Poem ~ Poster Protest of War - Monday, 02 October - Tuesday, 03 October 1916

Source: File: No Conscription Fellowship National Committee meeting May 1916. (Front row left to right: C.H. Norman, Dr Alfred Salter, Aylmer Rose, Fenner Brockway, Clifford Allen, Edward Grubb, Will Chamberlain, Catherine Marshall. Standing left to right: Rev. Leyton Richards, Morgan Jones, John P. Fletcher, A Barratt Brown, and Bertrand Russell.) See an original image at: <http://www.ppu.org.uk/cosnew/cos08.html> [Accessed 2 October 2016]

When nations had emerged in their actions

Of war, opposition formed soon after, as in

The organisation of the No Conscription

Fellowship - initiated from autumn 1914

Fenner Brockway, editor of an anti-war

Paper, appealed to any man against conflict.

With the No Conscription Fellowship quickly

Gaining 300 members, the organisation's

Statement of Faith followed - these men

Refused to bear arms in beliefs of human

Life as sacred; they could not inflict death.

Till then army recruits had been voluntary.

Soon though, facts emerged that in order

To maintain high numbers for the army,

Conscription would be introduced -

The No Conscription Fellowship had

Grown stronger with members ironically

Prepared to fight for their passive beliefs.

A type of male suffrage movement in rights

To refuse to fight, with countrywide branches

Formed to campaign against compulsory

Military Service Bill - conscientious objectors

Set out to equally make refusal to take part

In any war work, or involvement of military.

In their stand members appeared at tribunals

And court martial's - all of which were carefully

Recorded - No Conscription Fellowship press

Department set to publicise frequently often

Brutal treatment of their members, their arrests  

And forceful detainment in prison and camps.

No let up was given by members' missions -

As on last day of September - Saturday

30 1916 when an appearance was made by

Journalist Edward Fuller, called to Stratford

Police court - the offence charged against

Him made under Defence of the Realm Act.

Actions taken by Edward Fuller were stated

As likely to prejudice the forces recruitment

Administration and military discipline -

Acting on Fuller's defence was Mr Hawkin,

With Mr Bodkin for Director of Public

Prosecutions, centring on use of posters.

28 August 1916 had seen arrival of a letter

To Mr Abrahams, proprietor of Borough

Theatre Bill Posting Company - a request

Asked costs in posting Double Crown Bills,

To be posted in busy districts of Stratford,

Woodford, Forest Gate and Wanstead.

With the letter was a copy of the poster,

Which set to publicize a quote from a trial,

That made prosecutions of eight members

Of the No Conscription Fellowship - words

Spoken by A. H. Bodkin K.C.  having acted 

In role of public prosecutor, 17 May 1916.

'War will become impossible, if all men

Were to have the view that war is wrong.'

Was stated by Mr Bodkin, an eminent lawyer

Of the Kings Council - repeating his stand

At bringing Edward Fuller to trial, whose 

Intent was to post these misquoted words.

The suggestion of this statement by Bodkin

Was to take them out of context, to publicise

This as a public prosecutors view of the war -

Mr Abrahams replied to Mr Fuller with costs,

To also ask if they had war office sanctioned

The posters to show them in public situations.

For the defence, Mr Hawkins interactions

With Mr Abrahams was for a straightforward

Business transaction - a 'molehill had then

Been turned into a mountain,' - yet an input

From Brigadier General Childs, voiced how

Conscientious objectors wasted army time.

1,700 COs had so far been court-martialled -

Mr Hawkins gave the court a reminder how

Movement's intent was to cause the war

Office problems - that showing those words

Could do no real harm; Mr Fuller had not set

Out to disrupt recruitment, it was technical.

'War will become impossible, if all men

Were to have the view that war is wrong,'

Suggested that if everyone held that belief

Of war being unlawful, no war could take

Place; the Bench concluded Fuller was just

A dupe and not to be automatically detained.

Given choice of 121 fine and costs, Edward 

Fuller had the alternative of 90 days in goal.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Prejudicing Recruiting - Objector Fine £100. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 2 October 1916. P.5. Col.3. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213365/Daily-Telegraph-October-2-1916.html> [Accessed: 2 October 2016].

Source: File: Conscientious Objection: No-Conscription Fellowship. Available at: <http://www.ppu.org.uk/cosnew/cos04a.html> [Accessed 2 October 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 2 October 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213365/Daily-Telegraph-October-2-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ Universal Conscription - Friday, 19 May 1916

Source: File: German recruitment poster. [online] See an original image at: <http://mentalfloss.com/article/12383/21-world-war-i-recruitment-posters-around-globe> [Accessed: 19 May 2016]

A German version of Lord Kitchener Wants You poster. 'You too should join the Reichswehr.'

With tradition of voluntary army service 

Having waned, 1916 had seen the 

Military Service Act come into force -

A pre curser had been the Derby Scheme,
To encourage type of 'moral conscription.'

From the spring the act introduced

By law, the liability of classes

Of men, aged between 18 and 40 years -

Exempt were religious ministers or

Widowers with children as dependents.

Will Thorne, union founder and Labour

Parliament member, had volunteered

At the war's start - As Lieutenant Colonel

General Secretary of a union, Thorne

Remained to play a part on home front.

By Thorne's request, as to compulsory

Ages for military service in other

Countries, the information provided

Came from Mr Tennant, Scottish MP

And Under-Secretary of State for War.

The published graph showed slight

Variations - Service in Belgium began

On 18th birthday, to end after reaching

33 (in peace) - in France it was after

19th year, to end aged 28 in the October.

For Russia, a man would be 20 years

Until reaching 43rd year; Montenrgro

Served from 18 to 62, while Serbia,

Starting aged 18, ended on 50 birthday -

For Italy it was 20 until 39 year reached.

In the country of Japan, a man could

Enlist between 17 and 20 years, until

End of service at 39 years - across

In Turkey was only for five years from

March after 20 birthday; to end 25 years.

From the side of opposition, Austria

Called men on their 18th birthday - in

Times of normality to end on 42 year;

For the war men were called up to 55;

For active service was 1/1 after 21st.

Germany, like Japan, called for their

Men aged 17, for military service

Until 45th Birthday - while active

Service started after their 20th year;

A clause was added for time of war.

Harold Tennant told how in war time

There was no claim in final Discharge

Dates regarding Austria, Germany

Or Russia, as well as France; Austrian

And German conscripts were called
After age of 17 - likely at any time.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Foreign Armies - Ages Of Service. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 18 May 1916. P.10. Col.4. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12210152/Daily-Telegraph-May-18-1916.html>  [Accessed: 18 May 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 18 May 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12210152/Daily-Telegraph-May-18-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ England Expects - Wednesday, 12 April 1916 - Monday, 17 April 1916

Impression of Forward to victory! The last recruitment poster issued in 1916 before conscription was introduced - by Jamie. From an original image that can be seen at: <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2569145/Why-arent-khaki-Fascinating-archive-posters-urging-men-enlist-WWI-encouraging-wives-send-set-sell-20-000.html> [Accessed: 12 April 2016]

i

Over weekend days April 8 and April 9

1916, poster proclamations had been

Posted across the metropolis - to state

In stark black and white, this was

The last call for single men.

A last call was for all single men, both

Attested and unattested - these

Unmarried men of age 18 were

Required to bring themselves

Forward, to start training.

Young men would begin training for

Home service, until gaining the age

Of 19 - under Military Service Act,

And the number one class

Group of Derby Scheme.

Military Service Act and Derby

Scheme of the metropolis

Posters, applied to those

Under 19 - for men born

Prior to August 1897.

ii

Traditions of the British Army

Had seen recruitment of forces

On basis of voluntary men -

This small force of 400,000

Had 200,000 acting in roles

Abroad as British Empire Garrison.

These soldiers’ numbers were

Smaller than those on Europe’s

Soil in France and Germany.

By hostile outbreaks, the call

Came for British men to join

The colours in protection of Belgium.

The first British army had need

Of a second army - in the needs

Of oranisation to boost boots

On the ground - a hero of Sudan

And South African campaigns,

Saw appointment of Lord Kitchener.

Despite a whimper of a start, late

August into early September 1914,

Saw a surge not seen before,

Prompted by Parliamentary

Recruitment Committee - helped

By floods of posters, leaflets and rallies.

Pressure of images by leading

Design artists made appeal to duty -

To risk those others ignoring

The call, as cowards or shirkers;

Parallel powers were given

To the committees of municipal officials.

iii

Looking to the country's Northern

Counties, was an Idea by General

Rawlinson, who made appeal

To sense of standing to fight

Alongside close-knit friends -

In order to appeal to men to enlist.

A request by the General was

To the London Stockbrokers, to be

Leading example - workers from

City of London, which numbered

1600 by August's end - to form

The Stockbrokers Battalion of Fusiliers.

Then the Earl of Derby, within short

Days, called to Liverpool for men -

His words being for a battalion

Of pals - friends, to fight shoulder

To shoulder - within days three

Battalions were raised of Liverpudlians.

Taking on from this Kitchener

Promoted the idea nationwide -

In the actions of a runaway train,

British towns began to listen

To reactions of business and

Industries, as men en-mass walked.

With shared destinations, such

Numbers cued at all recruitment

Stations - one particular town

In the borough of Lancashire

Saw the Mayor of Accrington,

Prompted by Lord Kitchener's call.

Captain John Harwood, Lord

Mayor had made an offer to raise

A local half battalion - within

Six days, a full contingent was

Formed into Accrington Pals -

With a Lancashire snowball effect.

Chorley, Blackburn and Burnley

Also formed their company of Pals;

The men of Accrington first saw

Action, 1916 at Suez Canal, where

The ship just missed a torpedo

Hit; there to fight the Ottoman Empire.

The process that began small

Had by September days of 1914, seen

Fifty towns make formations

Of Pals Battalions - within the

Rallying shouts, relatives, sons

And fathers, brothers, cousins joined.

Colleagues and friends became

Uniformed in khaki drill - elsewhere in

The world of sports, saw famous

Names enlist - A sportsman’s unit

Of East Grinstead, added a boxing

Champion, along with two cricketers.

iV

Two football Battalions with official

Names of 17th Service Battalion,

 Middlesex Regiment joined up -

Alongside pals of Bradford, Leeds,

Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh

Manchester, Newcastle and Salford men.

Sheffield, Tyneside, Swansea - Pals

Of Carmarthen and Cardiff to include

The Lonsdales, the Durhams and

The Scottish contingents - unofficial

Names as 'Boozy First' or 'Glasgow

Featherbeds'; after a storm hit their tents.

Not confined to those of work, were

Still another Middlesex regiment to form

Public Schools Battalion - youth eager

To join as privates with their mates -

Yet the unit was used as a resource for

For officer shortage, to become depleted.

While an eager overdrive to answer

Cry, for British second army, after six

Months of war, matters altered -

With wearing thin of patriotism -

April 1915, saw new tactics, to give

Monetary rewards for soldiers to recruit.

The unique pals battalion formed,

All was set to train men in camps across

The country - within the first months,

The power of voluntary men's steps

Waned; by the spring of 1915, with

No wars end in sight, more were needed.

Following that winter surge, 100,000

A month, men were still enlisting - now

To include those aged 38 to 40 years -

Volunteers had their day; July 1915

Came in National Act of Registration

To record men 15 to 65 working in trades.

V

With this census those in age range

Given, had to register all their details,

To include work - out of five million 1.6

Were in protected work, With Lord

Derby appointed a recruiting Director

General; in 5 days came Derby Scheme.

The Group Scheme began a path

Leading transition from voluntary

To establish compulsory enlistment -

As is governments methods, this

Was to be done gradually over time,

For a public to adapt to unpopular ways.

These men 18 to 40 were advised

They could still volunteer, or attest

Their taken details - to oblige them

To join army on a future date as Class

A - to wear an armband as a volunteer

Sealed by a days army pay, as reserves.

If a 'registee' agreed to join then

And there, to be classified as Class B -

Additional divisions were based on

Age, and further depended if they

Were married or single - the census

Had shown that 5 million of military age.

The unpopular belief of conscription,

Prompted both single and unmarried men

Not in starred areas - those avoiding

Call up, only acted to quicken pace

To complete conscription - January

1916, found groups 2 to 5 called to report.

The following month of February

Called on groups 6 to 13 - in order

To appear fair, a parallel scheme

Of tribunals were set up by councils,

To consider exemption applications

Against conscription, as issued in papers.

Vi

A black and white poster campaign

Was reported across the media,

For Last Single Men aged 18 -

To make selves available

For training, as under

Military Service Act.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Last Single Men. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 10 April 1916. P.9. Col.5. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12208618/Daily-Telegraph-April-10-1916.html>  [Accessed: 12 April 2016].

Source: File: Voluntary recruiting in Britain, 1914-1915 by Peter Simkins. Online. Available at: <http://www.bl.uk/world-war-one/articles/voluntary-recruiting> Accessed 12 April 2016

Source: File: The Long, Long Trail: The Group Scheme. Online. Available at: <http://www.1914-1918.net/derbyscheme.html> Accessed 12 April 2016

Source: File: Military Service Tribunals, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Online. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Service_Tribunals> Accessed 12 April 2016

Source: File: Recruitment to the British Army during the First World War, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Online. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recruitment_to_the_British_Army_during_the_First_World_War> Accessed 12 April 2016

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 12 April 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12208618/Daily-Telegraph-April-10-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ Compulsory Recruitment Closes In - Thursday, 10 February 1916

Source: File: The Military Service Act, 1916.jpg. [online]  Available at: <http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/28449> [Accessed: 10 February 2016]

Creeping methods of compulsory

Services, had moved on from Derby

Scheme - whose moral conscription

Was to become enforced liability.

1916 had opened with Asquith’s

Bill, setting out a March target -

That, with certain exemptions,

Would call men to king’s colours.

9 February less than a month to

Go, 40,000 poster proclamations

Were sent to all London districts,

To affect all young single men.

           

Eleven classes numbered 2 to 12,

Would pull in men aged 19 to 30 -

To correspond to Earl of Derby’s

Scheme, who could still volunteer.

Working to intentions was military

Authority, in order to train the men

Of same ages - who might join

Voluntarily or be pressed to service.

In importance, emphasised by red

Ink on white, formed a proclamation

Title 'Army Reserve Military Service

Act 1916 for King's entitlement.'

His majesty’s powers substantiated

By Reserve Forces Act 1882, while

War declaration's actions in 1914, all

Led to prime minister being ordered.

Official speak made out the right

To call all army reserves, for period

Of war - men’s birth years would

Decide their class to be called to.

With the words laid out in red

To be penned by Lord Kitchener;

For everyman of a certain age

Became a reservist by the act.

All males, apart from those who

Applied and granted exemption,

Would report to official offices,

For recruitment closest to home.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Men Called Up Under Compulsion Act - Eleven Classes - Ages 19-30. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 10 February 1916. P.9. Col.6. Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12142586/Daily-Telegraph-February-10-1916.html [Accessed: 10 February 2016].

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12142586/Daily-Telegraph-February-10-1916.html

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Poem ~ 'Patriotism is not Enough' - Tuesday, 12 October 1915

Impression sketch of Edith Cavell - by Jamie. Taken from original image at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/11861398/Revealed-New-evidence-that-executed-wartime-nurse-Edith-Cavells-network-was-spying.html

 

A daughter of a Swardeston vicar,

Frederick Cavell and her mother

Louise  - Edith was born December

1864, followed by three younger

Siblings; family status being poor.

As the Eldest, Edith gave sacrifices;

In being shown to give to those

Less fortunate than herself - to play

An influence in her future career

Beginning in Brussels as governess.

From 1890 Edith, in her twenties,

Decided to train in nursing - to learn

In London Hospital under rigourous

Selection processes of Eva Luckes -

Then to work in variety of hospitals.

After three years as Assistant Matron

At Shoreditch infirmary, Edith Cavell

Moved this time to Belgium - recruited

By Dr Antoine Depage nursing school

L'École Belge d’Infirmières Diplômées.

With nurse training established by 1910

In Brussels Cavell started to assistant

The launch L'infirmière - a professional

Nursing journal - within the year 1911

She helped many schools and hospitals.

This was to include 13 kindergartens -

All seemed well for career of Edith

Cavell but this was to change in 1914 -

Visiting her mother in August came

Declaration of conflict with Germany.

The fact did not prevent Edith Cavell's

Return to Brussels - only to find a very

Different situation, with the school

Taken over by the Red Cross, as the city

Then came under German occupation.

Remaining true to her decided vocation

Cavell involved herself in the situation -

Without prejudice the nurse matron

Assisted wounded allied and Germans;

Deciding to take one step beyond safety.

Within 3 months of war Cavell began

To assist French and British wounded

Escape into the neutral Netherlands -

Along with military aged Belgium’s

And French civilians - a risky game.

Close to Mons at Chateau Bellignies,

Prince Reginald de Croy's assistance

Was to source false papers - shelters

Were provided in Brussels with money

And guides, given by Philippe Baucq.

Following such actions put Miss Cavell

In jeopardy, against German Military

Law - her outspokenness had already

Put her in eyes of suspicious authority,

When Gaston Quien hit the final nail.

A Collaborator, Quien gave the nurse

Away, in helping enemy leave country.

3 August 1915 saw Cavell arrested,

Held for next 10 weeks in the prison

Of St-Gilles, with 2 weeks confinement.

During that time Edith Cavell made

Three sworn testimonies in admittance

Of harbouring peoples in her home -

100 Belgian and French of military age;

15 French along with 60 British soldiers.

The day prior to her trial, Cavell signed

A statement of admission, how she helped

Men to cross borders, to make their way

To Britain - who wrote to thank her, when

Safely arriving at their final destination.

Edith Cavell made no attempt to hide

Facts of helping them escape, to a country

Germany was at war with - the penalty,

Within paragraph 58 of their military law,

Was sentence to death by the Penal code.

Her arrest and sentence was 'treason' -

Questioned in French, Cavell’s words

Recorded in German, so misinterpretation

By interrogator would have been allowed.

Additionally the nurse sought no defence.

While the British government admitted

To being powerless to help Edith Cavell,

The USA, in neutrality, tried diplomatic

Pressure - a warning that any reputation

Of Germany would only be lowered.

Any execution would rank as murder -

On a level with Lusitania and Louvain.

A reply was made, of their regret not

Having four English women to shoot;

Although one opinion asked a pardon.

Baron von der Lancken, gave reasons

Being for her honesty and that Cavell

Had helped save many lives - General

Von Sauberzweig, military governor

Called for an immediate death penalty.

This would stop any other authority

Giving leniency - in the trial of twenty

Seven; Countess Jeanne de Belleville,

Louise Thuliez, Séverin, Baucq, Cavell

Were those sentenced to be executed.

In reality only two were finally murdered;

Cavell on the night of 11 October received

Communion, to state,  'Patriotism is not

Enough' - to add that she intended to hold

No bitterness or hatred towards anyone.

A Midnight deputation attempted a Spanish

And American appeal of mercy, or to halt

The execution - the hours ticked to 7 a.m.

Without any effect - dawn began to rise over

Schaerbeek Range; a line of 16 men waited.

The chosen hour of dawn when the mind

Wakes from rest, perhaps then the time

Chosen when the body is most calm -

Edith Cavell was led to the place; perhaps

To learn how twenty-five had a reprieve.

Cavell spoke finally to Paul Le Seur,

The prison Chaplain, to tell to those

She loved her soul was safe - to be glad

To die for her country - alongside stood

Baucq, the architect who had helped her.

Within seconds, the figure of a woman

Became not just a story of propaganda,

But a woman of substance - whose name

Would go on beyond into the history

Of her chosen profession, as a heroine.

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: Edith Cavell From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Cavell> [Accessed: 2 October 2015]

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 12 October 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11914698/Daily-Telegraph-October-11-1915.html

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

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