Poem ~ Tragedy Of Victory - Saturday, 30 December 1916 - Sunday, 31 December 1916

Impression sketch for Tragedy of Victory by Jamie

To carry on dark December's trend of tragedy

Emerged the story of a Royal Navel Reserve

Stoker, Patrick Victory, S 8691. An Irishman

Born 1888, whose home lay in Dublin centre,

On Lord Edward Street.

Aged 28, Paddy Victory's base was the Royal 
Naval Barracks situated at Portsmouth's east
Harbour - on day 5 November 1916, a week
After his marriage in October, Paddy Victory 
Travelled to London.

Yet having overstayed his leave from base

In Portsmouth, Stoker Paddy Victory found

Himself in despair - this led him to a final

Decision. He sat and took pen to paper in  

Writing words to his love.

With address to his home on Lord Edward

Street Dublin, Paddy addressed his wife

By her maiden name to say, 'god forgive me.'

Repentant, Victory alluded to how his new

Wife had kept him home.

Between the lines she probably begged

Him not to leave - 'why did you not let me

Go Friday?' - newly married she likely

Feared losing him in war - 'I could have

Died happy.'

Both knew he could have lost his life

Fighting for his country - then she could

Have been safe, not to be associated

To a deserter - he had given her traitors

Name; he asked for no blame.

He told her he was bad enough - 'drink

And what I must have said in it, has done

For me' - suggested between lines was 

How Paddy regretted many words he did

Not mean, likely when drunk.

Mrs Victory's husband on route had

Gone to London - in despair he felt there

No other way out - after a 'goodbye

Forever' he extended his words in yet

Another goodbye.

He told her how at London tower

A gunshot would be fired at midnight -

His intent for the signal as his parting -

After the hour, Stoker Paddy Victory

Walked to Westminster Bridge.

Out on the darkened street he folded

The letter into his pocket, along with

A handkerchief square, that held his

Few personal items; maybe a watch

And wedding ring.

Standing half way over the bridge

Paddy heard the lapping dark waters -

With head bowed he shrugged off his

Overcoat and neatly folded this on

The ground.

Around his collar he wore a rosary.

Waiting till a few distant figures

Had gone, he climbed and dropped

Into the water with little sound,

To quietly drown.

The body of Stoker Patrick Victory was

Found some 30 days later, Wednesday

6 December - an enquiry held Friday,

8 December led by coroner Mr Ingleby

Oddie in Lambeth.

A conclusion had looked on his sensitivity

Of being seen as a deserter - having

Stayed from base longer than acceptable;

How his mind under temporary insanity,

Drove him to suicide.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Suicide Of A Bridegroom. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 15 December 1916. P.13. Col.3. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213946/Daily-Telegraph-December-9-1916.html> [Accessed: 30 December 2016].

Anon.,1916. The Peace Proposal - An American View. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 15 December 1916. P.10. Col.6. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213996/Daily-Telegraph-December-15-1916.htmll> [Accessed: 30 December 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 30 December 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213996/Daily-Telegraph-December-15-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ Officer's Despair - Wednesday, 13 December 1916 - Thursday 14 December 1916

Impression sketch: Major Osborne Brace Pritchard by Jamie

With family background of father and grandfather

In military careers, Osborne Brace Pritchard

Perhaps was destined to follow in army boots -

From the end of a previous century year 1787,

Saw birth of Samuel Pritchard, who by 1851 had

Become retired Captain RN, living at Southsea.

Mary Pritchard bore 3 daughters and an only son,

Edward Brace Pritchard who in 1851 was 15 -

As a youth he joined Royal Marine Light infantry -

By year 1861 Edward Brace was serving at sea

Under rank of Lieutenant. 1865 saw his marriage

To Margaret Rosamund Osborn, at Arundel.

Children followed - after the eldest Beatrice Maud

In 1868 was Osborn Brace taking his mothers

Maiden name; place of birth being County Donegal,

Where his father was likely posted. Made a widower

By 1881 Edward took his family to Southsea -

There he married once more to Elizabeth Cotton.

At this time the children had grown and gone their

Ways with Osborn Brace joining the forces - from

Sandhurst with the Welsh Regiment as Lieutenant

1890. Having taken part in Sudan 1888, Gemaizah

1898, North West Froniter and 1903 Somaliland

Campaigns, Brace was a Special Service Officer.

1911 aged 43 Osborn Brace had reached the rank

Of Major to be a commanding officer at Cardiff

Barracks - Major Osborn Pritchard had by opening

Hostilities of 1914, experiences of a senior officer -

Among the first to enter initial campaigns in France,

Brace took part in fighting at Gheluvelt in Belgium.

A campaign that followed from German attempts to

Dash through France in a 'Race to the Sea' had led

Into the first battle of Ypres - centered on the village

Of Gheluvelt lying on a low ridge close to Ypres -

With ground lost a counter attacked had ensued -

Taking part in the lead Major Pritchard was wounded.

Praised for his gallantry the Major had been hit

During three different events. With recovery in Britain

For some months, Pritchard again returned to France

In late months of 1915, then as Lieutenant Colonel -

With 2nd Battalion into Somme Offensive 1916 aged

48, Osborne Brace Pritchard was in the midst of battle.

In the dug out of an HQ Battlefield Pritchard, along

With a signaler and orderlies, felt the sudden force

As an enemy shell made a direct hit  - while signaler

And orderlies were killed outright Lieutenant Colonel

Pritchard was buried alive - by luck he was rescued;

With this narrow escape his old wounds flared up.

The swelling on one leg was so severe that fellow

Officers were surprised he could walk - this required

A return home by September - invalided Osborne

Pritchard went to stay at the home of his older sister,

Beatrice and brother in law Ted, at Lewisham Hill,

South East London - yet matters played in his mind.

Having always been battle fit and close to his men,

Osborne now 48 and with various wounds to slow

Him down, laid on him perhaps as he left hospital

17 November to dwell on what happened and how

He might never be able to work with his men again;

Possibly led to a sudden deterioration of his mind.

In such contemplation he took to his room Monday

27 November. With his sister elsewhere in the house

He wrote some final words; 'Dear Ted and Bea - I am

Getting paralysed and my brain is going, please

Forgive - Osborne.' having picked up his service

Revolver from the desk Osborne shot himself dead.

A cocktail of despair and possible latent shellshock

Had led to suicide - a coroner declared how no one

Could have done more for his country than such

A gallant gentleman - posthumously awarded 1914

Star, he was recorded as having died from condition

Of battle fatigue, cut up by losses of his battalion.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Untitled. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 2 December 1916. P.10. Col.6. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213909/Daily-Telegraph-December-2-1916.html> [Accessed: 13 December 2016].

Source: File: Osborne Brace Pritchard. Available at: <http://historyinportsmouth.co.uk/people/ww1/pritchard-ob.htm

Lives Lived and Lives Lost - Portsmouth and the Great War> [Accessed 13 December 2016]

Source: File: People in Portsmouth Lives Lived and Lives Lost -Portsmouth and the Great War Osborne Brace Pritchard. Available at: <http://historyinportsmouth.co.uk/people/ww1/pritchard-ob.htm> [Accessed 13 December 2016]

Source: File: Genes Reunited. Available at: <http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/searchbna/results?memberlastsubclass=none&searchhistorykey=0&keywords=brace%20pritchard> [Accessed 13 December 2016]

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/searchbna/results?memberlastsubclass=none&searchhistorykey=0&keywords=brace%20pritchard

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 13 December 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213909/Daily-Telegraph-December-2-1916.html

ttp://worldwaroneblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

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Poem ~ Major's Misadventure - Monday, 11 December 1916 - Tuesday 12 December 1916

Source: File: Major John Meredith. See an original image at: <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/426338> [Accessed 9 December 2016]

In an army career started before 1914 war,

A Canadian soldier, John Redmond Meredith

Had gradually climbed the ranks to become

A Major, by 1916.

Son of Lady Mary and Sir William Meredith,

Chief Justice of Ontario, was John born 1878;

Schooled at Trinity College Port Hope

And Toronto University.

After final legal education at Osgoode Hall

He joined the law firm of Hellmuth, Cattanach

And Meredith - John Meredith married Miriam

Isadore to reside 45 Binscarth Road.

Into the third month of the European conflict,

October 1914, John Meredith became attached

To the Queens Own Rifles, reaching the rank

Of Lieutenant.

Previous to the war situation Meredith had

Joined 9th Mississauga Horse - whose history

Originated in Toronto Ontario, as Mounted

Rifles from 1901.

Named after first Nations people, Anishinaabe

Subtribe, the Mississaugas had lived on banks

Of Mississagi River - an indigenous people prior

To any European settler.

In reaction to Europe’s war, volunteers formed

The Canadian Expeditionary Force and included

Many coming from 170th Mississauga Horse,

As members of Field Force.

Having gained his qualifications at School

Of Infantry Lieutenant John Meredith,

As part of 95th Battalion, took on the role

Of Overseas Adjutant.

Promotion quickly followed to Junior Major,

For him then to be based in England - After

The Battalion disbanded Major John Meredith

Became involved in officer training.

Major Meredith assigned to Shorncliffe camp

In Kent - where training for soldiers had taken

Place since Napoleonic wars - where Canadian

Troops became based since 1915.

Given leave prior to being stationed in France,

Major John Meredith travelled across to London -

With various acquaintances he stayed in Regent

Palace Hotel, off Regent Street.

Meredith stating he felt slightly ill left his friends 

To return to his room alone - some time later

Around 11 O'clock, Captain O’Brien decided  

To see how he was.

Major Meredith aged 38 had appeared in good 

Health earlier that day, Saturday 25 November;

There were no indications seen by others for

Anything than a slight malady.

Captain O’Brien discovered the officer had died -

An inquest found that Major Meredith overdosed

Having taken a narcotic drug called 'Somnos' -

Seen as a case of misadventure.

A cable sent to Sir William Meredith told

Of his son's sudden death while on active

Service - the real details perhaps never

To be disclosed.

Reasons could only be guessed - Somnos

Being a sedative to allow sleep or reduce

Anxieties - possibly troubled, Major Meredith

Had previously good health.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Day By Day. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 1 December 1916. P.10. Col.6. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213905/Daily-Telegraph-December-1-1916.html> [Accessed: 9 December 2016].

Source: File: Canadian Virtual War Memorial. In memory of Major John Redmond Meredith. Available at: <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/426338> [Accessed 9 December 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 9 December 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213905/Daily-Telegraph-December-1-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ Soldiers Suicide Pact - Wednesday, 30 August 1916

Impression sketch; 'Soldiers Suicide Pact' - by Jamie.

i

In Dorset’s Ancient County sat Wimborne,

A market town where smugglers and kings

And age-old legends made history - a place

New war had left untouched, where the Stour

River passed through in silence - its waters

Attracting walkers and fishermen - in August's

Sun, Mr Street sat himself down to catch fish.

The day’s hour passed quietly, to provide

No sign of the gruesome discovery Mr Street

Was soon to make - Feeling a pull on his rod

Mr Street reacted, to gently tug on the catch.

Yet a resistance came, prompting him to pull

Harder - a strange weight resisted him, then

With another tug, surfaced submerged bodies.

Street had made discovery of two drowned

Soldiers bound together - idetification found

One man of a Royal Naval division, the other

A soldier of a Lancaster Regiment - a letter

And photo on the latter provided his name -

Why and how had these two men drowned?

Found far away from regiments and homes.

Puttees had been tied about their wrists in

Death's embrace - had they willingly met

An end together, or an act of murder that
had gone wrong? The letter in the pocket, 

Un-posted, contained a photograph of him

Addressed to the family's home; puzzles

Answered in part contained by his words.

ii

Taking up a pen in a nervous hand, Private

James Wood aged 21 began to put down

His thoughts - perhaps by letter's end they

Might change his intentions - Woods hoped

His father Joseph and mother Mary Ann

Might then understand his desperation -

James considered what had led him there.

Their son Albert, his brother, had been

Killed and his own wound had plagued him,

For a month James had not slept - so why

Then was the other man he died with there?

What reasons, connections might they have

Had in traveling to Wimborne in Dorset, in

Whatever purpose other than to drown?

A clue to the other man was a RND cap

Ribbon pushed into his pocket - identity

Could not be certain, though it seemed

He might be a Private Parker  - also

To be from Manchester - very likely

To have been a declared deserter,

Perhaps supporting Pt. James Wood.

Did then Parker RND sit and wait

As Pt. Wood 17060 finished his letter,

To ask his family for their forgiveness.

Was this some absurd murder plot?

The two took a walk down to the river 
Stour, maybe avoiding any witness,

To stop and bind their wrists together.

The deserter Able Seaman Parker

Stood with Private Wood who decided

That he could go on no longer - what

Words would have been said between

Them? Unrolling Wood's khaki puttee

They carefully  secured themselves

Together, in shared desperation to die.

iii

Time then passed their bodies pulled 

Out the Stour by a fisherman - to make

Another mystery for Wimborne history.
The coroner declared their act of suicide

Happened while in an unsound mind -

To leave a dispute, regarding identifying

the name of the drowned able seaman.

James Mason or James Lennon? the

Latter deserting 3 August 1916.To believe

This was the most likely man, his parents
Informed he had drowned; then Lennon
Returned to camp on 1 September 1916. 
An unsolvable mystery was left,as to why

They chose to drown together; as brothers

Effected by shell shock? Or by strange pact?

By Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Battlefield Souvenirs - Boche Fire At Wounded. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 25 August 1916. P.5. Col.2. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12212859/Daily-Telegraph-August-25-1916.html> [Accessed: 22 August 2016].

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

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12212857/Daily-Telegraph-August-23-1916.html

#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Dorset 

Poem ~ Prussian Officer, Belgium Dancer - Thursday, 3 August 1916

Source: File: Paulette Verdoot. See an original image at: <http://carmen.demunt.be/pls/carmen/carmen4.document?t=1&aid=665786&id=577779&sid=-1> [Accessed 3 August 2016]

With enemy occupation

Belgium civilians inevitably

Mingled with the occupiers.

A letter from Holland

Told of a Belgium dancer,

As penned by a friend.

Having made a theatre

Career, Paulette Verdoot

Had made her name by

War’s start - though her

Fiancé, to whom she was

True, had been interned.

With her roles as dancer,

Paulette was well admired.

A Prussian officer made

His attentions known, to

The point of wanting them

To marry – Paulette refused.

This Prussian officer then

Began to persecute her -

Learning her fiancé, a Belgian

Officer was a prisoner of war

In Germany - the Prussian

Knew the camp commander.

Having such influence
The Prussian would be able

To affect her fiancé - to court

Paulette he promised favours

For him - or a court martial

If she continued to refuse.

Paulette Verdoot, it was told,

Bore these alternate acts

Of persecution for some

Weeks, until she could take

It no longer - Paulette

Finally used a gun in suicide.

By Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Victim Of Hun Terrorism. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 1 August 1916. P.10. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12212356/Daily-Telegraph-August-1-1916.html [Accessed: 3 August 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 3 August 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12212356/Daily-Telegraph-August-1-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ Driven to Suicide - Saturday, 28 August 1915

Impression sketch of Lieutenant Ervin Henry Cameron - by Jamie. See original at:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=51639809

An Irish Officer, a Lieutenant Of 3^rd Battalion

Of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, was son

Of a city analyst Charles Cameron - born

With registered name of Ervin Henry Cameron;

His mother Lucie Mac Namara Cameron.

Initially Ewan Cameron joined army

As a private, to be promoted to Lieutenant,

By 1915 became involved with recruitment

Rallying - only to meet his death 27 August

1915, on a train carriage in Ireland.

Found with a single shot to the head,

On a Dublin and South East Railway carriage,

Between stations of Greystones and Newcastle -

His death occurring from a self-inflicted

Single bullet, causing shock and hemorrhage.

The belief had been that Lieutenant

Cameron had become distressed by loss

Of friends on the frontline – sadly his parents

Had also lost a son some time before,

Drowned on a fishing lake near Athlone.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Lieutenant Shot on a Train. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 28 August. P.4. Col 3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11812558/Daily-Telegraph-August-28-1915.html [Accessed: 28 August 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 28 August 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11812558/Daily-Telegraph-August-28-1915.html

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

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Poem ~ Women and White Feathers - Monday, 26 July 1915

Impression sketch of 'The White Feather: A Sketch of English Recruiting' - Arnold Bennett - by Jamie. See the original at: https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/nicoletta-f-gullace/white-feather-girls-womens-militarism-in-uk

White Feather by Jamie Mann

A negative recruiting effect,

Led to the death of a one

Man aged 34 - a taxi driver,

Richard Charles Roberts.

Attempting to join the army,

In October 1914, Mr Roberts

Was told that he could not

Be taken, due to a weak heart.

Mrs Roberts told that her

Husband had been very lowly

Depressed afterwards - since

Having received many taunts.

These jibes had been directed

To him by amateur recruiters,

And reproaches of women -

A soldier relative added facts.

Mr Richard Robert's life had

Been made quite miserable -

From women, calling him

A coward, for not joining up.

Events finally and sadly came

To ahead, when this taxi driver

Of Shepherds Bush, faced

Two 'White Feather women.'

In middle of July, two random

Women of Maida-vale, then

Insulted him terribly - likely

Handing him white feathers.

Faced with this known symbol,

In suggesting his cowardice

Led to Mr Roberts suicide,

By self inflicted gun wounds.

Saturday 24 July, an Ealing
Inquest with Deputy Coroner,

Reginald Kemp for West

Middlesex, heard his remarks.

Strong words were directed

To women, having nothing

Better to do, than making life

Of such men unbearable.

Such men who did their duty

When nothing was known

About their circumstances;

Shame would fall on them.

This man, Richard Roberts,

Had been driven to his death,

In foolish active provocations,

By two women with feathers.

Such packs of silly women, in
Abominable scandalous acts

of taunting conduct, had need

To curb any future prevention.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. White Feather Women - Coroner's Strong Remarks. The Daily Telegraph, [online]  26 July. P.4. Col.4. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11742053/Daily-Telegraph-July-26-1915.html [Accessed: 26 July 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 26 July 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11739275/Daily-Telegraph-July-23-1915.html

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

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