Impression sketch
of Robert Graves. [online] See an original image at: <http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/the-great-war/great-war-on-land/battlefields/4527-the-battle-of-loos-a-poets-view-robert-graves.html#sthash.eXmaXOZa.dpbs>
[Accessed: 20 July 2016]
i
At a place
between communes in Picardy,
Known as Martinpuich
and Longueval,
Was Bois des Foureaux - one of many
Woods in the area
of the Somme -
The collected
trees significance was
To be known by
British as High Wood.
Bazentin-le-Petit and Bazentin-le-Grand,
Lay either side the 100-foot high wooded
Ridge, that gave advantages of views
Across some distance - from the north
Edge - until July this land had remained
Untouched in stillness and cornfields.
Matters began to change in summer
Of 1916 - the German second line had
Become the front line before High Wood,
That in turn became a fortified area -
Progress about was not easy, due to a
Ridge of tree saplings and undergrowth.
Like Mametz before, High Wood came
Under the eyes of General Rawlinson -
The plan was to attack at dawn 14 July;
Corps would make formation of assault
North west of Mametz Wood, outwards -
Including divisions at Bazentin le Petite.
Bazentin le Grand and Longuvel would
Also be significant from the first phase,
Forming advances at Battle of Albert -
The infantry would assemble during
Darkness, towards the enemy's second
Line - that had then become their front.
This was General Rawlinson’s plan,
To further include ambitions to involve
Cavalry - a division of Indian riders set
To capture High wood - manoeuvres of
Push and relief would gain occupation -
11 July saw the start of bombardments.
Wood battles virtually coincided, with
Overlapping attacks - close by Mametz
Was where Lieutenant Siegfried Sassoon
Gained his name Mad Jack, in reckless
Reaction to death of David Thomas -
Then another friend arrived in the area.
Robert Graves, receiving promotion
To Captain, initially stayed in Rouen -
Yet in days orders sent his battalion
To the Somme; by train to Amiens
They marched - all hopes to join 1st
Welch altered, to find him with the 2nd.
These two officers had made a close
Friendship fused by mutual interests.
Learning he was in the area, Sassoon
Sent a note to see if Graves might see
Him; despite riding to where his friend
Lay in reserve, the two failed to meet.
On that dawn of 14 July new light saw
A rush for fresh objectives - the early
Hour would obscure sights of German
Machine gunners from Longueval
And Bazentin le Petite - within minutes
Unfolding into Battle of Bazentin Ridge.
ii
In reality the wood had been abandoned
By Germans - yet delays formed from
Counter orders of Lt Gen Henry Horne;
As Longueval gain was incomplete.
Finally the 7th Division moved forward,
Taking the southern part of High Wood.
With German counter attacks battle
Commenced, as Cavalry delays from
Morning did not move until evening.
By early hours of 15th July, cavalry
Formed a line from Longeuval, across
To High Wood - alarming the Germans.
Reports told how the British had broken
Through - Bavarian reserves were then
Sent to halt them - but such facts proved
Wrong, the Bavarians went back towards
Reserves as Switch Line machine-guns
Stopped the British; the time 9 a.m.
An evening battle would then commence
5.15 p.m. - time delay changed to 6.15 p.m.
Yet that passed still later, when south
West of woods edge saw the 2nd Queens
And reinforced by Staffordshires - matters
Seemed to progress well on one level.
Expectation had been for the long
Awaited Cavalry's turn, as they poised
At Crucifix corner, where the metal
Body of Christ witnessed their moves
Into battle - the contrast of ancient lance
And modern guns saw cavalrys only day.
South of High Wood at the intersection
Of roads, poised the metal Christ figure.
Stretched on the cross, giving witness
Of last rites, for thousands that passed
His way into Death Valley; such a route
Of transport subjected to endless shells.
The Switch Line ran through the trees,
To prove a wall as German artillery
Hailed another counter attack, in order
To retake part of High Wood - towards
5 p.m. British attempts could not budge -
Defense by 11.25 p.m. made withdrawal.
Instead the artillery turned their aim
Onto High Wood about the pivotal
Switch Line and trenches then packed
With Germans, whose intense company
Attempted to edge south, only halted
By British barrages on into darkness.
During such events, two poets made
Luck, spending daylight hours through
Darkness with civilized conversation -
A short distance from uncivilised sounds
Of thunderous gunnery, to echo down
Valley, lit by dim stars and camp fires.
They parted during the night of 14 July.
In the day of 15 July Captain Graves
And battalion set off on their march
To the front - about them
was country
Landscape of villages set in fields, with
Wooded hills beneath summer’s sky.
iii
Arriving in something of a city of tents,
Encampments of great numbers
Of men - officers on horseback trotted
About, as other horses pulled guns -
While more were tethered, ready for
Cavalry advances after breakthrough.
Under the rhythmic march of boots
From grassy lanes, whose softness
Turned to gritty earth, crushed by
Countless thuds of marching allied
Boots - thousands had already
Passed over the same uneven road.
Ridges formed in mud by artillery
Wheels and hoof marks, trying
To dry in intermittent sun - only
Softened again by heavy bursts
Of rain - march, march - endless
Thuds of heavy boots on ground.
By gradual distortion, fading from
One to another changes, almost
To appear unnoticed - gun effects
Had swept away summer's grass
And soft summer lanes, scarred
Into a winterish hell of desolation.
Bodies of bloated horse and mules
Intermingled with corpses in poses
Of contorted death, in or out of holes,
Churned by artillery - lay neglected,
Almost forgotten, in the business
Of the living yet to join dead ranks.
In arrival near Mametz Wood was,
Unlike its name, no longer a wood.
For no tree within its perimeter was
Left undamaged - there the
fusiliers
Set up bivouacs amid summer grass
Tinged black, bodies instead of flowers.
Perhaps developing a type of blinkers
In familiarity of death, never to quite
Register dead forms about - days
Followed in occupation of lying about
In fresh shell holes to watch artillery,
As in a sports game, back and forth.
Almost twenty days since the start,
This was no longer a fresh battle -
Attacks had followed attacks, driven
Back by counter attacks - still
on
They went, driven by orders with
No thought to refuse, as toll rose.
Daily perhaps 10,000 more to be
Killed or wounded, yet from some
Where more troops came, to enter
The fight - in hopeful repetition over
Some significant piece of ground,
That once had been insignificant.
V
As a bystander, time was spent lying
In shell holes to watch the dueling
Artillery, noted Captain Graves, until
Finally the day of 17 June - repositions
To Bazentin-le-Petit by routine work
In midst of battle to deepen trenches.
His relief came in a parcel of kippers
In the steady beat of time, where
Minutes are beaten in shellfire thuds.
Time had no meaning in calendars,
As nothing much happened over two
Days, until the evening of 19 July.
Scottish Rifles and the Cameroons
Were to lead another assault on High
Wood - early on 20 July 400 men
Of the 2nd Battalion were to be held
In reserve - sooner or later Graves
Knew that they would be involved.
The Scottish made some success
Into the woods, as the Welch waited
In reserve on a ridge - not needed
As yet - the decision was
to move
Back 50 yards, prompted by heavy
Barrages from 6 and 8 inch shells.
Captain Graves, along with others,
Lifted to his feet to run - a downhill
Direction close to shattered trees,
Where a small cemetery aptly sat -
Like some foreboding presence at
The passing soldiers of the Welch.
Scything shells were falling heavily
About as Graves running, focusing
On path ahead, in sheer exhilaration
From danger - then a shells collision
Struck, three paces behind him - air
Rushed as in spontaneous typhoon.
With the impact Graves felt a thud -
Some boxer’s fists between blades
Of his shoulders, most likely blast
Concussion - instant metal fragments
Sheared through air and flesh; blood
Trickled into his eyes he had been hit.
His feet lost their way, shouting out;
'I've been hit.' Graves words slurred
Into semi oblivion - fragments had
Bounced up near his groin, a second
Sped to slice through his flesh to enter
His right, slicing out through his breast.
Others were quick about him - Captain
Dunn, a doctor dressed the wound.
Graves lapsed in and out of strange
Consciousness - some force lifting him
Realising this was a dip of a stretcher,
To wink at the bearer who looked to him.
'Gravy's got it.’ Then out of it he awoke
In agonising pain - finding he lay in some
Corner of a dressing station, put quietly
Aside to die - Therefore for a time among
The already dead he died - when amidst
Body clearance, Graves breathed again.
By Jamie Mann.
Graves, R.P., 1987. Robert Graves
The Assault Heroic 1895-1926. Elizabeth Sifton Books, Viking. Richard Cohen
Books. Book 4 Ch. 8
Source: File: Attacks
on High Wood. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attacks_on_High_Wood>
[Accessed 20 July 2016]
Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 20 July 2016).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1HighWood
Source: File: Company of Hut
35: Edward Thomas second row, second from left. See an original image at: <http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03319/thomas7_3319732b.jpg> [Accessed 10 April 2017]
