Poem ~ Walsall Air Tragedy - Tuesday, 17 April 1917 - Thursday, 19 April 1917

Source: File: 2nd Lt Thomas Mann. Wyrleyblog, Local History for Great Wyrley and Surrounding Areas. 'Run': The Ryecroft Plane Crash, 1917. Available at: <https://wyrleyblog.wordpress.com/walsall/tales-from-the-walsall-coroner/run-the-ryecroft-plane-crash-1917/> [Accessed 15 April 2017]

In the county of Shropshire,

2nd Lieutenant Thomas Mann

Stationed at Ternhill airfield,

Finished a hearty breakfast.

The morning fine, as into air

Mann climbed and headed

Into the flight for Solihull.

Time 10.15 a.m.; his precise

Destination was to be west

Midlands, Castle Bromwich.

Likely as all pilots enjoyed,

Mann settled into the ride

Above English countryside -

A world away from the war.

Mann, a member of the 43rd

Royal Flying Corps Squadron,

Lifted Avro 504 to 4000 feet

For some time, until thick

Mist of clouds enforced him

To lower altitude - steering

To 500 feet above a town.

Daughter and mother sat

In their home of Brewer

Street Cottages, Ryecroft -

In the Walsall area - they

Chatted over tea to amuse

The granddaughter Edna.

Frances Ann North smiled.

Known as Fanny aged 60,

Was proud of her daughter

Louisa, whose only child

Edna was ten months old -

The girl's father Arthur Vass

Was away fighting in war.

Over Walsall the day began.

People about on business

heard the sounds of aircraft

From the skies. This was

Common enough, but not

So much as to not attract

Attention from the people on

The ground, who looked up.

Residents of Mill Street

Like Kate Beebee at 115,

And the Royal exchange

Licensee stepped outside.

Morning progressed onto

11 a.m. with the sound

Of a biplane over head.

Less that a mile away at No.

5 Brewer Street Cottages,

Louisa Vass and her mother

Frances also heard sounds

Of the aeroplane - not usual

To hear them passing, but

This one remained stationery.

Leaving Edna playing, the

Two women went outside

There was indeed a plane.

From the garden they saw

The craft circling, for some

Five minutes - Louisa went

Inside to check on her baby.

It was still a novelty to see

Aircraft. In her youth Frances

Had never conceived how

Wood and engine might carry

A man into the sky - Louisa

Reappeared holding Edna

And pointed up to the sky.

'Look Edna, that is a plane.

Can you see?' Back on Mill

Street others also watched -

Licensee Thomas Deakin

Began to think the pilot

Was in some kind of trouble;

The engine made a stutter.

Kate Beebee had paused 

Watching sky, believing

How the pilot was looking

To land - she traced out

His circling, which was

Coming closer - pilot Mann,

In the avro, was worrying.

The engine had lost power -

Mann had tried to see open

Country, but he was above

Walsall town - the avro, then

At 100 feet, fell like a stone

And he could not avoid the

Descent to lose all control.

Kate Beebee gasped with

Disbelief, hand on mouth,

As the biplane came towards

Her - she saw the pilot in the

Seat. He just skimmed the top

Of her house - in seconds

Mann waved frantically.

Shouting 'get out of the way!'

On the ground at Brewer

Street someone shouted, 'run!'

The two women and baby

Watching had no time - Lousia

Could not even scream as

Nose of the plane jabbed her.

With Edna thrown from her

Arms, Louisa fell instantly.

The craft was lodged at the

Gardens edge in a smoking,

Broken heap - Louisa came

Out of the stunned moment

And stood - Edna lay away

From the plane on the path.

Standing, holding her injured

Left arm, Louisa looked from

The slumped pilot to where

Her mother lay, under the belly

Of the machine - the scream

From Louisa's calls for help

Were quickly answered.

Walsall and District Hospital

Tuesday 10 April, called an

Inquest over these events -

The statement of Louisa

Vass told how, after being

Thrown down, she stood

And screamed out for help.

Her mother and daughter

Were both killed outright -

A crowd gathered, mainly

Railway workers - amid

Them Kate Beebee along

With Thoma Deaken had

Followed the craft's descent.

The coroner Mr Addison

Heard how Deakin helped

Remove Mann from the

Tangled Avro wreckage -
with only a few superficial

Injuries - although guilt

Of that day would stay.

Captain White was present

To provide military evidence.

The outcome of the inquest

Advised the deaths resulted

By a tragic accident. The pilot,

2nd Lieutenant Thomas Mann

Exonerated from any blame.

With the Royal Garrison Artillery,
Arthur Vass Stationed in France,  
received a telegram to tell him

Of his daughter Edna's death,

Hit by a military aircraft while

Home. A concerned community

Supported his wife, Louisa Vass,

To pay cost of funerals; £11.10/-.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1917. Strange Aviation Accident. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 9 April 1917. P.5. Col.4. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214440/Daily-Telegraph-April-9-1917.html> [Accessed: 17 April 2017].

Source: File: Wyrleyblog, Local History for Great Wyrley and Surrounding Areas. 'Run': The Ryecroft Plane Crash, 1917. Available at: <https://wyrleyblog.wordpress.com/walsall/tales-from-the-walsall-coroner/run-the-ryecroft-plane-crash-1917/> [Accessed 17 April 2017]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 17 April 2017). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214440/Daily-Telegraph-April-9-1917.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Walsall

Poem ~ Canadian Brothers Lost - Sunday, 15 April 1917 - Monday, 16 April 1917

Source: File: Image of Hubert William Peacock's Commonwealth War Grave headstone, at Lincoln (Newport) Cemetery. Added by: Military Historian. See Original image at: <https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=59978703&PIpi=51556651> [Accessed 12 April 2017]

From the port city of New Brunswick,

Brothers Hubert William Peacock

And Reginald Fawcett Peacock had

Enlisted in Canadian forces - aged

19 Reginald would become a Lance

Corporal, to served New Brunswick

Canadian infantry, A Company.

Reginald followed his older brother

Who had enlisted 5 November,

By 23 days, to join 28 November.

Taking different routes Lance

Corporal Peacock 69743, was killed

Close to Ypres 13 October 1915 -

The cause of his death unknown.

Hubert, older by a year, attached

To the Royal Flying Corps, gained

Rank of second Lieutenant attached

With 45th Squadron - having taken

His wings he became a qualified

Pilot. Stationed in Lincolnshire,

England he took to air 4 April 1917.

While qualified Lieutenant Peacock

Was still increasing flying hours

To build experience - those on the

Ground watched him flying at height

Of some 100 feet - Peacock made

A steep turn and shut off the engine.

Such an act at low height was fatal.

The Lincoln inquest some three

Days later, heard his commanding

Officer state, to shut off an engine

Could only be done at a greater

Altitude - the craft Peacock flew

Had flipped over and nose dived,

Without chance to regain height.

The Second Lieutenant was killed

Outright - the coroner questioned

The officer, to suggest such young

Pilots flew alone before they had

Gained experience - but this was

Denied  - a verdict was accidental

Death saw lost Canadian brothers.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1917. Flying Fatalities. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 9 April 1917. P.5. Col.4. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214440/Daily-Telegraph-April-9-1917.html> [Accessed: 15 April 2017].

Source: File: Canadian Virtual War Memorial - Hubert William Peacock. Available at: <https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/72073> [Accessed 15 April 2017]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 15 April 2017). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214428/Daily-Telegraph-April-4-1917.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Canada

Poem ~ Cadet Bombardier Harry Warren - Thursday, 12 April 1917 - Saturday, 14 April 1917

Source: File: Harry Collier Warren. Available at: <https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/72073> [Accessed 12 April 2017]

The experience was exhilarating

As they left the ground - sudden rushing

Of air against his face, Harry Collier Warren

Saw the blurring of ground move away

From beneath their craft - the lift inside

His belly, a lightness held by wings.

Harry was learning to fly, a member

Of the Australian Flying Corps - the Avro

Carried them neatly, high into the air. Lincoln

Fields and South Carlton had in seconds

Shrunk to toy size the Cadet's instructor

2nd Lt Gland Lowery called orders.

Cadet Warren acknowledged Lowery

As they lifted steadily in the early April

Sky - the young Australian briefly felt control

Of the Avro 504B B389 - only one of thirty

Contracted, from the Wolverhampton

Sunbeam Motor Car Co. Limited.

Cadet Warren grinned in pleasure

To consider how far he had then come

From home; South Australia.  Harry's family

Lived at Port Pirie, a small seaport on east

Coast. Only aged 19 from Freemantle,

He had sailed on HMAT A7 Medic.

His Majesty’s Australian Transport

Medic had returned back into service

After 14 years. Previously the boat was used

In the Boer war to transport troops -

His previous life as Articled Clerk

Seemed a long, long time ago.

The troopship had taken them across

To Egypt. Harry Collier Warren was then

With the 3rd Australian Field Artillery Brigade -

His service number 1899 - being a driver he

Would never have imagined his chance,

To be able to join the Royal Flying corps.

They climbed steadily higher, Lowery

Had the control again of the dual craft -

Harry felt his was the big adventure, far away

From days of training to be a solicitor back

In Australia - The biplane carried them

Easily to reasonable height of 150 feet.

A seven-cylinder Gnome Lambda rotaryEngine chugged away. Lieutenant LowerySteered them into a good position ready forCadet Warren's second flying lesson. Possibly In the lads eagerness the craft lurched intoA sudden spin; Lowery tugged controls.

No response. The spin took away any

Ability for him to regain control - suddenly
The plane flipped into a nose dive  - in silence

Of the accident's inquest the one survivor,

2nd Lt Gland Lowery, advised that he

Was unable to recover from spin.

Bombardier Harry Collier Warren had

Died from accidental injuries aged 23.

A court of enquiry decided how the spin had

Resulted, possibly from the cadet's use -

Lieutenant Lowery was lucky to survive.

Harry's sister and family later learned

By post, to say a brother had died.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1917. Flying Fatalities. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 9 April 1917. P.5. Col.4. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214440/Daily-Telegraph-April-9-1917.html> [Accessed: 12 April 2017].

Source: File: RSL Virtual War Memorial, Warren Harry Collier. Available at: <https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/72073> [Accessed 12 April 2017]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 12 April 2017). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214440/Daily-Telegraph-April-9-1917.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Australia

Poem ~ Zeppelin Hunters - Tuesday, 3 April 1917 - Wednesday, 4 April 1917

Source: File: The wreck of Zeppelin L 33 near New Hall Cottages, Essex coast. See an original image at: <https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/12459200283/> [Accessed 3 April 2017]

Source: File: Mrs. Lewis and family in front of a zeppelin L 33 down, September 1916, New Hall Cottages, Essex coast. See an original image at: <https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationaalarchief/6934945744/> [Accessed 3 April 2017]

i

Within the rural idyll of Essex,

Came events of war to break the peace.

An enemy mission sent on a raid

Above English soil saw Zeppelins in skies

Over villages, as in Little Wigborough.

Not far from sea and estuaries,

Proved a likely route to and from London

For Zeppelins seeking escape

Across the North Sea, over English rural land

And farms as happened with L 33.

In what had become a fairly

Common event, new German zeppelins

Chanced a raid on English

Capital city in month of September 1916.

L 32 and L 33 found trouble.

L32 making its way to London

Was seen by anti aircraft gunnery, dropping

Bombs close to Purfleet - after

Turning about an interception came by RFC's

Frederick Sowrey on night patrol.

Lit by searchlights L 33 proved

Easy target for Sowrey, to fire incendiaries

Into the craft's belly; the zeppelin

Being downed at Great Burstead, fairly close

To Snails Farm by area of Billericay.

Zeppelin L 33 managed to reach

Target of London to have some success

Killing civilians - the crew led

By Kapitan Alois Bocker - but came under

Anti aircraft fire to gain damage.

Night patrols targeted the enemy

Close to Chelmsford - taking various hits

L 33 escaped to continue over

Essex, throwing out equipment ballast  

In attempt to regain height.

Yet Bocker knew any successful

Escape across sea had become impossible.

Travelling for a short distance

They made it to fly over Little Wigborough

And isolated New Hall Cottages.

ii

The airship became grounded

In the darkness - Kapitan Bocker felt duty

To inform any local people

Of crews intentions to destroy the ship; likely
Including a scared Lewis family.

They knocked on doors; fearful

Families would not answer to Germans.

Giving up, the crew set fire

To wrecked L33 and after it had exploded

The crew calmly left.

In smart fashion the Germans

Marched along lanes to make their way

Towards Peldon - police were

Aware of the Zeppelin, as a lone constable

On a bicycle appeared.

PC Nicholas surprised

To see these marching men in night's depth

Halted - by torchlight he

Quizzed if they had seen a zeppelin landing;

Bocker spoke politely.

He asked how far to Colchester.

Detecting an accent PC Nicholas advised him

Six miles - he then followed

The marching men into Peldon village, where

PC354 Smith took charge.

After their formal arrest

An organised escort of 8 special constables

Politely marched Germans

To Mersea Island. Meeting military halfway,

The crew were handed over.

While Constable Nicholas

Had single handed, routed them to Peldon -

Promotion was given over

To Constable Smith, for his cool act of arrest;

To be known as Sgt. 'Zepp' Smith.

iii

With polite, orderly nature

Of an enemy crew made captives, such downed

Crafts like Zeppelin L32

Were quick targets for eager souvenir hunters;

Even if a smouldering wreck.

Barely two hours after

L32 had been struck down, many local people

Were out to see wreckage -

Long lines of car lights from London invaded

The area, to cause chaos.

By 8 a.m. local narrow lanes

And approaches were blocked by traps, motor

Cars, pedestrian’s, motor

Cycles, carts and bicycles, along with hundreds

Of cyclists cluttering the fields.

Quite undeterred by rows

Of armed soldiers and police protecting the site,

Figures eagerly scoured

Any fields for wreckage signs; a local economy

Boosted by lemonade sellers.

The L33 was yet another

Burnt wreck of twisted aluminium, to attract

Civilian hunters of remnants.

That same month an Essex bench had seen

A postcard seller and Innkeeper.

Innkeeper Edward Straggling,

Along with postcard vendor Jack Lewis (maybe

Of New Hall Cottages), were

Both charged Under Defence of the Realm Act,

For holding wreckage fragments.

Jack Lewis had been seen

On the streets, to show various zeppelin relics,

Selling pieces for 1 shilling.

Edward Straggling parked his motorbike then

Met Lewis with a bag of items.

An officer of the law saw and

Approached; the bag held aluminium pieces

Which were zeppelin parts

The Police officer proceeded to arrest them.

Straggling took to his bike.

Although the case was to be

Dismissed the chairmen stated it was sad

How people made money

In such a way, when their lives were in danger

From enemy crafts.

Some months later such

Events continued - on 30 March 1917 saw

A man of Essex, a ploughman

Charged before a magistrate, for keeping

Stolen zeppelin items.

Aluminium frames along

With girders from the L33, which came down

Close to his cottage,

24 September 1916. He held a speedometer

Of the craft, found 4 months later.

He advised the magistrate

The large items were given to him by those who

Removed the zeppelin.

Believing he held no guilt a case was dismissed,

Yet with a final request.

In memory of September

Night when the German crew came knocking

On his house door, might

He keep the aluminium fragments? - the Bench

Agreed, decision was no.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1917. Zeppelin Mementoes. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 02 April 1917. P.5. Col.6. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214426/Daily-Telegraph-April-2-1917.html> [Accessed: 03 April 2017].

Source: File: Two Zeppelins on a bombing mission brought down in Essex.. Available at: <http://www.historyhouse.co.uk/articles/zeppelins.html> [Accessed 03 April 2017]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 03 April 2017). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214426/Daily-Telegraph-April-2-1917.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Zeppelins

Poem ~ Above The Somme - Tuesday, 11 July 1916 - Wednesday, 12 July 1916

Source: File: Co-ordinated attack during Battle of the Somme. (Ministry for Culture and Heritage).  See an original image at: <http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/co-ordinated-attacks-western-front> [Accessed 11 July 2016]

i
In the machine battle of the Somme,

Tactics were not confined to ground

Or under it, but in the skies - above

Artillery lines flew Royal Flying Corps.

Already within Somme’s opening days -

And not yet at its ending anticipation -

History’s perception of young airmen

And their influence was still in infancy.

In preparation of July's battle came

Consideration of the flying forces -

With 21, 27, 60 and 70 squadrons

Relocated in support to the Somme.

The Fourth Army would gain military

Wings, Kite Balloon Squadrons along

With 13 patrol crafts - 16 for bombing

And observation, 30 for counter battery.

German equivalent Imperial Flying Corps

Had 129 crafts - 19 single seater fighters

17 Artillery Aviators, 43 Bomber as well

As 6 reconnaissance and other crafts.

Along with additional allied aircraft corps

Support and reserves, the Anglo-French

Aircraft dominated all German aircraft;

RFC having around 185 machines in total.

Having taken over the previous French

Army presence by early months of 1916,

Preparations had been under way with

Photo surveillance, from October 1915.

Further April reconnaissance began

To show third positions of Germans

To include areas; Achiet-le-Petit, Pys

Ablainzevelle, Le Sars, Flers and Irles.

In the eight weeks build up, defences

Of enemy were photographed once

Again - finally the RFC were bolstered

By Arrival of 9th wing, in given missions.

ii

Prime objective of the RFC was to destroy

Rail links and cut off German second army,

Halting reserves and ammunition - to bomb

Depots at Mons, Namur as well as bridges.

Attacks on rail stations would include Lille,

Tergnier, Busigny St. Quentin and Cambrai.

Along with kite balloons the RFC's purpose

To observe Somme's opening bombardments.

Tactical developments would include, allied

Commands bright idea of many soldiers

Wearing shiny tin triangles on their packs;

This would allow air observers to keep track.

No thought was given to allied troops being

Forced to retreat, but when they did bright

Sunshine on these triangles provided easier

Targets, for sniping enemy machine gunners.

As dawn came British craft took to the air -

Patchy mist prevented any observations

But as the hours drew closer to zero hour

These airmen saw allies crawl into positions.

From this bird's eye view came alternative

Visual aspect of the few - as amatol below

Ground erupted in sequence and moves

Of soldiers to their targets, in a scale model.

Flyers gave witness to falling of figures

In lone grass - some new tactic perhaps?

Yet many of the figures did not stand

Again - to drop accounts back to earth.

Found by the ground observers to relay

News to wireless stations, as balloon

Watchers telephoned their viewpoints -

All giving feedback to British artillery.

All present were well aware of history

In the making - immortalising French

Villages and woods, targets and trench

Systems with vicious warfare methods.

All would make their mark on the land

And in books - the start of the process

Relayed by reporters who were there,

From safer distance of Albert Ridge.

iii

While allied craft had took to the skies

In the opening hours, not one enemy

Plane was seen - prisoner rumours

Spoke of hits, losing airborn sausages.

In build up to the day of this Big Push

Allied aviators proved mischievous -

Making protection of allied positions;

Without doubt, Flying Corps made risks.

While stalemate stuck in the ground,

The manoeuvres had shifted to skies,

Taking swooping actions in disregard

Of enemy fire to bring down balloons.

With poor Somme weather of June

Flyers were forced into low flying, with

Chance flights in machine gun range;

But this was no deterrent to the corps.

By their actions of cleaning the sky,

The enemy had been left uncertain

Of precise details of allied build up -

As 21 German craft were taken down.

Though the German claim had been

Only seven lost - this created a stage

Where Royal Flying Corps could fly

Easier, except for anti aircraft guns.

Tactics of the Royal Flying Corps

As eyes of artillery, were equally

Usefully to the infantry to relay

Information and to act individually.

Actions of one armed aircraft had

Swooped low at reinforcements

Of Prussian guards, to rattle gunnery

Into their marching column of ranks.

A while later this regiment's officers

Was taken prisoner, who confessed

How this attack and barrage had cut

Them in half before reaching the line.

One corps tactics taken on from navy,

Were squadrons flying in V formation -

Reforming into single line-ahead when

They underwent bombing intentions.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. 1916. Splendid Airmen - Share In The Offensive - New Manoeuvres. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 11 July 1916. P.11. Col.1. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12211876/Daily-Telegraph-July-11-1916.html>[Accessed: 11 July 2016].

Source: File: First Day on the Somme. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_day_on_the_Somme> [Accessed 11 July 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 11 July 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12211876/Daily-Telegraph-July-11-1916.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Somme