Poem ~ Bravery Of Lance-Naik Lala - Tuesday, 16 May 1916

Impression sketch of Lance-Naik Lala. [online] See original image at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VCLala.jpg>  [Accessed: 16 May 2016]

During the siege struggle of Kut

In region of Mesopotamia,

A number of battles tried to free

British and Indian troops,

Encircled by the Ottoman forces.

Following both battles of Wadi

And Hanna the Ottoman

Army made camp on strip of land,

Between marshes and river

Tigris - known as 'Hanna defile.'

Under two days of bombardment

By British guns, the decision

Was to charge the Ottoman lines.

Yet ahead was flooded land

And well-placed machine guns.

Among the Indian soldiers ready

To charge Lance-Naik

Whose hometown of North India,

Hamirpur, that lay

In the lap of the Himachal Pradesh.

Aged 38 the Indian man was a long

Way from Martyr's land -

Now in Indian Army, No 501 Lance-

Nail Lala, 41st regiment

Of Dogras, stood his ground to fight.

Within the devastation of this battle

Was an attempt to cross

600 yards of watery Earth - amid

Air wreaked havoc

Lance-Naik set out to give help.

Not too far from the enemy's side

Lance-Naik had created

A hurried shelter - already he had

Seen to four wounds

Indian fellows - he looked again.

Out in the open Lance-Naik heard

An officer of a British

Regiment calling out - little more

Than a hundred yards

From where he lay near Ottomans.

Without hesitation Lance-Naik

Reached the officer

And pulled him back to safety

Of his shelter - seeing

To his wounds to hear another cry.

Above the din of metal he heard

The human voice -

His own Adjutant was wounded -

He crawled out

To him - defiant of death's chance.

Other wounded Indian men were

With him - Lance-Naik

Wanted to move them to shelter

To take them on his back,

But the officer stated his refusal.

Instead Lance-Naik took off his

Uniform in order

To provide them human warmth -

When darkness gave

Cover, he carried the first to shelter.

Then in quick return, Lance-Naik

Took a stretcher and

Worked hard until they all returned.

Within that single day,

Lance-Naik earned Victoria Cross.

Along way from home and safe

Lap of the Himalayas,

Lance-Naik had shown courage

And devotion - to be

Held as a fine example by the king.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Indian VC Hero. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 15 May 1916. P.9. Col.2. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12210082/Daily-Telegraph-May-15-1916.html>  [Accessed: 16 May 2016].

Source: File: Salute To The Indian Soldier - We Fought True. Online. Available at: <http://www.salute.co.in/we-fought-true/> Accessed 16 May 2016

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 16 May 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12210082/Daily-Telegraph-May-15-1916.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1India 

Poem ~ Gallipoli: Calculated Withdrawal - Tuesday, 21 December 1915

Impression sketch of Gallipoli evacuation.

Without hint to any kind of disastrous campaign,

Came Press announcement of troops situated

At Gallipoli, in retirement from Anzac and Suvla

Bay - released 8.25 p.m. from War Office source.

A given strategy stated the to need to move away

From Peninsula of Gallipoli, to other operational

Spheres - the scheme possibly already decided by

Kitchener as he landed North Beach, 13 November.

With arrival by boat at 1.40 p.m. the Field Marshall

And commander in Chief of the British Army had

Travelled, to see for himself the Gallipoli Peninsula;

There to assess the theatre of war against Turkish.

The distinguished figure stood, his recognisable

face, topped in the wearing of a red cap - walked

Along the pier amid Generals - soldiers in every

Direction ran to see him, in a soldier's welcome.

When two hours passed Kitchener in company,

Moved amid the Australian trenches to survey

Turkish lines - from a decision with commanders

Of seniority, deciding on evacuation of Gallipoli.

Factors he had seen and heard discussed,

Were to be difficulties during winter storms

To supply the peninsula - furthermore would

Be little gained against the Turks strongholds.

Even with more artillery and more reinforcements,

Attacks had been locked into impossible situations.

In the decision was the problem of the evacuation;

A plan taken on by Lt. Col Charles Brudenell White.

The first phase began while awaiting London

Word, approving Kitchener's plan - in order not

To alert the Turks were set hoax and deceptions -

With late Novembers' silent stunts of Anzac lines.

Without snipers or artillery fire they hoped Turks

Believed preparations were underway for winter -

That silence was not a withdrawal - to continue

The irregularity of fire the Turkish would expect.

Next the intermediate phase; soldiers On Anzac

Would be reduced, but still to hold off a chance

Of a full week Turkish attack - reduce to 26000

From 41000 in 2 days, in fact just left 20277.

While the withdrawal would be from Anzac Cove,

Many soldiers departed from the piers at North

Beach - under darkness endless movements

Of Maltese, Egyptians and British Labour corps.

Beside the flickering flares, that lit Walkers Ridge

And Williams' Pier, ammo carried on Indian gharies,

With loads carried in carriages down small railways;

Between hill 60 and Walkers Ridge moved a line.

The Indian Mule Cart Corps large loads, pulled

By the mules, in union moved silently even passed

Close to coast of Snipers Nest - if anywhere, there

The Turks might hear - but mules in silence moved.

As eyewitness said no sound made of hoof or foot,

Only the odd clink of a chain, as the long black

Serpent line passed close at 1000 metres - to fool

That Turkish presence of their evacuation chain.

As November ebbed into December, secrecy

Of the evacuation plan was so well concealed,

Reality was only apparent by mid month - ordinary

Soldiers finally realised the undergoing process.

Anzac men felt at odds in sorrow to leave dead

Comrades - friends to lay in Anzac cemeteries -

Many mates of the dead spent last moments there

To ensure their graves were left well tended.

Time came and last departed to HMS Grafton;

Day of 19 December, under continual activity

With p.m. distractions of Helles attack - as dusk

Fell, rear guards fell back from 10,000 soldiers.

1500 left; but by 4 a.m. 20 December a handful

Of men waited on North Beach, there by 4.10 a.m.

Colonel Paton ended the wait for any stragglers;

In complete silence the evacuation was concluded.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Retirement From Suvla and Anzac - Troops removed - Insignificant Losses - 'Another sphere of Operations'. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 21 December. P.9. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12056748/Daily-Telegraph-December-21-1915.html [Accessed: 21 December 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 21 December 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12056748/Daily-Telegraph-December-21-1915.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Gallipoli

Poem ~ Loss of Ramazan, Troopship - Saturday 6 November 1915

Impression sketch of another Indian troopship Malta - by Jamie. an original image can be seen at: http://empirecall.pbworks.com/w/page/67839369/Williams-G-G-Pte-3355-embarkation

Close to the Island of Antikithera,

That lay in the Aegean Sea,

Disaster saw a British transport,

Sunk by a submarine.

The island between the larger

Landmass Kithera,

And NW Crete five miles long,

And two miles wide.

An official press announcement,

Given some weeks

Later, on 5 November 1915,

Said how shellfire hit.

Constructed 10 years before,

The Ramazan, built

1905 in Middlesborough,

Was a steel steamer. 

On 6 a.m. 19 September 1915,

A submarine attacked -

Small boats were destroyed -

Over 400 were aboard.

The troops being transported

Were Indian soldiers -

They numbered 380 survivors,

With only 75 saved.

Along with 28 of the crew,

They reached

Antikithera in the dark,

To be welcomed.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Transport Lost - Sunk By A Submarine - Indian Troops Drowned. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 6 November. P.9. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11975530/Daily-Telegraph-November-6-1915.html [Accessed: 6 November 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 6 November 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11975530/Daily-Telegraph-November-6-1915.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1IndianArmy

Poem ~ Captain Becomes Private - Saturday, 7 August 1915

Impression sketch of Captain Hugh Sale Smart - by Jamie. See original at: http://ww1geek.com/2012/10/15/thomas-hardy-of-festubert/

The strange disappearance

Of Captain H. S. Smart, came

About his taking leave when

He vanished; December 1914.

Captain Smart was attached

To Khyber Rifles, 53 Sikhs -

In failing to rejoin his unit; all

Queries to find him failed.

Some six months later,

Dated 4 June, notification

Was restated on 6 August

In the London Gazette.

This cancelled removal

Of this Captain Smart's

Service - various events

Had led to his resurface.

Having reached rank

Of Captain, August 1914,

Hugh Sale Smart in 1905

Had gained commission

As a Second Lieutenant.

Then aged 30, this was

With Regiment South

Staffordshires - in 1907 he

Transferred to Indian Army.

By his actions, in making

December disappearance,

He achieved his desire

To fight on the frontline.

In Britain under the name

Of Thomas Hardy, joined

2nd Battalion Queen's

Royal West Surrey's.

Under this pseudonym

Smart, acting as a private,

Reached France to fight

Taking part at Festubert.

In maneuvers on 17 May

1915, he was seen to take

Gallant steps - this resulted

In his being killed in action.

Had he lived, Smart would

Have gained Distinguised

Conduct medal in the field -

A review was undertaken.

The Army Council, along

With Secretary of State

For India requested Smart

As Captain be reinstated.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915 Disappearance of an Indian Officer - Enlisted as Private  - Killed at Festubert. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 7 August. P.7. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11780911/Daily-Telegraph-August-7-1915.html [Accessed: 7 August 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 7 August 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11780911/Daily-Telegraph-August-7-1915.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1IndianArmy

Poem ~ English India - Wednesday, 14 July 1915

Impression sketch of in the Pavilion grounds - by Jamie. See the original at: http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/history/ww1-and-the-royal-pavilion/

With Brighton's past, Indian influence

Of Royal Pavilion might have seemed

An obvious choice for the wounded,

Of the Indian continent to be treated.

The destination for Mr Chamberlain

And his wife's visit, for an inspection

Of the hospitals, tending to Indian

Soldiers who had suffered wounds.

The belief was that Brighton would stay

In hearts as a sacred place for many

Years, as Brighton’s people and Mayor

Gave out a great deal of generosity.

Mr Chamberlain had spent the first day

At Kitchener's Hospital - adjoining

The racecourse was a grand looking,

Converted workhouse building.

With a curved sign, stating in English

And Indian text, the 'Kitchener Indian

Hospital' - which would house 2000

Patients - all with modern medicine.

Working with complete personnel

Of Indian staff, were numbers of British

Orderlies, who worked in success

Together, in carrying out their duties.

Mr Chamberlain took a keen interest

In arrangements for providing patient

Food, in nine kitchens - for all the sects 

Of vegetarian and meat eating castes.

Thus separate kitchens, slaughter

Houses and sections all distributed

The food; along with the cooks taught

Methods in using gas and counters

On the following day Mr Chamberlain

Saw York-Place Hospital, under the rule

Of Colonel Sweeny and Indian medical

Service, catering for 600 Indian men.

Later the visit moved to the Pavilion

Hospital, holding 722 beds - India's

Secretary of state stayed till 6 p.m.

To see arranged beds under Dome

And the music room chandeliers.

To mark end of his visit Indian officers

Assembled, to march past secretary

Of state, with whom he shook hands -

And also Subadar Mir Dast, in recovery
In gaining the VC for his act of gallantry.

Subadar Mir Dast, weak from poison

Gas; lay in a bath chair - the man's story

Was gaining Order of Merit in bravery

Of 1908 - his officer had joked that greatly

Disappointed not to get VC, but he did.

In dining with Mayor, Mr and Mrs Otter

And the Chief Constable, Colonel Gentle,

Who made assurance to secretary of state

The behaviour of the Sepoys as gentlemen,

Whose care received was in appreciation.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Wounded Indians - Mr A Chamberlain's Visit. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 14 July. P.3. Col.7. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11732036/Daily-Telegraph-July-14-1915.html [Accessed: 14 July 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 14 July 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11732036/Daily-Telegraph-July-14-1915.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1India

Poem ~ Bengal V India on French Pitch - Tuesday, 25 May 1915

Source: File: Indian cavalry playing football at the front 1915.jpg, 2015. Photos show Indian soldiers' lives behind World War I trenches. The Original can be seen at: scroll.in/article/668737/photos-show-indian-soldiers-lives-behind-world-war-i-trenches [Accessed: 25 May 2015].

A French village was to witness a rare sight,

On a piece of ground where occurred a football

Match, to be between 18^th Bengal Lancers

And Indian 3^rd Skinners Horse Cavalry.

In shirtsleeves an officer acted as referee,

As linemen positions were to be observed

By two Sikhs – from a distance sounds

Travelled over hills.

The front line guns rumbled on as actions

On a temporary pitch, surrounded by rows

Of Indians, gathered to watch the game;

With gun noise ignored.

A scene was set of an impressive sight

Of Indian men with their ‘noble turbans’ - all

With enjoyable humor; officers from both

Regiments became excited.

As at any match of football, were debates

Over rival teams, with individuals who may

Save the game for their side - all turbans

And puttees temporarily discarded.

Indian players proved selves adept at British

Institution, possibly outside their normality

Of experience – distinction between ranks

Was seen to blur.

Tunic and collars put aside, as the audience

Cheered and jeered their adopted teams -

Camaraderie and fitness of both cavalry

Regiments being evident in play.

While cavalry had experience of trench

War, in such a static fight, these regiments

Longed for enemy retreat, when on horse

They would take the charging lead.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Indian Footballers – a Battle Front Incident. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 25 May. P.6. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11624538/Daily-Telegraph-May-25-1915.html [Accessed: 25 May 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 25 May 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11624538/Daily-Telegraph-May-25-1915.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1India