Poem ~ To Save Another - Tuesday, 5 October 1915

Impression sketch of Private Goodhind's rescue - by Jamie.

The Commanding officer

Of T. Goodhind - being a Private

In the Somerset Light Infantry -

Had need of writing to mother

At Cathay Bristol, of her soldier.

He had to inform this mother,

Of the man’s sad death - to say

He would have recommended

him for a VC award, had he lived.

Private Goodhind had been

Part of support, moving after

An attacking Brigade - their line

Was to be driven back under

Heavy, enemy pounding fire.

Between the lines they heard

A wounded, blinded man to call

Help - Private Goodhind did

Not hesitate, acting instantly.

On reaching him he dressed

The wounds - taking up the man

Private Goodhind then began

To carry him back - but before

Safety, he fell in a shell blast.

The commanding officer signed

To Goodhind's mother, sincere 

Sympathy and assured his family,

How he died to save another life.  

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. A Life's Sacrifice. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 5 October. P.10. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11902190/Daily-Telegraph-October-5-1915.html [Accessed: 5 October 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 5 October 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11902190/Daily-Telegraph-October-5-1915.html

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

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Poem ~ Escape from Mons – Monday, 7 September 1914

An unnamed Private and a Sergeant Smith,

Both being of the Somerset Light infantry,

On arrival, soon experienced the fighting

Outside Mons - the men bustled from train

Being sent charging into the fray, before

Even before knowing where they were.

Some hours later after a big fight,

The Germans were moving about,

To take ground between many men

And their regiments. Effectively cut off,

The private and Sergeant hid,

Alongside many other soldiers

Waiting silently until darkness fell.

Then throwing rifles aside

They crawled Slowly on knees

And elbows, through German pickets.

The Private and Sergeant Smith

Finally got through and looking

For others, found themselves

At the homes of simple peasants.

Taking some brief respite,

They were given civilian clothes.

Disguised in the hope to return

And rejoin their fighting force,

Quickly proved quite Impossible,

As their regiment

Had retired too far back.

So together they made a plan.

Making their way along the coast,

In various incidents on route. 

Being stopped many times,

Not just by French soldiers,

But cyclists riding about,

On lookout for any German spies.

On success in reaching Boulogne

They saw the consul and acquired

A pass to sail back to England,

Where they re-joined their depot -

Still in clothes given them,

By helpful French people.

They could only assume,

Other men that had stayed,

Had been taken prisoner.

While some other soldiers,

Escaping that situation,

Cut off from their regiment,

Did the same as them.

But unable to speak French

Soldiers may have been taken

As German spies and possibly shot.

by Jamie Mann

Anon., 1914. Battle Stories - Cut Off At Mons - Rifles Thrown Away. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 7 Sept. p.3. Col.1. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11073408/Daily-Telegraph-September-7-1914.html [Accessed: 7th September 2014].

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 7 September 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11073408/Daily-Telegraph-September-7-1914.html

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

#WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1 #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #Mons