Impression
sketch of Recruitment Argument -
by Jamie
Private Arthur
Bishop from a London
County Regiment, having
been wounded
At the front, was
employed to recruit men.
Following his
given orders Private Bishop
Was in High
Holborn Street - he saw a man
Aged 27, then a
solicitor's Managing Clerk.
Arthur Russell
Jones was approached
By Arthur Bishop, to promptly say, 'Excuse
Me sir. Would you
like to do your bit?'
The other Arthur
stared, dropped his bag
And took a
fighting stance, answering
'You insult me!...I'm
sick of you fellows.'
Standing in a
fighting stance, fists raised
Private Bishop studied
him; 'you seem
Physically fit, but your heart wont let you.'
'You say I'm a
coward?' - 'If you like to take
It that way' - Bishop
received a swinging
Blow and then
promptly gave one back.
A constable
appeared, arrested the civilian,
To convey the
situation to Bow Street
Court, before
magistrate Graham Campbell.
Private Bishop told howhis duty was to stop
Anyone he felt
was fit for the army.
He denied a
tactic of following the man -
Or that he said, 'your feet are sound
But it is your
heart that is wanting.'
The soldier did
not know the expression.
Private Bishop
said that he had heard
Of Charlie
Chaplain and seen bills to say
'My heart's good,
but my feet wont let me.'
The recruiter
said the civilian asked
Him to accept an apology, but instructions
Were to challenge
him equally as others.
A question was raised,
did the man say
To him that he
had his reasons, why
He would not be
joining? - Yes he did.
In the
witness box Mr Jones kept stating
He had good
reasons - but the soldier
Kept by him, repeating that saying.
In a hurry and
losing his temper,
He struck out
with an open hand -
Realising his
actions, he apologised -
Having no idea
that he was wounded.
Every day he was
stopped and asked
Why he did not
enlist - he was no slacker.
Mr Jones had
already served five years
In Royal Welch
Fusiliers - his local
Recruitment
sergeant knew his reasons.
A character
witness stood - his employer
Informed them the father an invalid minister
Also in poor
health, were his two sisters.
Therefore Mr
Jones decided with his
Two brothers -
both in the army - to stay
As the main
supporter of the family.
Further, the
employer assumed this case
Was
experimental - as other officers
In recruitment
had also suffered abuses.
Yet Mr Jones was
a victim - if volunteer
System was to
conscript men by such
Methods, why not
just have conscription?
His employee had acted under gross
Provocation - Mr
Campbell's summary
Recognised
reasons may be adequate -
But a uniformed
soldier, going about
His duty, be
openly attacked by a civilian?
There was still
to be a penalty to pay.
The fact that
that he gave an apology,
And recognising
he had done a wrong,
Mr Jones would
only need to pay a £3 fine.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. Recruiting
in the Street - Wounded Soldier Assaulted. The
Daily Telegraph, [online] 13 October. P.14. Col.4. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11922658/Daily-Telegraph-October-15-1915.html
[Accessed: 15 October 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 15 October 2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1London
