Poem ~ Tragedy Of Victory - Saturday, 30 December 1916 - Sunday, 31 December 1916

Impression sketch for Tragedy of Victory by Jamie

To carry on dark December's trend of tragedy

Emerged the story of a Royal Navel Reserve

Stoker, Patrick Victory, S 8691. An Irishman

Born 1888, whose home lay in Dublin centre,

On Lord Edward Street.

Aged 28, Paddy Victory's base was the Royal 
Naval Barracks situated at Portsmouth's east
Harbour - on day 5 November 1916, a week
After his marriage in October, Paddy Victory 
Travelled to London.

Yet having overstayed his leave from base

In Portsmouth, Stoker Paddy Victory found

Himself in despair - this led him to a final

Decision. He sat and took pen to paper in  

Writing words to his love.

With address to his home on Lord Edward

Street Dublin, Paddy addressed his wife

By her maiden name to say, 'god forgive me.'

Repentant, Victory alluded to how his new

Wife had kept him home.

Between the lines she probably begged

Him not to leave - 'why did you not let me

Go Friday?' - newly married she likely

Feared losing him in war - 'I could have

Died happy.'

Both knew he could have lost his life

Fighting for his country - then she could

Have been safe, not to be associated

To a deserter - he had given her traitors

Name; he asked for no blame.

He told her he was bad enough - 'drink

And what I must have said in it, has done

For me' - suggested between lines was 

How Paddy regretted many words he did

Not mean, likely when drunk.

Mrs Victory's husband on route had

Gone to London - in despair he felt there

No other way out - after a 'goodbye

Forever' he extended his words in yet

Another goodbye.

He told her how at London tower

A gunshot would be fired at midnight -

His intent for the signal as his parting -

After the hour, Stoker Paddy Victory

Walked to Westminster Bridge.

Out on the darkened street he folded

The letter into his pocket, along with

A handkerchief square, that held his

Few personal items; maybe a watch

And wedding ring.

Standing half way over the bridge

Paddy heard the lapping dark waters -

With head bowed he shrugged off his

Overcoat and neatly folded this on

The ground.

Around his collar he wore a rosary.

Waiting till a few distant figures

Had gone, he climbed and dropped

Into the water with little sound,

To quietly drown.

The body of Stoker Patrick Victory was

Found some 30 days later, Wednesday

6 December - an enquiry held Friday,

8 December led by coroner Mr Ingleby

Oddie in Lambeth.

A conclusion had looked on his sensitivity

Of being seen as a deserter - having

Stayed from base longer than acceptable;

How his mind under temporary insanity,

Drove him to suicide.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Suicide Of A Bridegroom. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 15 December 1916. P.13. Col.3. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213946/Daily-Telegraph-December-9-1916.html> [Accessed: 30 December 2016].

Anon.,1916. The Peace Proposal - An American View. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 15 December 1916. P.10. Col.6. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213996/Daily-Telegraph-December-15-1916.htmll> [Accessed: 30 December 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 30 December 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213996/Daily-Telegraph-December-15-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ Prisoners Of The Easter Rising - Friday, 12 May 1916

Source: File: A sketch of inside the GPO during the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin Ireland. (National Museum of Ireland) [online] See an original image at: <http://hubpages.com/education/1916-Easter-Rising-Sean-McDermott-executed-Kilmainham-Jail-Arbour-Hill-Stoneybatter-Dublin-Irish-history-Ireland> [Accessed: 12 May 2016]

Within the Irish Easter Monday rising, 

Came a tale of a Royal Fusiliers officer -

The Lieutenant was captured by rebels,

And held prisoner in the General Post

Office - After being searched for arms

His hands were bound by telephone wire.

Over the following days the Lieutenant

Observed how the insurgents consisted

Of various trade experts; electricians

Engineers and an explosive expert from

Germany - an elaborate method was set

To ensure the prisoners did not move.

Kept down into the cellar the prisoners

Were blocked in by boxes, amid stores

Of dynamite, cordite, gelignite including

Guncotton - a light was left on to reveal

One box of gelignite, set up with fuses -

Bombs were placed about the cellar.

Within this setting the rebels situated

Their prisoners - left to debate their

Fate, as rats in a trap - all together

They kept calling out, until a rebel

Appeared to say 'its alright boys' -

By then the GPO was well on fire.

Taking them to a yard at this buildings

Rear down into a corridor, emerging

In a room where they faced a woman,

Dressed like a man - she stood, waving  

A revolver at them - along with threats

She spat at English lieutenant's face.

After a short time the prisoners were

Led outside - they were to be used

As a protective screen in order for

Rebels to escape - pushed to front
Of prisoners stood the Lieutenant,

With a private of the Dublin Fusiliers.

Ahead of them, at some 150 yards,

Were watching English troops who

Manned a machine gun - a rebel

Held a gun to his head; in promise

To fire, unless he ran - taking to his

Feet the officer was shot at ten yards.

The English Lieutenant fell forwards

In the street, wounded in the thigh.

The officer looked about to see

Behind him, how the rebel unload

A gun into the Dublin Fusiliers head.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Officers Escape - Help From A Rebel. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 8 May 1916. P.11. Col.2. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12209758/Daily-Telegraph-May-8-1916.html>  [Accessed: 12 May 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 12 May 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12209758/Daily-Telegraph-May-8-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ English Women and Irish Rebels - Wednesday, 3 May to Thursday, 4 May 1916

Source: File: Soldiers gather on Dublin street. The Battle of Mount Street Bridge: Easter Rising 1916. [online] See original image at: <http://thewildgeese.irish/profiles/blogs/the-battle-of-mount-street-bridge-easter-rising-1916> [Accessed: 2 May 2016]

With stories of Irish rebellion

Emerging, were tales of how

No one was safe in the city

Of Dublin.

In spending a holiday in Ireland's

Capital, Dublin, was experience

Of a young lady and friend, to

Be targeted.

With troops in the city in a house

Opposite, the ladies were serving

Food and drink to troops, when

Shots fired.

Hidden within nearby shrubbery

Rebels, described as rioters, fired.

English soldiers shouted to women

To run.

The two women ran back across

Road, as bullets zinged about -

Behind them soldiers and officer

Were hit.

The fight began 1.20 p.m. as two

Women and another two, sped

Upstairs to the third floor, to look

Out the window.

Gunshots began by Sinn Feiners -

This time from direction of a lane

A bullet cut the blind and ricocheted

On a wall.

The four women turned to flee

As another two shots targeted

Them - a bullet grazed cheek

Of one.

Taking this as confirmation that

The house was targeted by

Rebels, they set to shelter night

In basement.

When the firing finally ceased by

Evening, the ladies emerged and

And resumed their intent to serve

Tea to soldiers.

On stating how their house was

Targeted by rebels, they followed

The advice of the troops to move

Next door.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Women As Targets. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 1 May 1916. P.11. Col.3. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12209367/Daily-Telegraph-May-1-1916.html>  [Accessed: 3 May 2016].

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

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12209367/Daily-Telegraph-May-1-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ The Rise Of Ireland: An Exhausted Rebellion - Sunday, 30 April 1916

Source: File: The Easter Rising 1916 (real footage of aftermath). [online]: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cew_ZLgi3Cc> (PD-US) [Accessed: 30 April 2016]

Impression sketch Nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell. [online] See original image at: <http://www.thejournal.ie/eirebrushed-play-1428985-Apr2014/> [Accessed: 30 April 2016]

Sunday - Surrender with Hope

From radical nationalist efforts

Dublin city centre

Lay in ruins - beaten to rubble

By the British army.

As the sun rose on Sunday

30 April 1916,

Citizens emerged, sifting debris.

Yet events of past few days were

Not fully concluded;

3rd Battalion of Irish Volunteers

Maintained strongholds.

South of the city beyond Brunswick

Street barricades,

Two lone priests set out on a walk.

Capuchin Priests becoming involved

With the surrender,

Convey a signed order by Pearse,

Walking to Jacobs factory -

A third priest carries same to rebels

On Brunswick Street;

Holohan tells his men he'd rather die.

But the group of 50 begins a march at

10 a.m. North King Street.

Nurse O'Farrell meets rebels at Bollards

Bakery, but De Valera

Replies, 'order has no weight' - efforts

By priests end by MacDonagh

Agreeing to speak to General Lowe.

Past midday the Irish Citizen army

Finally surrenders -

While talks go on between sides

Some rebels are still

Defiant - Lowe and MacDonagh

Meet the priests,

Who are told of a truce till 3 p.m.

MacDonagh informs his Battalion

Of intended surrender -

'We will fight it out!' shout some,

But to no avail - those

Not in uniform can flee if they so wish -

Nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell,
Though exhausted, keeps her mission.

Other holdouts receive this news,

To smash guns in anger -

Others stayed as snipers on rooftops.

On the ground MacDonagh

Hands his revolver to General Lowe.

The afternoon wears on,

With emerging garrisons marching.

Exhausted and hungry they are

Met by varied reactions.

Respect equaled by threatening

Behaviours, from citizens

And Army alike - volunteers pass

Gate of St Patrick's Park -

Crowds of eyes turn to consider them.

The day has reached mid afternoon,

As Irish Battalions

March from their fortresses, onto

Streets and captivity -

Among the ranks remained disbelief,

But weary from

A week long fight, most comply.

Time slowly turns to evening - for

The 3rd Battalion

Is led from Bolands Bakery by

O'Connor, met

By infantry described as, 'baying

For blood' - a mood

Lifts as Canal Street crowds cheer.

A great mix of emotions continues

As guns are laid down

In Grattan Street - the remaining

Leaders watch men

Put down their arms - the pavement

Covered in weapons,

O'Connor steps forward with his sword.

This had been given to him on Good

Friday as mark

Of the men's respect - O'Connor returns

The respect, placing

The sword to rest atop of the guns;

In a fight for a republic,

These Irish men faced a future unknown.

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: The Irish Times: An Easter Rising timeline: Sunday, April 30th, 1916, 1916. Online. Available at: <http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/an-easter-rising-timeline-sunday-april-30th-1916-1.2194023> [Accessed 30 April 2016]

Source: File: Easter Rising 1916: Six days of armed struggle that changed Irish and British history. Online. Available at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-35873316> [Accessed 30 April 2016]

Source: File: Easter Rising From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Online. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Rising> [Accessed 30 April 2016]

Source: File: Easter Rising. Online. Available at: <http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/easter-rising> [Accessed 30 April 2016]

Source: File: The 1916 Easter Rising. Online. Available at: <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ireland-1845-to-1922/the-1916-easter-rising/> [Accessed 30 April 2016]

Source: File: The Battle for the South Dublin Union 1916 by Paul O'Brien Author, Irish Military Historian. Online. Available at: <http://www.paulobrienauthor.ie/436-2/> [Accessed 30 April 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 29 April 2016). 

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

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Poem ~ The Rise Of Ireland: White Flags Raised - Saturday, 29 April 1916

Impression sketch of Pearse and Nurse O'Farrell surrender to the British. Taken from a still of TV production 'Insurrection' 1966 [online] See original image at: <http://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/25819> [Accessed: 29 April 2016]

Saturday 29 April - Cracks of Surrender

i

Saturday began as Friday ended -

Staffordshires make

Dawn charge of Reilly's fort to be

Cut down under fire

From various directions  - snipers

Remain on eager watch;

A silent Moore street is death trap.

Plans are unfolded by McLoughlin.

A diversion fight

Was to allow others to make run

For the Four Courts -

Terrace houses have become

A front line fortress

As a plan is asked of a charge.

Exhausted the ranks are split

Many are willing

Still to go on, as others lack any

Such ability - with

Early hours of daylight situations

At each holdout

Despite hardships, are standing firm.

Civilians, nothing to do with either

Side continue to get

Court in crossfire - a girl is mistakenly

Shot - while a family

Holding a white flag are gunned down;

Any kind of movement

Real or imagined was being shot at.

Staffordshire’s make chase of rebels

Fleeing Reilly's Fort -

Which is stopped from being taken

From a gun position

Mounted in a bakery - mid day and

A nurse from rebel HQ

Carrying a white flag is nearly shot.

The Nurse reaches British barricade.

About pockets of attack

And counter attacks, while injured

And dead cover streets,

The dire situation had driven out

Nurse Elizabeth Farrell

And Patrick Pearse in change of heart.

ii

The two stand before General Lowe.

Under cover, terms

Of surrender began to be discussed.

Mid afternoon finds

Nurse Farrell return to Moore Street

HQ to pass on orders -

Leader Connolly emerges on a stretcher.

The wounded leader is very carefully

Carried over barricade -

Acceptance of the rebel leaders bravery 

Is silently respected.

Hours shift on and Nurse Farrell plays

A further part, while

Delivering surrender order to Ned Daly.

With volunteers together in Four

Courts, Daly informs

Them of surrender - their surprise

Prompts arguments,

That they could hold out much longer.

Bridewell roof snipers

Are given word - initially they refuse.

Further orders are given - the men

Reluctantly put down

Their arms - 7p.m. passes, Sackville

Street complies

To finally give selves up; McLoughlin

Whose order to rebels

To deposit arms, markedly enrages

General Lowe, who

Had said leave arms on Moore Street.

Pockets of defiance still existed

About the city while

Treatment of exhausted prisoners

Held by infantry varied

From indifference, while some

Handle them roughly;

Others were considerate captors.

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: The Irish Times: An Easter Rising timeline: Saturday April 29, 1916. Online. Available at: <http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/an-easter-rising-timeline-saturday-april-29th-1916-1.2192252> [Accessed 29 April 2016]

Source: File: Easter Rising 1916: Six days of armed struggle that changed Irish and British history. Online. Available at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-35873316> [Accessed 29 April 2016]

Source: File: Easter Rising From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Online. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Rising> [Accessed 29 April 2016]

Source: File: Easter Rising. Online. Available at: <http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/easter-rising> [Accessed 29 April 2016]

Source: File: The 1916 Easter Rising. Online. Available at: <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ireland-1845-to-1922/the-1916-easter-rising/> [Accessed 29 April 2016]

Source: File: The Battle for the South Dublin Union 1916 by Paul O'Brien Author, Irish Military Historian. Online. Available at: <http://www.paulobrienauthor.ie/436-2/> [Accessed 29 April 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 29 April 2016). 

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

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Poem ~ The Rise Of Ireland: The Net Closes In - Friday, 28 April 1916

Source: File: A street barricade erected by the rebels in Dublin during the Rising. [online] See original image at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Osteraufstand_-_Dublin_-_Barrikade.jpg> (PD-US) [Accessed: 28 April 2016]

Friday - Dublin City, A Warfront

i

Dublin City took on appearance

Of Western Front,

As British recaptured various

Crucial holds -

Troops overnight creating slit

Trenches lines, as

Struggling Irish attempt regroups.

As daylight returned carnage

Covered Dublin streets -

Snipers renewed morning work,

To fire over littered

Ground and burnt out shells

Of cars and trams;

British armoured cars are seen.

Reactive intentions to kill caught

Insurgents are

Halted by hand of British Major -

To hold them

In the Custom house - elsewhere

Exhausted volunteers

Picks out distant khaki shapes.

But movements out in the Rialto

Cause hesitation -

As shallow graves are hurriedly

Made - over tense

Minute’s snipers and gunners

Play waiting games;

With silence broken by shots.

ii

Past midday Sherwood soldiers

Attempt to attack

Rear of GPO - here Henry Street

Snipers work

To fire point blank range, sending

Soldiers into retreat -

Volunteer morale remains high.

Afternoon creeps onwards with

The Staffordshires

Taking attack on North King Street.

Until barrages from

Public houses, Langhan and Reilly,

Force then into

Side streets, away from an ambush.

Mid afternoon, a renewal of attacks

For North King Street,

See Staffordshires battle against

Langan's pub - the

Concentrated fire is too much -

Another retreat

Leaves wounded on pavements.

A third fight for Reilly's pub results

In same - while Royal

Irish and Sherwood Foresters barricade

Moore Street, as British

Adapt street combat of Irish volunteers.

Echoes of artillery

Resound from Sackville to Henry Street.

iii

Buildings are collapsing all round them,

As artillery continues

On General Post Office and Metropole.

An armoured truck

Carries troops down North King Street

Halting at Lurgan Street -

A soldier emerges, immediately shot.

The metal beast lurches on it way,

Until halted at Bolton

Junction - the drivers are wounded.

Within the post office

A relentless barrage prompted need

To retreat - but yet

At 7.30 p.m. daylight gave little cover.

In under an hour, the Metropole

Hotel’s collapse leads

The men there into the GPO,

Where the fight

Was taking its toll on nerves

Of volunteers;

Debris falls about the occupiers.

Fires outside make the walls

Too hot to touch,

But firm resistance still shoots

From the windows -

Despite chaos, the leaders are

Controlling rebel battles -

Barricades edge out to streets.

Dusk arrives but is of little help,

As fires light up streets -

At 10 minutes to 10 p.m., the main

Structure of the GPO

Has collapsed - in desperation

A council meets to pass

Command to Sean McLoughlin.

Within the collapsing Dublin city

The decay is half

Hidden by night - scattered fires,

Fumes of destruction,

Fill every sense at pointless death;

As the living fight

Against the hopeless insanity.

Then a new headquarters is made,

At 16 Moore Street -

With sentries on duty, remains some

Semblance of hope

Among the men and women there -

In darkness artillery

Falls silent, replaced by lone shots.

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: The Irish Times: An Easter Rising timeline: Friday, April 28th, 1916. Online. Available at: <http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/an-easter-rising-timeline-friday-april-28th-1916-1.2191007> [Accessed 28 April 2016]

Source: File: Easter Rising 1916: Six days of armed struggle that changed Irish and British history. Online. Available at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-35873316> [Accessed 28 April 2016]

Source: File: Easter Rising From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Online. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Rising> [Accessed 28 April 2016]

Source: File: Easter Rising. Online. Available at: <http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/easter-rising> [Accessed 28 April 2016]

Source: File: The 1916 Easter Rising. Online. Available at: <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ireland-1845-to-1922/the-1916-easter-rising/> [Accessed 28 April 2016]

Source: File: The Battle for the South Dublin Union 1916 by Paul O'Brien Author, Irish Military Historian. Online. Available at: <http://www.paulobrienauthor.ie/436-2/> [Accessed 28 April 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 28 April 2016). 

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Ireland