Poem ~ Irish Volunteers Antagonised - Wednesday, 22 March 1916

Impression sketch for Irish Volunteers Antagonised - by Jamie. Based on an image of William St, Tullamore (King’s Co.) Co. Offaly that can be seen at : <https://www.offalyhistory.com/shop/digital-media/william-st-tullamore-street-life-1914> [Accessed: 22 March 2016]

On William street of Tullamore,

In a town of the King's county,

A crowd gathered in the evening,

Tuesday night 21 March 1916.

Rooms occupied by Sinn Fein

Volunteers overlooked the street,

Where antagonists started to chant

Out words, prompting struggles.

There, a crowd of youths and men

Clashed with the Irish volunteers -

Police intervened to separate two

Groups - events were not yet over.

The antagonists remained close

To the Sinn Fein meeting place -

With police protection volunteers

Appeared, to walk across street.

With shouts from the lingering

Crowd, stones were then thrown

To hit Sinn Fein windows - a volley

Of gunshots made their reply.

Royal Irish Constabulary saw

Back up from Sergeant Ahern

And Inspector Crane, who was

To receive a wound to the face.

The collective police dispersed

The crowd and entered the house -

Aided with Head Constable Stuart

Searching all occupants for arms.

Making refusal to be searched

Sinn Feiners let fire, to hit Ahern

In his side and arm  - Inspector

Crane received a blow to cheek.

Three revolvers were seized

And four arrests carried out

Amid the Sin Fein volunteers,

As more police were drafted in.

Further arrested were predicted;

Perpetrators were to be handed

To military authorities, subjected

To the Defence of the Realm Act.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Fight With Sinn Feiners - Inspector and Sergeant Shot. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 22 March 1916. P.9. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12200312/Daily-Telegraph-March-22-1916.html [Accessed: 22 March 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 22 March 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12200312/Daily-Telegraph-March-22-1916.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Ireland

Poem ~ Woman Harbours Deserter - Tuesday, 14 March 1916

Impression sketch for Woman Harbours Deserter - by Jamie.

39 miles West of Central London,

In the market town of Wokingham,

Police were alerted of a possible

Deserter of a Canadian Contingent.

Saturday 11 March 1916, a source

Gave information that an address

Was being harboured a soldier -

Being Goodchild Road, Wokingham.

The name of the absentee soldier

Was Corporal Frederick Shepherd.

Superintendent Goddard and other

Officers approached the address.

In the hours of Saturday night

They knocked on the house door -

Inside resident Eva Brant, denied

To allow police any admission.

Their attempts to make a Police

Entry continued for 45 minutes -

With the doors barred, Eva Brant

Refused to listen to the officers.

Inside Eva told Frederick to hide,

As outside the house, movements

By officers of the law to gain access -

When Eva likely decided all was lost.

Motivated to fight for the Canadian,

She turned up the extinguished

Gas taps and opened the house

Door - 'so find the soldier,' she said.

With gas leaking, Eva pulled out

A revolver onto Superintendent

Goddard, to say, with loaded gun,

One spark would end them all.

The other officer behind her went

To grab her arm, as Goddard made

A move to disarm her - in a struggle

Eva Brant was forced to drop the gun.

With Eva Brant arrested, Canadian

Corporal Frederick Shepherd

Was soon discovered, hiding

Behind a door - the matter done.

Was it for love that Eva might  

Have caused an explosion? so that

They all should die? Wokingham

Police Court detained both subjects.

Charged as deserter the Canadian,

Corporal Shepherd was handed

Over to Military - as Eva Brant was

Charged £8 for pointing a revolver.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Arrest Of A Deserter. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 14 March 1916. P.10. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12189288/Daily-Telegraph-March-14-1916.html [Accessed: 14 March 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 14 March 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12189288/Daily-Telegraph-March-14-1916.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1France

Poem ~ The Guilt of Hyman Coots - Tuesday, 18 January 1916

Impression sketch of Hyman Coots selling forged military passes - by Jamie.

The final trial of fraudster Hyman Coots,

Took place 17 January 1915.

The Monday Marlborough Street Police

Court deciding the case

Of the Russian Jew, a cinematograph actor.

Hyman Coots aged 18, gave his address

Of Lorne Road, Brixton,

In Lambeth, a Borough of South London -

The charge was forging

Military passes and encourage desertion.

In an operation to capture the fraudster,

Three men followed

Orders of Canadian Military Police -

Private Alfred Allen

And two Sergeants, went to his address.

Hyman Coots supplied two military

Leave passes, in exchange

For money from the Sergeants, while

Providing civilian clothes

To Allen in suggesting his desertion.

Head of the military Police Assistant

Provost Marshall,

Captain Hewitt, while taking the case

To the court had left

The final outcome to the magistrate.

With the two charges made before

The court, Mr Denman

Presiding, believed the prosecutions

Leniency was down

To the prisoner's youth of 18 years.

One outcome could have been taken

Further, to a trial to lead

To a long term of penal servitude -

Instead the decision

Was to be a six months sentence.

These would be for each charge

To run side by side

Resulting in a year’s detainment -

Hyman Coots said

In his drug habit he was oblivious

To what he had done.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Deserter Decoy Sentenced. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 17 January 1916. P.12. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12093336/Daily-Telegraph-January-18-1916.html [Accessed: 17 January 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 17 January 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12093336/Daily-Telegraph-January-18-1916.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Homefront

Poem ~ War Crime Of Hyman Coots - Thursday, 6 January 1916

Source: File: Cafe Royal.jpg. [online] An original image is Available at: <http://www.hotelcaferoyal.com/the-hotel/history/> [Accessed: 6 January 2016] 

In London, along way from home,

A soldier with the Canadian Army

Service corps, Private Alfred Allen,

Decided to spend some money

And time at London’s Cafe Royal.

Private Allen fell into conversation

With Hyman Coots and companion,

A lady - six hours of shared company

Passed - ending in the suggestion,

By Hyman Coots to meet next day.

At an agreed time and place Hyman

Coots - while eighteen years looked

Older for his age - confided in Allen

How he could do anything to gain

Money and that Alfred could too.

Hyman Coots believed how he had

Found a companion to share time -

That with his help he could desert,

To provide clothes for his escape;
Alfred was foolish to stay in army.

Private Allen kept his cool in order

To fool Hyman Coots - reporting

Back to his superiors, the young

Man’s Intent - with some others

He visited Lorne Road, Brixton.

This being the address of Coots.

With two officers Allen stated

Were friends of his - to be drunk

With plenty of money - in actual

Fact they were military Police.

Sergeant's Pawsey and Kohl

Of the Canadian military police,

Saw Hyman Coots set to give

Civilian clothes to private Allen,

And hand them military passes.

While both sergeant's stated

They had outstayed their leave,

Left Coots arrest to D.S. Taylor

And S.M. Dee - in their custody

Coots claimed his innocence.

With Military passes produced

And evidenced as fraudulent,

Hyman Coots stood before

Mr Denman at Marlborough

Street Court to be charged.

The prisoner described his self

As Russian and cinematograph

Actor - Hyman's crime was to forge

Passes and attempts to persuade

A soldier of his majesty to desert;

In remand Hyman's bail was refused.

 by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Alleged Deserter Decoy. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 3 January 1916. P.4. Col.7. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12072932/Daily-Telegraph-January-4-1916.html [Accessed: 6 January 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 6 January 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12072932/Daily-Telegraph-January-4-1916.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1HomeFront

Poem ~ Home Dangers to Soldiers - Friday, 31 December 1915

Impression sketch of PC Holloway observing Henry Underwood talking to wounded soldiers.

A British Town from Anglo Saxon Times

With a long history, Walton on Thames

Lay at the heart of a country's unity of war

Less than 20 miles from seat or power -

A picture place in leafy county of Surrey.

The London suburb of Walton had various

Large houses - one of which was Mount

Felix estate - with an intention to turn

The Italianate villa to become a riverside

Country club; but was taken by War Office.

Initially holding British troops, June 1915

Saw the villa converted into a military

Hospital, for New Zealand casualties - 350

Beds situated between River Thames

And Walton Bridge, to be a model hospital.

With grounds of 18 acres, gardens and
Green fields allowed convalescent soldiers

Good walks - while the Thames opened

Opportunities for boating - such sights

Of hospital blue were common in Walton.

A local Police constable had his orders,

To provide protection to the wounded

Men from the public - as in any liquors

Being given - PC Holloway was on duty

In the Broadway, wearing plain clothes.

Henry Underwood, a local man from

Sunbury Lane, appeared on road leading

A horse - when four convalescent soldiers

In hospital blue, spoke to him. With eager

Eyes Holloway watched their exchange.

One of the four passed him some money;

While three stayed with the horse, one

Man went with Mr. Underwood to walk

To a grocers on Winchester Road - the

PC saw him re-emerge carrying a bottle.

He was seen holding a bottle of whisky

Under his coat which he then gave

To the soldiers  - this led to Underwood

To stand before County Bench, held

At Kingston-on-Thames to be charged.

'A bottle of whisky given to members

Of his majesty's forces to intoxicate

Such soldiers' - Underwood apologised

To state initially saying no - believing

No harm in going into a grocer's shop.

The men had given him money and

He returned a bottle of Johnnie Walker -

To be told police had a problematic time,

To seek who gave whisky to wounded

At Walton, such an offence was serious.

The Superintendent Marshall felt

How public should know of severity

Of punishment - in further prevention

A charge to be raised would gain

Him six months in prison or £100 fine.

With the soldiers seemingly absolved,

The Chairman, on this first such case,

Ordered Henry Underwood would need

To pay £1 fine - but in future any case

In Walton would a gain a severe fine.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Treating Wounded Soldiers - Warning To The Public. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 28 December. P.4. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12072899/Daily-Telegraph-December-31-1915.html [Accessed: 31 December 2015].

Source: File: 1915. World War One Anzac link remains in Walton to this day. 31 December 2015. Available Online at: <http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/nostalgia/world-war-one-anzac-link-7577804> Accessed 31 December 2015

Source: File: 1915. Walton-on-Thames. 31 December 2015. Available Online at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walton-on-Thames> Accessed 31 December 2015

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 31 December 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12072899/Daily-Telegraph-December-31-1915.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1England

Poem ~ Curious Case of Private Palmer - Friday, 3 December 1915

Impression sketch for Curious Case of Private Palmer  - by Jamie.

The Curious case of John Digby Palmer,

Aged 20, was heard in town of Hove -

A Private in 6th Battalion Royal West

Kent Regiment, to be held on remand.

One day’s delay had been made with

Attempt by Palmer to take his life -

While held in the police station cells -

His suicide had been tried with poison.

With his recovery, a charge of suicide

Was withdrawn, the court concentrated

On Palmer's attempted fraud, to gain

Board and lodgings, on false pretences.

Private Palmer had various attempts

To gain sympathetic entry, to include

Being related to lord Selborne; other

Times how his mother was Lady Palmer.

Another ruse was that he had status,

Of being Viscount Loughborough -

Furthermore that he had was invalided

Home, being wounded and gassed.

Private Palmer's mother, quite upset,

Gave proof of her son's claims, to say

How her boy having been ill for some

Time, to have affected her son's mind.

Before the court, young John Palmer

Stated how he had no recollection,

In having done these alleged acts

Of offence, but was committed to trial.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915 A Hove Mystery. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 3 December. P.13. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12025575/Daily-Telegraph-December-3-1915.html [Accessed: 3 December 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 3 December 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12025575/Daily-Telegraph-December-3-1915.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Hove

Poem ~ Stealing From The Dead - Satuday, 30 October 1915

Source: File: British Military Kit.jpeg [online] see original image at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/11006139/Inventories-of-war-soldiers-kit-from-1066-to-2014.html> [30 October 2015].

Crime in war time never once ceased,
As new opportunities to steal goods
Of military kind - as that had occurred
With luggage and kit looting in transit
To England - belonging to officers killed.

Belongings to those who died on duty,

Left France for relatives at home - a sad

Regular journey that was intercepted

By those in trust, that were employed 

By the Great Western Railway service.

In hearing at Marylebone Police court

Stood Richard Quartley a Railway carman,

Aged 32 of Shirland Road, Paddington -

A vanguard, Albert William Allen from

Southam Street Westbourne Park age 17.

They were in league with a licensed

Victualler, Albert Fountain from Bury

St Edmunds’ Market Tavern aged 36.

On arrest admittance came from Allen

That with Quartley they opened kit bags.

The luggage numbered about 20 - they

Took property that had a total value

Of £200 - all items except one, belonged

To officers killed in action - the police

Seized the property held by the three.

Charges were made of theft of field

Glasses, a revolver and items, these

Included; blankets, shoes boots, badges,

Underclothing waterproof coats, rugs,

Leggings, watches, cigarette cases.

Additionally were found binoculars

Cameras, mufflers electric torches,

Razors, prismatic compasses scarves

Clinometers, jewellery, and medals

All taken in disregard and disrespect.

While some articles contained officers

Names, others had names erased - amid

Those affected Mrs Mary Drury from

Knightsbridge - identified  articles found

At the homes of Fountain and Allen.

2nd Lieutenant D'Albany Drew Drury

Was a prisoner of war in Germany his

Mother recognised some stolen items,

In receiving some of his kit from war

Office; a 15-guinea camera was missing.

John Tippet, medical student, confirmed

A rain-proof field coat, with his brothers

Name; Lt. Tippet, 5th Kings Shropshire Light

Infantry, killed 19 August at Armentieres;

A room of such property awaited identity.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Dead Officers Kits - Systematic Loot in Transit. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 29 October. P.14. Col.2. Available at:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11955418/Daily-Telegraph-October-29-1915.html  [Accessed: 30 October 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 30 October 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11955418/Daily-Telegraph-October-29-1915.html

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

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1London