the Red Cross Brigade,

Near Boulogne.

On Speaking to Mr Schneider,

The officer stated to him,

He was registered in London,

As an alien enemy –

Furthermore,

He had travelled to Boulogne,

Without any kind of permit.

Mr Schneider made reply,

That he was already known

To the Red Cross as German -

But used a gentleman’s name

From the polytechnic,

Which he had attended.

In his given explanation,

For being in possession

Of a British passport -

Mr Schneider reported

That being among the first

Who had volunteered to fight,

He was conveyed,

By motor car,

To Devonshire House, where

He signed an application form,

In the name of Fred Taylor.

In the court dialogue, Mr Hopkins

Was informed, that the young man

Had served as Fred Taylor -

Under remand the detainee’s

Request for bail was scoffed at.

The audacity of the request

Was countered, by stating

How he had, under a false name,

‘Sneaked’ into the King’s service.

The prisoner replied he did not

Consider it as such.

To the question that perhaps

He had enrolled as a German,

Under his real name,

Mr Schneider floundered -

Unable to deny the fact.

Therefore no bail was granted.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. German as Red Cross Orderly. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 9 Aug. p.5. Col.5. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11261375/Daily-Telegraph-December-2-1914.html [Accessed: 2 December 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 02 December 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11261375/Daily-Telegraph-December-2-1914.html

 

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Poem ~ Escape from Mons – Monday, 7 September 1914

An unnamed Private and a Sergeant Smith,

Both being of the Somerset Light infantry,

On arrival, soon experienced the fighting

Outside Mons - the men bustled from train

Being sent charging into the fray, before

Even before knowing where they were.

Some hours later after a big fight,

The Germans were moving about,

To take ground between many men

And their regiments. Effectively cut off,

The private and Sergeant hid,

Alongside many other soldiers

Waiting silently until darkness fell.

Then throwing rifles aside

They crawled Slowly on knees

And elbows, through German pickets.

The Private and Sergeant Smith

Finally got through and looking

For others, found themselves

At the homes of simple peasants.

Taking some brief respite,

They were given civilian clothes.

Disguised in the hope to return

And rejoin their fighting force,

Quickly proved quite Impossible,

As their regiment

Had retired too far back.

So together they made a plan.

Making their way along the coast,

In various incidents on route. 

Being stopped many times,

Not just by French soldiers,

But cyclists riding about,

On lookout for any German spies.

On success in reaching Boulogne

They saw the consul and acquired

A pass to sail back to England,

Where they re-joined their depot -

Still in clothes given them,

By helpful French people.

They could only assume,

Other men that had stayed,

Had been taken prisoner.

While some other soldiers,

Escaping that situation,

Cut off from their regiment,

Did the same as them.

But unable to speak French

Soldiers may have been taken

As German spies and possibly shot.

by Jamie Mann

Anon., 1914. Battle Stories - Cut Off At Mons - Rifles Thrown Away. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 7 Sept. p.3. Col.1. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11073408/Daily-Telegraph-September-7-1914.html [Accessed: 7th September 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 7 September 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11073408/Daily-Telegraph-September-7-1914.html

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

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Poem ~ John Parr – First British Victim - Friday, 21 August 1914

On an August day the papers advertise the season,

How the holidays are in full swing by the silvery sea.

So as the public stroll at Folkestone, hardly aware of army

Departures from the dullish port of Southampton docks.

On ships of war ‘happy’ troops drift to Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Among such positive soldiers, leaving in the holiday season,

Was Private John Parr - ironically for his age called ‘Ole Parr’ -

Among his mates the mood was good, despite a quiet departure.

No band played, no flowers thrown with ladies to see them off

This was it, after so much talk of war they were heading to the fray.

Barely 18 years of age Parr joined the 4^th Battalion of the Middlesex

Regiment - Perhaps then realising he was a cog in a machine.

5ft 10 inches, brown hair and eyes, Parr had a streak of independence.

This must have seemed a long way from his golf caddie days.

What then filled the minds of these men as they neared the edge

Of war. Leaning on the rails, looking over an expanse of silver sea

Were these keen adventurers, tempered by some small trepidation?

Next being packed into troop trains, winding from France to Belgium

This was a professional army; this was the job waiting for them.

Amid this eager company our Private Parr acted as a reconnaissance

Cyclist, as part of the forward Unit heading to a town called Mons.

Beside a canal some 12 kms from that town, they billeted in Bettignes.

Dawn - 21 August, was not to be an ordinary day for Parr.

Now given a task with a fellow cyclist, he was to be sent to Obourg,

Near the Belgium border, east of Mons-their mission, to find any enemy.

It seems today almost a sign of a silly season, to go for a cycle ride,

With a rifle on a shoulder on a summers day, not for pleasure or race,

In the knowledge of their likelihood to encounter dangerous invaders.

So follows an account, based on suggested fact of what likely happened.

Parr, and for the sake of this account, his colleague we shall call 'Albert',

Were biking along. For some time seeing nothing but contemplative quiet

Country of green, trees, birds and sky, they believed almost like England.

Perhaps they came round one narrow corner when they faced the foe -

At a dreaded short distance ahead, the greys of a German cavalry patrol.

On rattling bikes Parr and 'Albert' wobbled almost comically to sudden halt

Our Private John Parr caught a sudden loss of breath. Having joined

The Middlesex Regiment in 1912 he had never seen any foe so close –

Face to face, each side probably stopped, considered poised and stared,

Probably only for seconds, upon seeing the uniform of their opposition,

One emerging from a tunnel of trees, the other on bicycles down a lane.

The German grey realising these were not blue and red Belgium types,

But khaki British – in a splitting second 'Albert' yelped out a warning.

Parr for a long moment stared, observing a rifle lift in a German’s hands.

'Albert' was already turning his bike around - poised on the pedal.

Parr followed, fumbling with his feet, in a panic moment loss of balance.

Jumped the bike about, just as the crack of a first bullet shot, swift by.

'Albert' stopped, waiting for his mate, hesitating a pace behind him.

‘Go on! Go on!’ yells Parr. ‘Get a shift on Bert!  Get going sharpish,

And tell'em that he enemy’s here!’ Parr’s mind must have raced

With what he was going to do? Ride or fight? – a bullet zinged as it hit

His mate’s bike. Parr yelled again to get going and off 'Albert' sped.

Another bullet sparked his own bike as he sped a few yards

About a sharp corner, he leapt awkwardly from his bike,

Landing by a neat cut hedge - possibly where he lost his cap.

Dropping his rifle, he reached for it and felt the zing of a shot.

He was not hit but self conscious to fight, he had yet to fire back

Shrinking back into pathetic cover, Parr became aware of someone

Behind – He saw a small girl in a blue dress with brown ringlets

She stared – In meeting of eyes he snapped ‘go!’ waving a hand.

But still she stood quizzically, as if the shooting meant little to her

Other than a local hunt – John Parr yelled again and from the house,

A woman screamed, running outside. Soldier, woman shared a look,

And a bullet ripped through the hedge into our young Parr’s shoulder.

Blind to any pain for the first time squeezing the trigger, he fired back.

The distraught mother pulled her daughter back towards the house.

Parr considered how the enemy were edging forward very slowly.

They did not know how many of the unexpected British there were.

He gave them rapid fire, changing the angle of his aim so quickly,

In the attempt to suggest that a whole load of others were with him.

The enemy were weaving down the narrow road, closing in, closer.

He took another shot, to the left and right - hearing a German yell

Suggesting that one of the enemy had been hit and now fell.

In the neat garden Parr lay stretched - his fire held them at bay.

In the small brick house behind him, the woman and child hid.

Parr found the neat grass was cool against his firing hand.

They were closing in. He edged back, knowing of little time

To do something, now that 'Albert' was safely gone -

There was the shelter of a brick house – but the girl and woman

Were safer without him - there was a field beyond the garden,

With trees at the edge to hide - he would have to run fast and hard.

He fired his rifle to gain him a little time, then he quickly stood

Holding up his rifle to aim at the man, who aimed at him.

An odd looking man with pointed helmet and a heavy moustache.

At the close focus of his stern face and his eyes down the barrel,

Private Parr did not hesitate; his finger pulled the trigger to see

Both barrels flashed. Then came the thud of dulled pain.

Knocked from his feet, his hands flexed and dropped his gun.

The German face looked down at him blankly then took his gun.

The woman appeared, hand over mouth in horror. The German

Glanced at her then left, calling to his comrade of what was done.

The firing stopped as the Belgium woman ran to this young soldier.

She knelt to him, gently reaching and touched his pale forehead.

Her soft words came as he tried to talk, despite his bloodied mouth.

But neither understood. The little girl ran to them despite her mother.

Private Parr spying two angels against a clear blue sky, tried to smile.

At their feminine faces and concerned voices, gently fading away,

As if they were the ghosts of something he would never have.

This account is pure conjecture, of young John Parr

Believed to be the first British soldier to die in World War 1.

The retreat from Mons meant there was no evidence

Of his death till later, with the suggestion he died

On the 23 August in the Battle of Mons, or perhaps

Under friendly fire. There now, he lies beneath this earth,

His place lays in the peace and quiet of St Symphorien.

Mistaken as 20 he takes his place a hundred years

To the day when a few words of commemoration from

Royalty, presidents, prime ministers and descendants

Recount a memorial of a young, brown haired lad

Called to war –

100 years ago.

Still a war to end all wars is yet to be found,

As the killing fields still grow around the world

Now terrorism rises in holy wars, finding victims

Other than soldiers who go to war, to help or report.

Almost on the same day as John Parr, James Foley,

Less than 2 days to a 100 years, is brutally killed -

Murdered in a cowardly way, in a so-called Holy war.

by Jamie Mann

Anon., 2014. John Parr (British Army soldier). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] 9 Aug. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Parr_(British_Army_soldier) [Accessed: 21st August 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 21 August 2014). 

O'Brien, D., 2014. WWI Centenary: First casualty Private John Parr shrouded in mystery. Barnet & Whetstone Press. [online] 4 Aug. Available at: http://www.barnet-today.co.uk/news.cfm?id=26099&headline=WWI%20Centenary:%20First%20casualty%20Private%20John%20Parr%20shrouded%20in%20mystery  [Accessed: 21st August 2014].

Tourist Office of Mons. 2014. Mons 14 - 18 - Battlefield Guide. Mons: Office du Tourisme de la Ville de Mons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Parr_(British_Army_soldier)

http://www.barnet-today.co.uk/news.cfm?id=26099&headline=WWI Centenary: First casualty Private John Parr shrouded in mystery

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