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

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Poem ~ Sydney Lad On The Somme - Saturday, 3 March 1917- Sunday, 4 March 1917

Source: File: Private (Signaller) Arthur Joseph Hill. See an original image at: <http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205301221> [Accessed 03 March 2017]

Source: File: Arthur Joseph Hill. See an original image at: <http://beyond1914.sydney.edu.au/profile/3168/arthur-joseph-hill> [Accessed 03 March 2017]

Source: File: Letter from Arthur Hill, father of A.J. Hill. See an original image at: <http://beyond1914.sydney.edu.au/profile/3168/arthur-joseph-hill> [Accessed 03 March 2017]

i

A Sydney lad of Waverly New South Wales,

Left home of 60 Wiley Street,

With his father's name - Arthur Joseph Hills

Had departed to take part in war.

Born 18 September 1897 Arthur's early

Education in Waverly; Christian

Brothers College to University of Sydney,

To study English till 1916.

In schooling career his bright disposition

Was recognised; upright with

Manly participation in sports and class -

Captain of 1st 15 football team.

Arthur Hill's ability had been well proved

And matriculated, in 1915

He made a place at University to gain

A bursary for a good future.

Then aged 18, Arthur enlisted February

On the 23 day, to attend signal

School at Kiama - examinations taken

Made him first class signaller.

Within six months, at rank of Corporal,

24th August Arthur Hills

Departed Australia, with expeditionary

Australian Imperial Forces.

Late 1916, Signaller Arthur Hill in France

With Reinforcements Battalion,

Took part in actions about the Somme;

Bapaume as Germans retreated

Corporal perhaps was a temporary rank;

Private Arthur 'Snowy' Hill,

Affectionately named being tall, stout lad,

With light hair and complexion.

ii

Into 1917 a military operation carried

Out codenamed 'Alberich' -

In 1916 had formed German salient’s

Of saint-Quentin and Arras.

This was a planned strategy to regroup

To the Hidenburg line to cut

Front, for ease of defence - though allies

Believed this was a retreat.

Preparations had seen German troops

Destroy commune’s roads and

Railways while poisoning water supplies,

Leaving booby traps behind.

The dawn of 1917 still offered no sign

Of allied Victory, when

The shift away of German presence from

Salient’s made hope.

The area lay in close sight of Australian

Trenches, where Signaller

Arthur Hill 3827,  took part in the operation

To move into gaps left.

17 March 1917, would see the Australians 
Make a road to Main Square

Of Bapaume - where an Anzac army band

Made appearance to play.

Yet a time delayed mine had been placed

Below the town hall, to

Blew within days to bury troops; meanwhile

Snipers were an issue.

iii

Amid later accounts of the Australian Red

Cross, came informants

Of those close to Signaller Private Arthur

Hill, to clarify events.

Pte. J. Glynn 3815, Pte. W. Curran 4015,

C. Wallbank, Pte. Mckenzie 384,

Cpl T Mckenzie 1116, Pte. L. O. Lees 3835;

Snowy Hill's mate, Pte. F. Dunne.

The Australians were close to Bollecourt,

In Sunray Trench the lad

Nicknamed Snowy, Pte. Arthur Hill 3827

Helped gain 1/2 mile of trench.

Pte. Glynn told how Snowy had been part

Of fatigue duty at Sunray

Trench, close to the 'crater' - then under

German counter attacks.

Varied versions by likely battle confusion,

As Pte. W Curran 4015

Said shelling in the early hours struck

Snowy down instantly.

Yet all others said that sniper problem

Had got him - Pte. Glynn

Believed a sniper took Hill down through

The heart - killed outright.

Cpl. Mckenzie 1116, was at the time there

As a witness that Pte. Hill

Had moved just above the parapet, to be 

Target of a keen sniper.

Pte. Mckenzie 384, a close mate, said

Hill was also known as 'honey' -

That they shared leave in London. Only

Later to find out what happened.

Others were there close to the signaller,

Paul Vincent of A Coy,

Told that Pte. Arthur Hill had looked over

Parapet of Mosoon trench.

Some sniper took a rapid aim to shoot

The signaller through

The neck - C. Wallbank was with him

And confirmed his identity.

Another uncertainty lay over Hill's grave;

Close by to Sunray trench,

But his mate failed to find it and later told

It lay at Cameron Sap.

Pte. Lees reported how Hill's death had

Been registered with

Padre Ward - a cross marked the grave,

How his effects sent home.

Days later his father, Arthur, wrote to thank

University Union President, for

Kind letter of sympathy for a son's death -

Signed, yours respectfully.

Thursday 22 February 1917, another day

2nd day 29th Week

In the 3rd year of war, an Australian man

Was shot digging a sap.

A day short of one year in joining, had

Seen Pte. Arthur Hill killed -

22 February 1917 genuinely popular lad,

Named Honey and Snowy.

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: Explore Military Uniform. Available at: <https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/294422894375837134/> [Accessed 03 March 2017]

Source: File: Beyond 1914 - The University of Sydney and the Great War. Available at: <http://beyond1914.sydney.edu.au/profile/3168/arthur-joseph-hill> [Accessed 03 March 2017]

Source: File: Bapaume To Bullecourt (1917). Available at: <http://aso.gov.au/titles/historical/bapaume-to-bullecourt/notes/> [Accessed 03 March 2017]

Source: File: [PDF] 3827 Private Arthur Joseph Hill - Australian War Memorial. Available at: <https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1047611--1-.pdf> [Accessed 03 March 2017]

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