Poem ~ Zeppelins; The Next Generation - Monday, 7 August 1916

Source: File: A Giant Zeppelin. See an original image at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Zeppelins> 
[Accessed 7 August 2016]

Equal to German sea ambitions,

Another generation of Zeppelin

Airships took to the skies - seen

As giant cruisers, that by some

Alternative time of Trans Ocean

Service, to link German to America.

Via the World New York news

From Berlin, told of machines

And pride of their inventor; these

Next developments in Zeppelin

Told of their gigantic proportion -

Able to move at great heights.

Zeppelins to number 8, set

Out on a mission to menace

The English - L.11, L.14, L.16

L.17 L.22 L.31 among these -
Giant air ships broke form to

Separate along English coast.

At Suffolk L.11 took a path

Inland over river Debden -

To drop bombs on Bawdsey.

By flares at Kirton awoke

A searchlight on the craft,

Who replied with 4 bombs.

Likely mistaking the river

Debden for the river Orwell

L.11 turning direction,

Next to appear at Felixstowe,

In game of back and forth

Over ground, under fire.

By 2 a.m. L11 made it over

Harwich Harbour, to drop

A bomb onto Landguard

Fort - damaging windows

And tents, to flee 2.35 a.m.
Fired at by Shingle St. guns.

Wind sucking power enabled

Zeppelins faster speeds, to tell

How one of these returned

From a trip over England, of

237 odd miles, within two

Hours, after a bomb delivery.

By Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Gigantic Zeppelins - German Boasts. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 5 August 1916. P.9. Col.2. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12212487/Daily-Telegraph-August-5-1916.html> [Accessed: 7 August 2016].

Source: File: Zeppelin Raids, Gothas And 'Giants' - Britain's First Blitz 1914-1918. Available at: <http://www.iancastlezeppelin.co.uk/89-aug-1916-1/4592178832> [Accessed 7 August 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 7 August 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12212487/Daily-Telegraph-August-5-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ Arresting "Aliens" - buy British! -Thursday, 6 August 1914

As August month still glows new,

Warm days give way to slow evenings,

As by ‘the silver sea’ of summer places.

In resorts like blissful Felixstowe,

Linger a misleading normality.

Sun and sea belie a season’s sudden changes:

Forebodings begin to toll on business.

In waking conscious of what is before the country,

Repentant deserters strangely start to appear,

Now keen to return to their regiment or ship.

New rules are made to restrict aliens,

And Germans are arrested as potential spies.

Further xenophobia is merrily advertised,

From Bacon's War Maps, with warning not to buy

Foreign versions, that will no doubt lie –

While their own are proudly made by Englishmen.

Back in Bermondsey women storm a grocers,

Whose fury fuelled by rising prices,

Brings about a shop's early closure.

As August days still glow new across London,

The capital begins to live in time of war.

Are warnings of what is yet to come made open,

With discussions of new projectiles and armour plating:

Weapons could decide this nation’s fight for existence.

Still sober reality gives caution against rejoicing,

Before Britain is out of the darkest woods.

The warning claims an 'opening of a gigantic business.'

Already with three days gone war is prone to rumour.

Hard facts become rare, a haze forms round truth;

Suggested reports of German struggles in Belgium

While in reversal of previous reports come suggestions

That a British Active-class scout cruiser has been sunk.

In his popular appointment, Lord Kitchener rises

To become the eminent Secretary of War.

Elsewhere lands are firmly behind the mother country.

So awake the empire's proud dominions!

Now plans emerge for the aid of Belgium,

By expeditionary force and a papers report -

English Government has clear eyes what is ahead.

And adverts request for men not to hesitate,

But to join the forces as their fathers did before.

Still a Parliamentary footnote warns of disaster

As well as victory…

by Jamie Mann.

Anon., 2014. Daily Telegraph August 6 1914. The Telegraph, [online] 6 Aug. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11014510/Daily-Telegraph-August-6-1914.html [Accessed: 6th August 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 6 August 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11014510/Daily-Telegraph-August-6-1914.html

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

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