Poem ~ Aviator Adventurer - Saturday, 24 June - Sunday 25 June 1916

Source: File: Sub-Lieutenant Charles Nungesser alongside his morbid insignia. [online] See an  original image at: <http://www.opex360.com/2015/07/27/hussard-de-la-grande-guerre-charles-nungesser-le-parrain-de-la-54e-promotion-de-lecole-militaire-interarmes/> [Accessed: 24 June 2016]

A Parisian Charles Nungesser,

An experienced born adventurer

And sportsman, went as a teenager

In search of his missing uncle.

On a mission of discovery Charles

Travelled to South America, here

He worked in Buenos Aires - first

As an auto mechanic then a racer.

From professional racer Charles

Then learned to fly - on finding

His uncle, the young Nungesser

Worked on his sugar plantation.

When war broke out at home

22 year old Charles Nungesser,

Returned to join 2nd Regiment

Hussars, in first months of war.

September 3rd 1914, this soldier

As part of a patrol, was mentioned
In despatches - with their officer

Wounded the men took shelter.

With his fellow soldiers Nungesser

Halted a car, occupied by German

Staff, who they rapidly despatched,

To discover valuable enemy papers.

Nungesser took charge of driving,

At speed returning them to safety -

Stolen by Germans the French car 

Was a Mors; to give him a nickname.

The 'Mors Hussar' had impressed

His superiors, to be given Medaille

Militaire along with the car - some

Days later he passed a few poilu's.

They questioned his role - a youth

Driving around in a car while they

Fought in the trenches - to prompt

Nungesser requesting a transfer.

With his skill at flying, the soldier

Joined Service Aeronautique -

Yet adventurer Charles Nungesser

Was not a man for disciplined rules.

He liked everything fast, not just

Engines but women too - home

In Paris led to his reputed meeting

With an exotic dancer, Mata Hari.

As Aviator the French pilot was

Mentioned 3 times in despatches;

Taking part in 53 bombardments,

To gain Croix de Guerre by 1915.

31 July 1915 Nungesser with his

Mechanic Pochon, on standby, took

Up a Voisin 3 - to fight five Albatros'

Shooting one down near Nancy.

On return Nungesser went under

House arrest, having gone against

Orders - then received a decoration

Before being sent away to Nieuport.

The Nungesser legend had begun -

The pilot’s grim insignia; freebooters

Skull and crossbones below a coffin,

Either side a candle, in a black heart.

The image of Nungesser's morbid

Humour appeared on all his crafts -

A display of his aerobatics above

Nancy, resulted in suspended arrest.

By start of 1916 Nungesser's daring

Resulted in a terrible accident - when

Testing a craft, a control stick broke

His mouth's roof to dislocate his jaw.

Along with two broken legs and

Ribs, found him unconscious for

Five days - invalided from hospital,

A frustrated Nungesser flew again.

In two months he was back in cockpit -

He shot down an enemy balloon

And two crafts  - Nungesser found

Himself promoted to Sub-Lieutenant.

With a report of his 'charmed life,'

Nungesser, during June 1916,

Encountered 6 enemy; 3 Fokkers

And 3 Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft.

In a situation, he employed a trick

To fly between L.V.G. and Fokkers -

Amid six enemies’ they did not fire,

To avoid shooting each other down.

Sub-Lieutenant Nungesser made

His return in safety - he had taken

28 shots in the plane's body, seven

In the engine, one hitting his shoe.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Aviator's Charmed Life. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 24 June 1916. P.10. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12211360/Daily-Telegraph-June-24-1916.html [Accessed: 24 June 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 24 June 2016). 

Source: File: Charles Nungesser Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Online. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Nungesser> [Accessed 24 June 2016]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12211360/Daily-Telegraph-June-24-1916.html

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Poem ~ Sky Pursuit - Thursday, 14 October 1915

Impression sketch of Sky Pursuit  - by Jamie
With the Champagne campaign close

To reaching its height, a two man

French crew took flight; their mission

To destroy an enemy railway station.

Within a cloudy sky, the French craft

Was to come face to face with a German

Aircraft, formed of a substantial size.

This a double engine air Cruiser in fast

Flight undaunted them who set to engage -

French bullets rattled across the space

Between them - when the gun jammed.

The observer shouted to the pilot

To dive - equally adept and instantly

The German also spiralled after them.

The French observer was hindered

By 90mm bombs – knowing that

If need to crash land they would blow -

He hurriedly removed the fuses.

On taking out the last one, a bullet

Hit him in the back - then another

Cut his wrist, as part of a propeller

Hit his eye - the observer held on.

Then the craft under assault, jerked

As the pilot shouted he had been

Hit in the stomach - he collapsed.

The observer took to the controls -

Managing to level off he saw

Sunlight shine on helmets below -

Were they falling to enemy lines?

The pilot called out, beneath them

Were French lines - in safety they

Hit ground - badly hurt both men

Were advised for Legion of honour.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. French Airman's Pluck - Fight With Big Aeroplane. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 13 October. P.7. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11922630/Daily-Telegraph-October-13-1915.html [Accessed: 14 October 2015].

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

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11922630/Daily-Telegraph-October-13-1915.html

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Poem ~ Ship Outwits Plane - Friday, 19 March 1915

The Blonde under Ariel attack  - sketch by Jamie.   From an original image by E.S.Hodgson For The Graphic. March 27 1915. An original image can be seen at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/AEROPLANE-ATTACK-STEAMER-BLONDE-ZEPPELINS/dp/B0053WKH80

With many merchant ships about seas,

Came an event of chase and avoidance,

Between a Taube and the steamer Blonde.

At the time the ship was in the vicinity

Of 3 miles off the North Foreland - moving

About the coast, off Margate and Ramsgate.

Mr Reoch, the second mate was on duty

Around10.30 a.m. on the bridge - when
The fellowManning the wheel, called him over.

They both observed, as a shape of aeroplane

Came towards them,moving at some speed.

The craft slow as it neared the boat and they

Saw on its side the sign of an Iron Cross -

A German craft - quite plainly they looked

At two pilots, seated side by side; the two

On the boat regarded the two in the air.

The boat's alarm was raised as the plane

Encircled the ship - Captain Milne came

Atop with all hands called up to deck -

One able seaman, Henry Chessnell, was

Then in his berth - despite having been

Unwell, he rushed to join the crew on deck.

The pilot of the Taube used the craft's

Ability at 500 feet above their target -

First one then another bomb dropped

Within short feet of the stern  - one

After another blew the sea with reaction

To shudder the hull of steamer Blonde.

With the Blonde's siren raised at full

Sound, was hope to attract other vessels

In the area. At the helm Captain Milne

Ordered quick action and with great skill

The steamer moved half to starboard,

Then the engines kicked into top speed.

Now the steamer moved at a high rate

To drive into a circular course - to disable

The Taube pilots ability in getting a good

Bombing position - another attempt made

To drop bombs on the ship hit the water -

20 feet beyond bows without any harm.

Roused Germans, having failed twice,

Were determined still to make a hit.

The pilot manoeuvred down low -

Enabling the crew to see their faces.

Finally the fifth bomb came, again fell

Safely at a distance from the starboard.

Able Seaman Chessnell had clung

Tightly to an edge with terror - shouted

Words of the crew had raised, as ship's

Siren screamed. The deck beneath

Him ached and shuddered - at speed 

He gaped at the craft, that dip about -

Fear gripped Able Seaman Chessnell.

With their supply of bombs dropped,

The Taube turned and at some velocity

Departed the area - then, with normality

Back, the heightened crew loudly debated

The event, as their Captain Milne sighed.

With the affair over, the crew went back

To their duty, as Able Seaman Chessnell

Went back to his berth, shaken - his face

Pale and grey. In concern for the ailing

Man, the Chief mate visited him over

A number of hours, to see how he was.

Henry Chessnell, a vague look in his

Eyes, confessed how the event of the

German bombs had put him on edge -

With hours of sleep the ill man awoke.

In need of air he went atop - as he took

Breaths, in a look out to sea, he collapsed.

Despite the fellow crew rushing to assist

Him, Henry Chessnell died within minutes - 

A medical officer told an inquiry at South

Shields, the man had suffered some days

With ill feeling - that on examination found

He had a 'fatty degeneration of the heart.'

The jury returned the verdict, how that

Able Seaman Henry Chessnell had died

Of terrible shock, resulting from the assault

On the Steamer - which had accelerated

The current condition of the man's heart.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Death from Aeroplane Shock. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 19 Mar. P.7. Col.5. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11480912/Daily-Telegraph-March-19-1915.html [Accessed: 19 March 2015].

Anon.,1915. Bomb Droppers Outwitted. Horowhenua Chronicle, [online] 05 May. P.2. Available at: http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=HC19150503.2.11 [Accessed: 19 March 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 19 March 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11480912/Daily-Telegraph-March-19-1915.html

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Poem ~ Flying Blind From Hun - Monday, 8 March 1915

Impression of 'Flying Blind from the Hun' by Jamie

When the Flanders fight was at its height,

The use of aircraft played an importance

In reconnaissance of the ground enemy.

In undertaking orders two flyers took

To the air - the pilot in rank of sergeant

Was to fly the craft, along with a lieutenant

To act as the observer, for their mission.

The order was to locate an enemy battery -

A cleverly hidden German gun whose fire

Had been proving a nuisance to allies.

Within a few short miles they flew above

German lines - their presence attracted

A perfect storm - as shellfire shook

The air, the pilot banked higher towards

Their target village - the observer gave

Exclamation of spotting 'the devils' -

In advising their mission was completed,

The Lieutenant gave the sergeant orders

To turn about - under a sergeant's hands

The craft manoeuvred - turned again into

A rain of gunfire, pummelling all about

Them. Within 500 air yards the blast

Of smoke smothered their course.

In the density that cut down his visibility

He gripped the control to take them

Above the popping - one accurate hit

Burst above their heads with a deadly

Crash - the sergeant said how he felt

Like his head had burst, to envelope

Him in sickness, as a of fog shut out

All of the light - against the pain

He used his sense to maintain a height

To dodge the shells that were less and

Less - but still the fog hung all about.

The sergeant called to the Lieutenant

Asking if he was okay  - yet no reply

Came - calling again, as he may not

Have heard, the sergeant clenched

And opened his eyes on instant night.

At 6000 feet above ground, he felt

Alone and fear closed on him - below

Sounds of the guns popped and spat -

And in prayer he offered up his soul

Then his mission  - to return and tell

Those on the ground, of what they

Had found - in darkness he directed

What he felt to be the right direction.

Despite a lack of light, his determination

Kept a steady course for two minutes

In silence - when the Lieutenant's

Voice called out to him in urgency -

'Pull up pull up! In quick reaction 

The Sergeant acted, grazing what

Was a church steeple to break off

A weather vane in close destruction.

Their shouted conversation revealed

Their conditions the lieutenant said

How he was severely wounded the

Pilot confessed he was quite blinded.

With one set of hands and one set

Of eyes, the dying Lieutenant told

Him the direction to fly, back to their

Lines - to the left and straight ahead.

The craft in a blind man's hands

Dipped back over the enemy lines,

Bullets prompting them to turn -

The observer, sinking in his seat,

Confirmed the place below them,

Where their men were waiting

The weakening eyes informed the

Hands to 'shut off the spark' - now

'Volplane gently down' - after which

Silence, as the sergeant directed

Them down in a blackened spiral.

Finally the wheels grated onto

Ground - the craft at rest, those

On the ground came over to look

At the 'handsome strong pilot,'

Who could not see the slumped

Body of the man who had breathed

His last - the pale sergeant turned

To them and by gesture of resignation

He told them 'I can not do it again.'

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. War in the Air  - Blinded Pilot and Dying Lieutenant. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 8 Mar. P.10. Col.5. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11447736/Daily-Telegraph-March-8-1915.html [Accessed: 8 March 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 8 March 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11447736/Daily-Telegraph-March-8-1915.html

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

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