Source: File: Impression Sketch of Mud: Gilbert Rogers. See an original image at: <https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/mud-6619/search/actor:rogers-gilbert-18811956/page/1/view_as/grid> [Accessed 03 August 2017]
Rain, not just any old rain
but heavy rain -
Wednesday 1 August 1917 -
deceitfully
Mirrored an English Summer's day across
Flanders plains. Whilst
hurried umbrellas
Populated English streets, the
Tommy
And Poilu faced storm clouds;
a job was
Underway for the third
battle for Ypres.
A telegram penned by Sir
Douglas Haig,
Written midday of the first
August day,
Told of endless rainfall for
24 hours.
Through the darkness of
sodden night,
An English line lay south of
the Canal
Between Ypres-Comines - northwards
The enemy counter attacks
opened up.
The heavy German counter
attacks
Were actively repulsed, but
by what
Cost? Ground held by allied
artillery
In darkness, held onto the railway
Line between Ypres-Roulers -
against
All odds night raids proved
a success.
Raids include Bois Grenier -
another
Telegram followed ten hours
later -
Haig told of further fierce
counter
Attacks formed in strength northeast
Of Ypres, between the ground
St Julien and Westhoek - the
allies
Held on against the enemy
forces.
They clung to higher grounds
taken
Tuesday - despite stubborn
exchanges
Those advanced troops were
forced
From St Julien - while
Westhoek
Village experienced
determined
Enemy; western outskirts
were held.
Another operation had
success.
A battle front line was
redrawn,
Over Zillebeke- Zandvoorde
road.
Fighting, as Haig wrote, continued
From afternoon at Reulers-Ypres
Railways lines, while Yser
canal
Ground was gained on east
side -
But do not envision a clean
picture.
Rain, rain, rain over 24
hours - such
A consistent downpour like a
grey
Steel blur - a salient in
360 degrees
Found the air awash. July
had been
Fine, but delays for French
readiness
Coincided with unrepentant
rain -
Soaking, filthy and endlessly pouring.
In contrast rain elsewhere
funnelled
By solid homes, where civil
people
Emerged from doors to hurry
along.
Young children might leap to
slam
Feet hard into puddles, their
mothers
Reprimand such childish
behaviour;
A boot slides in Passchendaele
mud.
Weighed down soldiers; a
barrage of
Speeding shells slicing
through rain
Slam into soft ground - a dank
earth
Skewered by rain pellets and
machine
Shells - both collide to
explode forth
Spews of liquid mud clouds -
amid
All this frail, determined men
fought.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1917.
Allied Advance In Flanders - Fierce Counter-Attacks - Over 5,000 Prisoners. The
Daily Telegraph, [online] 01 August 1917. P.5. Col.4.
Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12214749/Daily-Telegraph-August-2-1917.html
[Accessed: 01 August 2017].
Mann, J., 2016. 100
years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 01 August
2017).
Source: File: Battle
of the Ancre. Prisoners taken in Beaumont Hamel by the 51st (Highland) Division,
13 November 1916.. See an original image at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Battle_of_the_Somme,_July-november_1916_Q4507.jpg>
[Accessed 19 November 2016]
i
From September's
push for Thiepval Ridge,
Emerged a new
allied fight in the battle
Of the Anrce
Heights - when summers path
Had led into inevitable
autumn weather.
The allied struggle
found Thiepval fortified
And determinedly
defended - organised
Issues and poor
weather conditions played
Badly against
General Joffre’s intentions.
Days fed into one
another to reach date
27 September -
after a night and morning
Of German
shelling, Canadian patrols made
Discovery;
Germans had made a withdrawal.
North east of
Courcelette, Canadian brigades
Moved on the
trenches of Dyke Road, to gain
Their set
objective -1st Canadians at Kenora
Trench, omly
forced back in fight for occupation.
6 p.m. on 27th, an
enemy bombing party failed
To retake Dyke
road trenches - another allied
Advance found
Zollern Redoubt fully devoid
Of Germans -
Canadian gains finally joined.
A postponed
advance led to orders for 3 p.m.
Still a further
delay gave no definite hour -
The south edge of
Stuff Redoubt was reached;
Again links formed
up by Brigades successes.
With Zollern and
Bulgaren trenches secured,
Into the early
hour of 28th September resumed
Advance via
Thiepval - 5.45 a.m. - then on hour
Of 11 a.m. the
area about Thiepval was gained.
ii
Over the last
official days of Thiepval's
Battle, the
fighting had intensified about
Redoubts of Stuff
and Schwaben - where
The British
objective had been reached.
Yet many stubborn,
dug-in Germans halted
British attempts
to completely clear out the
Redoubts;
although they captured a good
Section of the
Schwaben by 30 September.
Without any final
outcome a new chapter
Began; September
ended badly for Germany,
In the region
losing 135000 soldiers - with
Prisoners taken
by army reserves of 10,000.
The Somme push
from the summer was not
Yet over, with
another chapter about the river
Ancre - troops
were quickly gathered around
The northern bank,
as divisions converged.
This was in the
early days of October, when
Attacks were due
on 4th to last until the 12th -
Intent had been
to create a pocket by artillery
Hits about Irles,
Pys, Puisieux and Miraumont.
Slowness on the
Ancre's south bank sought
To gain Regina
trench - determined Germans
Held on; inclement
conditions made for delays
Both sides of the
river to be almost impossible.
Mid October's turbulent
conditions weighed
Down body and
spirit into a trial - any plan
That Haig had
made had become reliant
On pockets of environmental
improvements.
iii
A shorter,
sharper battle plan had emerged
By mid October,
when a previous operation
From September
was finally cancelled, for
Favour of a
converging attack of river Ancre.
With fourth army
failures and postponements
From dire weather,
plans were again revised.
Haig and Gough
desires different planned
Dates of attack,
settled to wait for fair weather.
A need was for
freedom of saturated ground.
With a conference
called, no firm dated could
Quite be agreed; Haig
and Foch 4 November,
Debated 4th army
plans at Querrieu chateau.
Further came
talks on 8 November at fifth army
Toutencourt
headquarters where Gough, with
Corps commanders,
proposed further attacks -
If the weather
remained dry on 13 November.
Three days before,
the time 5.45 a.m. was set
By Gough - Haig
looked over the plans to give
Agreement; depended
on weather if all went
Well, they would
push towards Irles and Pys.
Five divisions
would act alongside the river -
Gough's plan was
to shrink the enemy salient
Between Serre and
Thiepval; set out were
3 objectives, initially
from Beaucourt Station.
First to gain 800
yards over Beaumont to Redan
Ridge; secondly
1000 yards west of Beaucourt
Onwards to Star
wood - the third target to be
Puisieux road out
of Stuff trench and Schwaben.
iV
From redoubt to
line of Hansa, edging them
Out of defences
to secure Beaucourt road
Bridges, target
time 7.25 a.m. - a tactic was
Set to keep Germans
in their comfort zone.
Each morning, 30
minutes prior to dawn,
Heavy artillery
struck German frontline;
Hoping for the
enemy to be complacent,
So they would not
react to actual attacks.
Zero hour was set
for 5.45 a.m. followed
By specific timed
activity - 18 pounders
Would curtain
advance - six minutes later
This would creep
ahead over five minutes.
A barrage paused
on German reserve lines,
Then onwards -
giving 56 minutes to their
First objective -
also using a machine gun
Barrage against
their German equivalent.
Into the night of
11 November 1916, the rain
Ebbed away - a
full moon rose to shine
Over a battered
scape - as dawn came a mist
Manifested and general
visibility quickly fell.
The curtain of dense
fog helped the troops
Hiding their
advance - though many soldiers
Lost the course
of the barrage, further disabled
By heaving selves
through thick, glutinous mud.
6.15 a.m. 117
Brigade advanced from Mill
Road, working to
clear enemy dugouts along
The Ancre riverbank,
meeting with lost troops;
Together to
attack and take St Pierre Divion.
V
The 39th and
118th, unseen by Germans,
Advanced to Hansa
line 7.30 a.m. - while
Battalions North West
fought across to Mill
Trench, to reach
Beaucourt Mill by 10 a.m.
Taking part in
the forward force three tanks
Were to be involved,
to set off from Thiepval.
But with one
breaking down another found
Itself bogged; only
one made the German line.
There the tank had
tipped into a dug out, to be
Attacked at 7 a.m.
- a pigeon was released
To get help, but
for two hours none arrived.
Infantry appeared
9 a.m. and the enemy fled.
Amid the
divisions the 9th Royal Scots were
Held in reserve -
in keeping a diary Private
A. Macpherson had
witnessed the approach
Of those tanks
towards front on 12 November.
Near
Auchonvillers they heard sounds of an
Engine running -
odd reflective shapes lifted out
A trench, in its chinks
of armour light escaped.
Without any time
to stand and watch they left.
Waking from a few
compressed hours of sleep,
Private
Macpherson with his brigade, readied.
Being in position
before the time of 5 a.m. then
Under sudden
thunderous drumroll of gunnery.
Later he said, 'hard
to believe humans could live
Through such a
whirlwind of fire' - then a pensive
Wait, after columned
shapes of prisoners came,
Marched down
Mailly Maillet; a sign of success.
Vi
Beaumont Hamel stronghold
had been taken,
Only to be tempered
by failure - one division
Had not succeeded.
The Royal Scots brigade
Were ordered to
move out by that afternoon.
Private
Macpherson and others readied
Under greatcoats
and haversacks, to drag
Gun barrow
through Mailly Maillet - while
Over their heads German
shells whined.
From right of
Auchonvillers Macpherson saw
Further prisoners
- many dazed and fearful;
As one voice
called, 'Guerre fini pour moi!'
Their guards
searching them for souvenirs.
The reserves
orders were to leave the gun
Barrows and ammo -
with the battalion they
Moved along a
rail-line near Auchonvillers
Where tanks edged
outwards in snail pace.
Into slow hours
of night they paused by old
Trenches and fresh
shell holes - a salvo
Of shells aimed
at the batteries, prompted
The whole battalion
to get down to cover.
In seconds of
silence blurted megaphones
Ordering -
'Number... ready to fire... fire!'
A stereo of 'bang,
bang, bang' edging all
Along the line, to
shake bodies and souls.
Seeping cold,
edged into their fitful waiting
Game - someone
illegally lit a fire - almost
Immediately were
yelled orders, 'put it out!'
Soon they edged along
Tipperary Avenue.
Vii
Filing down the
communication trench was
Slowed by numbers
- each having to weave
About collapsed
walls left by tank tracks -
Briefly climbing
onto Auchonvillers road.
Then dropping
down into St Johns Road
Support trenches
- some confusion flowed
Between them - without
any officer present
The battalion
stretched out, down the road.
Then a thunderous
enemy bombardment.
The curse of
shells hit a point on the trench.
Shouts of
casualties were called out, a gun
Crew's lost
survivors turned, about to move.
Back down in the narrow
Tipperary trench, being
Shallow it lacked
total safety, as Hun appeared
To have it in
site - huddled down, they waited
For another
shells arrival, like an express train.
A roar over
hunched heads, tearing the ground
Throwing debris
over them - a torture of a few
Minutes between
each salvo - all expectant
Of death, sharing
out words of casualty names.
Waiting, damning
lack of orders - word of mouth
In Chinese
whispers to say, 'back to the trench
Opening' - they
edged down, fully knowing there
Was no authority
in the order but glad to be safe.
They followed steps
of companies to Auchonvillers,
Where police
guards stopped them to quiz, why
They were leaving
the line? But no one knew -
Came a random
officer - confusion still continued.
Viii
Companies for White
City? or for Auchonvillers?
Two were told to turn
back in advance - not
Attached to them the
Scots remained, to await
Correct orders -
they roosted on the duckboards.
Night passed long
and cold - cramp and dawn
Came. Combined
efforts utilised bits of wood
To make a fire. Boiled
water for tea and warmed
Tins of kippers
served all a satisfactory feast.
14 November
opened little better than the 13th -
A procession of souvenir
hunters passed on route
To Mailly Maillet
- the Scots advanced to Brooke
Street cutting
into St Johns road to see results.
The bombardment
of the last night very evident
In parapet damage
- they stepped over bodies
To be guided by a
runner sent by their officer;
Ordered down line
to man some battered dugout.
by Jamie Mann.
Source: File:
51st Highland Division. The Battle Of Ancre (Beaumont Hamel) November 1916.
Available at: <http://51hd.co.uk/history/battle_ancre_beaumont_hamel>
[Accessed 19 November 2016]
Source: File: Battle
of the Ancre. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Ancre_Heights> [Accessed 19 November 2016]
Source: File: Battle
of the Ancre Heights. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Ancre> [Accessed 19 November 2016]
Source: File: The
role of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division in the Battle of the Ancre, November
1916. Available at:
<http://www.ww1wargraves.co.uk/ww1_cemeteries/lt_colonel_tetley.asp>
[Accessed 19 November 2016]
Source: File:
51st Highland Division. Pte. MacPherson Account of 154 Brigade at Beaumont
Hamel 12-14 Nov 1916. Available at: <http://51hd.co.uk/accounts/pte_macpherson_beaumont_hamel>
[Accessed 19 November 2016]
Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 19 November 2016).
Source: File: Battle of Flers–Courcelette. Four Mark I tanks filling with petrol. Chimpanzee Valley, 15 September 1916, the day tanks first went into action.Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia Wikimedia Commons. See an original image at:<https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Battle_of_the_Somme,_July-november_1916_Q5576.jpg> [Accessed 15 September 2016]
Source: File: Infantry moving off with a tank, at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette (the cage on top was to prevent grenades from being tossed on top of the tank).See an original image at: <http://www.historywiz.com/tank.htm> [Accessed 15 September 2016]
Source: File: WW1 The
Introduction of the Tank - History Channel. See original footage:
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fLCdNudUxk/> [Accessed 15 July 2016]
i
29th July 1916, a
letter arrived
Into the hands of
Haig - he opened
The envelope and
unfolded
The paper - to
read words written
By Chief of the
Imperial General
Staff, Sir
William Robertson.
His statement spelt
out that to an
Extent, the
pressure on Verdun
Had been relieved
- but at what
Cost? Nearly
300,000 casualties
For some little
gain - Haig wrote his
Reaction in
margin; 'not very CIGS.'
1 August 1916
Haig sat and penned
His reply to
Robertson - intentions
Were to maintain
the pressure over
The Somme -
wherever their
Preparations were
ready, the army
Were to push with
strong attacks.
ii
All gains had to
be secured
Against
counterattacks - with
Such processes
the offensive
Would carry on
well into the
Autumn; Z day at summers
Height then 4 week’s
before.
September would
see further
Drafts of plans,
in order to keep
Intensity across
the front line,
And exploit any
opportunities
Made on the field
- Haig held
Deep concerns
close to home.
He found a lack
of standards
In his staff, as
many leaders had
Been lost - a
sudden expansion
Of a raw army
lacked experience;
Haig reinforced
the need for
Preparation in
all new operations.
This in part, was
to target
German defences
of Somme
Ridge - high
points of Pozieres
And Martinpuich,
Mouquet
Farm and Thiepval
village; as
With Delville and
High woods.
Amid other
targets were all
Set in localised
operations -
Yet not without
struggles;
High wood had
proved itself
Impenetrable,
Delville wood
Had been counter
attacked.
iii
Gullemont village
finally fell,
Its ruins prized
and the line
Swung slowly out
to Leuze
Wood - all events
leading
Into September,
while French
Made for
impressive moves.
Fall of German
held Falfemont
Farm freed the
way of enemy
Watchers - a
French arm swept
Into Clery and
Ommiecourt -
But all faltered
at Combles
For Germans had
found safety.
Underground in
ancient cave
Systems, with
solid steel and
Masonry above -
so their aim
Set out to cut
off the occupied
Commune - the French
began
Their attack
September 12th.
French infantry
groups dropped
Down into German
trenches,
Where fierce
exchanges made
Mid day results;
Colonial Corps
Past Le Forest gained
spurs,
Others pushed
about Combles.
The Rancourt road
was taken,
The lines were
broken - orders
Of Foch to
advance further
Proved impossible, due to their
Troop exhaustion
- but French
Would give British
gun support.
Therefore assaults September
15, would not
involve French.
The Somme outline
for planned
Third main
offence would act
Out in three
stages; first capture
Of the remaining
German line.
Support would
come form
The Heavy Section
Machine
Gun Corps -
secondly, taken
Ground was to be
then held
By Reserve Army,
while more
Of 4th army would
break line.
The German held
Bapaume,
Albert road, along
with Flers,
Then on out into country were
To go the cavalry - once more
1 July was replayed on
a narrow
Front - but with
a new weapon.
iV
A deadline for
preparations
Had to be met for
the new
Force to be in place
- the date
15 September 1916
- these
New machines made
their
Arrival in France
August 30.
Security of these
arrivals had
Continued with
a crawling
Advance of fifty machines,
Gaining great
attention; those
Who saw
them made distraction In demand of demonstrations.
The unknown
celebrities crawled
Their way to make
their premiere.
They drew wide
eyes and jaw
Dropping looks; 'What are they?'
Were likely asked;
'tanks' came an
Answer. 'Tanks?
what are tanks?'
'They are the
heavy beasts, you'll
See. They'll
break through the Hun,
Just wait and see,'
as the pellet
Shaped hulks
wheeled on their
Way. to their
waiting assignment -
Yet it was not
all glamour inside.
Constant wear and
tear, even before
They got to where
they were to be -
Squeezed in among
engines and
Arms, the crew
could hardly speak
For noise -
having to devise hand
Signals to make
any operation.
A man would take
note and change
Gears, as each
track had a man
To work levers to
brake tracks,
In adjusting
directions of the thirty
Tons of metal and
moving parts,
Into the darkness
of 13 September.
The surviving
tanks now 36, edged
Forward towards
their assembly
Positions - groans
and splutters
Disguised by
combined artillery,
Pulverizing the
way ahead - white
Tapes guided
their torch lit way.
V
A signaller of 19
years Bert Chaney
Stopped on
hearing rumbling noise,
To see three of
the strange visions,
Mechanised
monsters who toppled
On their noses, as two small wheels
Of their tails
balanced the metal.
Each side bulges
held doors with
Swivel machine
guns, to surprise
The signallers -
further were their
Sex; these Mark 1
differed in male
Hotchkiss
6-pounder guns, 4 to the
5 machine guns of
the female.
Throughout the
darkness all were
Sat in position -
the crew of four
Likely enjoying
some relief before
The big hour of
6.20 a.m. but night
Was not quiet, a barrage continued.
After slow hours
engines started.
Even though one
Mark 1 failed -
Prior to zero
hour the other tanks
Began to move -
this was now
A battle
environment, that training
Had not been able to recreate.
On the left
section two late starters
Got into
difficulties - to veer towards
Right direction - one ran short of fuel
And had to turn
back, as the other
Ditched - not
quite a glorious start,
But the others
crawled on their way.
Vi
Zero hour 6.20
a.m.A creeping
Barrage began - to
take advantage
Of eight hours of
daylight, the Red
Line had to be achieved by 12 noon,
At a point between
Abbey and Ligny
Road, to establish
a new allied line.
This was the
fourth objective to lay
Beyond the third
Blue Line of Flers,
And the first
Green Line; defences
Of Martinpuich.
Rawlinson's plan
Favoured cautious
step by step
Attacks -
everything was planned.
The presence of
the tank though
Was an unknown quantity - a need
Being to defeat German
strongpoint
Called Quadrilateral - the forward
Battalion were to be
accompanied
By three tanks, but two broke
down.
The third tank tracked the
railway
Line towards the
Quadrilateral,
The time 5.50 a.m. - between
British troops the tank fired at
Them - an officer dodged firing
To inform the tank crew of
error.
Setting it on the right direction
The tank turned towards Straight
Trench in an attack - battle
plans
And realities of field
were obvious;
Wire was untouched and fire gave
Halt to advance - the tank
turned.
Back to the start; low on fuel and Bullet riddled - a tank group of three Reached Ginch-Lesboeufs road,
To progress to the Triangle's
south.
While three tanks on left
were to go
West of Ginchy towards Pint
trench.
But one was lost - meanwhile
central
Tank group were to go to the
NW
Point - but all broke down as
did the
Tenth, which had been to
support
Corps attack east of
Melville wood -
All these errors were not a
good start.
Vii
Attacking troops
unused to tank
Presence pushed
on all about -
Communications
suggesting
The guards
brigade had taken
The third
objective by 8.20 a.m.
Yet successes
were steady.
Majority of the
tank force had
Been assigned
with the 41st
Division to
target Flers village -
Within 40 minutes
of zero hour
Switch Line and
Tea support
Trench were
quickly gained.
50 minutes later
7.50 a.m. Flers
Trench was taken - 14 tanks
Were to take part, yet D14 was
Ditched close to
Flers and D15
Close to the Switch Line had
Come a cropper, knocked cold.
Shell fire
damaged D18, then
To withdraw from
Flers trench -
D17 with D6 and
D9 circled
East part of
Flers, targeting
Machine guns and
strong points;
Fate of D6 lay near
Gueudecourt.
D6 was set alight as
D9 halted
At Glebe Street - artillery fire
Hit D17, to be
abandoned and
Later recovered
by 8 20 a.m. -
With the 122nd Brigadetroops
D16 rolled
proudly into Flers.
Enemy scattered, driven out by
10 a.m. fleeing to
Gueudecourt.
The New Zealanders
had dug
In about the Switch
Line - on the
Left uncut wire
halted progress,
Prompting a wait
for their tanks.
Metal support
arrived with D11
And D12, with D10
left out cold
At Flat Trench - raking over wire
The tanks made
a path for last
Objective; Abbey
road was made
By D8 though its
vision damaged.
Viii
West of Flers D12
had become
Ditched, to leave
D11 along
The Ligny road to
stand guard.
The British Mark
1 Tank had
Made a debut, to
form a shock
Tactic to the
German held lines.
A foggy September
morning
Had dawned hours
before,
Around the Flers
village that
Had become a hold
of German
Troops - they
emerged from their
Dugouts bleary
eyed, expectant.
An allied bombardment
had
Fallen, now would
come assault
Of allied foot soldiers - the lull
Ended as a
creeping barrage
Began - the
soldiers stirred to
Alert, expectant
of an advance.
A journalist
there experienced
The feelings of
his blood freeze -
Among the
defenders he saw,
From out of the
morning haze,
Two objects like beasts, slowly 'Limping, staggering,
swaying.'
Metal shapes took
a steady
Pace towards them, moving
With supernatural
force; they
Had no wheels - crawling easily
Over pitted
ground devoid to Harm, gave men shocked breath.
Throwing hand
grenades at these
Objects had no
effect - what
Then might be these
machines?
Something like land submarines
Perhaps carrying British troops -
Then the objects
opened fire.
German crews
held onto their
Forward shell
holes, crushing Easily any slow, hesitant man
In its path and straight
across
German lines - an
experience
Seen all round
the Flers areas.
Overcoming dumb surprise,
Resistant Germans
used all
Their weapons, trying to find
The weakness of
the machines -
A German field
gun had hit one
Outside Flers to
allow studies.
iX
German engineers
quickly took
Close
examinations of machine,
To discover inch
thick armour
Plating, steered
by and up and
Down levers carrying much food,
Ammunition and a pigeon’s
cage.
Germans were
reported making
Their attack, despite being under
Its fire, they ran
at the crawling
Tank - attacking hand to hand -
Climbing onto it
trying to open
Its hatch and
fire into any slot.
Despite efforts
and resistance
The Germans found
Flers fall
From their hands,
as D16 made
It to objective
Blue line - perhaps
Relief and
reassurance filling
Those following
in their tracks.
12th east Surreys troops along
With Royal
West Kents, as they
Entered Flers - for one Private
Ernest Rueben
Hicks, aged 21,
About to become a
father in 4
Days, fought this his first battle.
There on the
Somme for those
Who might learn, years later
Of his foot steps
among others,
Marching behind
the lumbering
Tank, whose tracks
made claim
Of the village
for hope of future.
That this then
could be final
Breakthrough - Private Hicks
And company
walked on - about
The Hun ran about like rabbits -
The tank rolled
on seemingly Intent to flatten everything about.
Troops spreading out, taking
Over remnants of
the village,
Gathering
together prisoners.
All seemed
something like a
Game - please with
the ease
Of progress, the
tank halted.
Four men emerged, stretched.
They took a slow
inspection
Of their machine
and conferred,
Standing about
looking lost - Producing a primus stove and
With tank as cover made tea.
by Jamie Mann.
Source: File: Battle
of Flers–Courcelette. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Flers–Courcelette>
[Accessed 15 September 2016]
Source: File:
History of the tank. Available at:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_tank> [Accessed 15
September 2016]
Source: File:
British heavy tanks of World War I. Available at:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_heavy_tanks_of_World_War_I#Mark_I>
[Accessed 15 September 2016]
Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 15 September 2016).
