Poem ~ A Battle Opens - Wednesday, 1 August 1917

Source: File: German prisoners and British wounded crossing a duck board bridge over the Yser Canal. Near Boesinghe, 31 July 1917. See an original image at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Battle_of_Passchendaele,_July-november_1917_Q5726.jpg> [Accessed 01 August 2017]

One day had started - 'the day of battle

The world had waited for began.'

Such were words of war correspondent

Philip Gibbs - formed in acts of battle

Tactics; did that world include Germany?

Over land between Boesinghe to River

Lys, shoulder-to-shoulder French

And allied troopers began the fight - after

Intensity of bombardment and offence

Opened to soften the German side.

Along a 15-mile front French made their

Approaches over allied left shoulder.

Despite poor weather, the sector of Ypres

Neighbour villages fell from German

Hands - Steenstraete soon succumbed.

The Poilu had made great advances

In protection of the allied left flank -

Taking objectives within first few hours,

Two miles into enemy occupation

Another objective formed, Bixschoote.

In south easterly directions the mass

Of Poilu's advanced into Kortekeer,

Cabaret village - with other communes

Soon to follow - short hours later

German counter attacks were halted. 

From their centralised push the British

Made gain of two miles - objectives

Of Steebeek river crossings were taken.

With formation of two assurgent

Systems, assaults opened on targets.

St Julien, Frezenberg, Pikem along

With Verlorenhoek - strongholds

Of woods and farms reformed under

Hands of British - on the south

Flank first objectives were also gained.

Sanctuary Wood and Hooge village -

while Westhoek village witnessed

A vicious struggle - a mile reportedly

Taken. All about counter attacks

Were faced and held on: stalemate.

Success upon success - all within

Initial hours of fight to suggest

Great gains. Reports promised battle

Wins the world had awaited -

This might just be the breakthrough.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1917. Great Battle Of Flanders. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 01 August 1917. P.5. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214747/Daily-Telegraph-August-1-1917.html [Accessed: 01 August 2017].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 01 August 2017). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214747/Daily-Telegraph-August-1-1917.html

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

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Poem ~ Villages Devastated - Friday, 20 April 1917

Source: File: The destruction of the church in Moÿ-de-l'Aisne, February 1917. Available at: <http://02610.moy.free.fr/Moydelaisne/02610.moy/Infos/Municipalite/Moyquand/N23/Lanciers.html> 
[Accessed 18 April 2017]

With the western front in France,

Reaching its 35th week in 3rd

Year of war, devastation of lives

Of the population had no conclusion.

Between the invasion of Germany

Taking over ground of Aisne

And reunification of that area,

Came reports of great annihilation.

Making a visitation of the retaken

Region, Chairman of the Aisne

Refugee Committee D.Camp,

Learned of systematic destruction.

Eleven French towns and villages

Were wiped off the map -

The occupiers had used

Variations of means in process.

Battering rams had been built

To destroy ancient town

Walls; dynamite, petrol tar

All employed to take down houses.

Exteriors of churches still stood

But all contents taken,

Graveyards lay broken -

Opened vaults emptied to bury own.

Some 25 miles from Laon town,

Lay Ugny le Gay - little

More than a hamlet

Of 234 people, lay in persecution.

Germans made tax of exactions.

First demanded monies

February 1915; £140.00 -

The same demand again in August.

September 1915 saw how the Mayor

Of Ugny le Gay and others

Were imprisoned, until

Payment of £500.00 were handed over.

October 1915, £200 fee equivalent

In francs was demanded -

12 months later, October

1916, another extortion sum of £1500.

When finally the Germans were forced

From the area, the people

Found their possessions

Had been seized, pillaged and abused.

Young girls of the village were taken

Away - villagers disinterred as

Germans set homes on fire

Destroying machinery and fruit trees.

Any French people who returned to their

Villages, would have struggled

To see where their homes had

Once stood; to see crushed stone piles.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1917. Devastated France. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 9 April March 1917. P.6. Col.5. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214440/Daily-Telegraph-April-9-1917.html> [Accessed: 20 April 2017].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 20 April 2017). 

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

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

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Poem ~ Fishing Boat Versus U-boat - Thursday, 5 April 1917 - Friday, 6 April 1917

Impression sketch of French fishing boat Hyacinth Yvonne, sinking a German submarine by Jamie. See an original image at: <http://www.fotolibra.com/gallery/1307670/wwi-u-boat-sunk-by-a-french-fishing-boat/> [Accessed 5 April 2017]

By contradictory respect

For those who sailed the seas,

Wartime orders of U-boat

Commanders were to sink

Allied vessels.

Self-protection was advised

In wariness for all those at sea.

Campaigns of submarines

Of Germany centred about

British isles.

U-boat missions were to cut

Trade routes - German intentions

Were once again renewed;

Breaking Sussex pledge

To distress the US.

Any boat large or small

Might become a U-boat victim,

As was the intention

In an encounter with

One fishing crew.

A six-man crew of a French

Fishing boat found themselves

Confronted, in the shape

Of a surfaced German

U-boat.

The two crews regarded

Each other, separated by yards

Of waves that carried

Them in a union of

Sea currents.

The German commander

Called out to the French captain

Orders to abandon their

Fishing vessel, but the

Men refused.

From under a cover,

The French revealed their single

Small gun, which they

Then aimed and fired

On the U-boat.

A Furious commander

Ordered his crew to sink them

And their boat - for

Over twenty minutes

Two sides fought.

Despite the fishing vessel

Hit various times, was refusal

To give in - the French

Crew kept up fire

On U-boat's skin.

A journal report via

Paris, told the story how that

Six French fishermen

Made a decisive hit

To sink enemy.

Yet a mystery would

Centre around the claim - were

Such fishermen actually

A decoy vessel, called

A Q-ship?

Such boats sailed

With intent to lure submarines

To the sea's surface -

Hyacinthe Yvonne

Being one.

Part of the French

Navy the story of Hyacinthe

Yvonne was in fact

An armed patrol

Vessel; a Q-Ship.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1917. U-boat Sunk By Fishermen. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 4 April March 1917. P.4. Col.6. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214428/Daily-Telegraph-April-4-1917.html> [Accessed: 05 April 2017].

Source: File: List of Shipwrecks in March 1917. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shipwrecks_in_March_1917> [Accessed 05 April 2017]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 05 April 2017). 

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

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

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Poem ~ Somme Mines - Friday, 30 June - 1916

Source: File: The Somme: Secret Tunnel Wars (WWI Documentary) (BBC). [online] See: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_plan_Somme_1_July_1916.png> [Accessed: 30 June 2016]

 Source: File: British infantry attack plan for 1 July 1916, the "first day on the Somme". British and French front line shown in red, German front line shown in blue. German second and third lines shown as dashed blue lines. British and French objectives on the first. [online] See an original image at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_plan_Somme_1_July_1916.png> [Accessed: 30 June 2016]

French Companies had started

Digging under German lines for some time.

Then the British arrival at the Somme

Carried on their task - these Royal

Engineers set up their base at Bray.

Maricourt La Boisselle, Fricourt,

And Carnoy shafts came into their control -

Named the 'Glory Hole' by the British;

An area about which careful secrecy

Was maintained and defended closely.

War under foot was a different 

Dimension to the fighting above ground.

With fundamental preparations

For the Somme breakthrough,

19 dug tunnels led to mines.

While the number was less than

Intended, the undertaking was ambitious -

In a south position were nine

Smaller mines about Fricourt;

Being charges of triple Tambour.

Out of Beaumont Hamel three

Tunnels spread out - one a communication

Trench connected to jumping off

Point of Sunken Lane, the others

Made towards Hawthorn Ridge.

There at 30 yards from German

Edges, in depth of 57 feet, a deep gallery

Created was filled with ammonal.

Prepared for zero hour - a dispute

Was raised over timing the mine.

A request for ridge's detonation,

By Lieutenant-General Hunter Weston,

To be four hours earlier, allowing

Resulting crater to be taken,

For any enemy alarm to settle.

Headquarters stated 'no,' but

Lieutenant-General Hunter Weston's

Persistence led to compromise;

Ridge redoubt would be blown

Ten minutes before zero hour.

In previous battle actions of

Lieutenant-General Hunter Weston,

General Haig declared him as

Rank amateur; despite some

Successful Gallipoli tactics.

Lacking competence earned

Hunter Weston the nickname 'Hunter-

Bunter' - with ruling tendency

Towards brutality, he led VIII

Corps within Somme Sector.

Tunnelled preparations were

Readied, as at Lochnagar Street mine -

In order to make crater cover

Against exposure to enemy fire,

All readied for the Battle of Albert.

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: Mines on the first day of the Somme Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mines_on_the_first_day_of_the_Somme> [Accessed 30 June 2016]

Source: File: Aylmer Hunter-Weston. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aylmer_Hunter-Weston> [Accessed 30 June 2016]

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

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

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Poem ~ British Brodie Versus French Adrian - Thursday, 23 March 1916

Impression sketch of Brodie versus Adrian - by Jamie. Original images can be seen at:  <http://thebrodiehelmet.weebly.com/war-office-pattern.html> <https://www.worldwarsupply.com/cart/French-Adrian-Helmet> [Accessed: 23 March 2016]

Learning by experience of wearers

From the French casque, designers

Of the British Brodie then perfected

Their final design to be distributed.

Taking over from the War Office,

Ministry of Munitions made articles -

Final idea combining various designs,

Within weeks from different origins.

By compacted time a scientific evolution

Was described, in design of effective

Headpieces formed from hardest steel,

To have circumference of a narrow lip.

A fault detected from the French casque

Was the higher dome, allowing cool air

To collect at the top - the fit being tighter

So the metal pressed on wearer’s head.

Therefore the Brodie was constructed

With a lower pitch than French, made

To make a lower target - smooth steel

Without projections or any weak flutings.

Made at Armaments House, developed

A comfortable fit - rubber studs in dome

Absorbed any shock, with a double lining

Of felt and wadding against wearers head.

The wadding would act to absorb blood

With some antiseptic, should a bullet

Cut through metal to cause scalp wound -

While a chinstrap held helmet to the head.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. The British Helmet. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 23 March 1916. P.9. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12200314/Daily-Telegraph-March-23-1916.html [Accessed: 23 March 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 23 March 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12200314/Daily-Telegraph-March-23-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ Mother's War Ultimatum - Monday, 28 February 1916

Impression sketch : Mother's War Ultimatum - by Jamie.

From the letter of an Englishman

Came a story of New York.

A French acquaintance had recently

Travelled back from America -

During his time there he had dined

In a New York restaurant.

When ordering his meal he found

The waiter to be French.

Developing a conversation, he asked

The young man of Europe

Why he was not fighting for France -

A reason was forthcoming.

The French waiter told how he would

Soon make his way to fight.

He handed the traveller a letter just

Received from his mother -

The correspondence informed her son

He had lost both brothers.

Her words spelled out her patriotism;

As she declared, while

Being her only remaining son, unless

He did not come back

To France in fighting for their country,

He need never return to her.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. French Mothers Patriotism. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 28 February 1916. P.7. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12175151/Daily-Telegraph-February-28-1916.html [Accessed: 28 February 2016].

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12175151/Daily-Telegraph-February-28-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ Tree Border Guards - Sunday, 27 February 1916

Impression sketch of a German sentry carved from a tree stump - by Jamie. From an original image that can be seen at: <http://www.illustratedfirstworldwar.com/item/a-wooden-soldier-in-real-war-a-pollarded-german-guard-iln0-1916-0226-0007-001/ l> [Accessed: 27 February 2016]

As battles unfold,

By advance or retreat,

Comes luck to escape -

Or poor fortune

In capture.

In such events

Two such soldiers

Of France, found

Themselves

Prisoners.

Amid others

Transportation took

Them to Germany,

For incarceration

Of a camp.

On route these two

Men managed to get

Free - adapting

To events,

They hid.

By stealth, both

Then made their way

To reach border

Of Holland and

Germany.

After time, to feel

They would step freely

Across to Dutch soils,

Despair filled

Them both.

Just ahead they

Saw a sentry, steely

Guarding the passage

To their freedom -

What next?

They prepared

To fight and readied

To die, rather than

Give into that

Waiting sentry.

The German figure

Was on diligent guard;

With a fixed gaze,

Stared unmoved

Into Germany.

The two French

Picked up a rock, along

With a stick, readied

To strike for

Freedom.

From hiding

They rushed the guard,

Who made no move -

A striking rock

Bounced

Off him.

Heightened

By their attack, the two

Men fell, shocked

To their knees

Before the foe.

That alert German

They spied at distance,

Was nothing more

Than wood - sticks

Grew at his feet.

A stump of a tree

Had been cut and carved -

Pollarded into

Shape of a

German.

They had been

Fooled by the duplicity

Of clever crafting -

To admire

The skill.

They stepped past

The inanimate German,

To discover close

By, other such

Sentry trees.

Without any real

Soldier’s, only numbers

Of stumps stood

To resemble a

Frontier guard.

In wonder, the two

French soldiers walked

Into neutrality -

Days later back

In their regiment.

The two escapees,

In telling their story caused

Great amusement,

Regarding stumps

Of wooden sentries.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. A Wooden Soldier In Real War: A Pollarded German 'Guard'!. The Illustrated London News, [online] 27 February 1916. 263. Available at: http://www.illustratedfirstworldwar.com/item/a-wooden-soldier-in-real-war-a-pollarded-german-guard-iln0-1916-0226-0007-001/ [Accessed: 27 February 2016].

http://www.illustratedfirstworldwar.com/item/a-wooden-soldier-in-real-war-a-pollarded-german-guard-iln0-1916-0226-0007-001/

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

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Poem ~ French Flag Recaptured - Monday, 13 December 1915

Image of the French flag

Amid those from all walks of life,

Came men of education - one master

Of Eton, Walter George Fletcher,

Joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers.

In the rank of Second Lieutenant,

His career had seen him as Captain

Of his school - to win Jelf Verse Prize

And as a rower in the Eton eight.

From appointment of Assistant

Master in 1913, to be Lieutenant

By 1915 - at the front a mission

Of danger took him into the night.

The Eton master aged 27, crawled

Out into the dark - moving forward

Between the lights of bright flares,

Where he climbed an enemy tree.

Within the branches the Germans

Had hung a trophy of a captured

Flag of France - with this trophy

In his hands, he returned to cheers.

Already mentioned in dispatches,

From 18 February, his brave actions

Led to another recommendation

Of distinction at the flag's recapture.

Only a short time later Lieutenant

Fletcher, was in the trenches when

A shot direct to the head killed him;

The flag was sent to his Eton School.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. French Flag at Eton. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 13 December. P.5. Col.2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12037754/Daily-Telegraph-December-13-1915.html [Accessed: 13 December 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 13 December 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12037754/Daily-Telegraph-December-13-1915.html

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

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