Poem ~ Contrasting Tribunal Cases - Sunday, 22 October - Tuesday, 24 October 1916

Source: File: 1916 tribunal sitting in Preston. See an original image at: <http://www.ppu.org.uk/cosnew/co_Narrative1.html> [Accessed 22 October 2016]

From date of 27 January 1916,

Conscription into the military

Had for the first time in Britain

Come into effect, after the period

Of transition of the Derby Scheme;

Whereby men were encouraged

To join up on a voluntary basis.

This confirmed total war status,

Affecting everyman between ages

18 to 41 - if single, automatically

Seen to have enlisted by 25 May

1916; married men were 'deemed'

To be in the same situation -

Categories defined their status.

An army's preferred classification

Being A - able to shoot, hear

And undertake active service -

Men categorised below A took

In account of physical abilities;

From B1 men with glasses, able

To shoot and march five miles.

B2 men should walk five miles

And hear enough, for purposes

Of labour service abroad - while

B3 men to be limited to sedentary

Work overseas - any C men only

Able to do home service; being

Free of disease for garrison duty.

Subdivisions added numbers;

So A1 men could carry full packs

On long marches, while C3 men

Could only do sedentary work

At home - medical categories were

Not fixed, to take account for 

Wounds or sickness until A1 again.

As part of conscription process,

The formation of tribunals set

Out to consider cases centered

On domestic or business situations -

To be seen as harsh on objections

To fight, because of conscience;

Over 2000 tribunal bodies existed.

With the business of war seeking

To ensure army was being supplied,

The call up of men were yet to see

Class C2 and Class C3 - appeals

Of those men in such classes

Could be withdrawn, yet if called

Up they were allowed to re-appeal.

Tribunals continued in hearing

Of appeals, to include a mechanic

Before the Lambeth panel - a single

Man of 23 employed by a firm said

How his employer had requested

A badge, to display he was on war

Work in munitions transportation.

The request had gone to ministry

Of munitions - war service badges

Had, before 1 March 1916, been

Issued to any individual in munitions

Work; to act as exemption certificate.

This firms appeal was refused - such

Badges were no longer being issued.

Should this 23-year-old employee

Be called up, he would gain similar

Transport work in the army; this

Fact was reiterated by the mayor,

Alderman Gibbs advised that munitions

Ministry was aware of processes - yet

Most appeals were on domestic basis.

A House of Commons appeals

Tribunal, being led by Chairman

Mr. Maclean MP, dismissed

Any immediate review of one

40-year-old father of six children -

Saying no need to go into matter;

Ages were 5 months to 9 years.

'I don't think we need send a man

With six children,' said Mr Maclean.

While a man of 29, at the same

Tribunal, having recently married

Then asked for further exemption;

Previously been classified in C1

Class, sought to arrange his affairs.

Unlike the married man of 40

With 6 children, he did not have

A large family to maintain - though

He was the only support to his

Widowed mother; 'I am afraid you

Will have to go,' Deputy Chairman

Of Commons tribunal informed him.

A case of an appeal on medical

Grounds, concerned a man who

Had been as B1 - then at another

Medical, stated B3 - to say fit only

For sedentary work. When called

Up the B3 card was dismissed;

This case was to be finally decided.

Captain Anstey, in representation 

Of military, provided the suggestion

To a further examination of the man,

By Appeals Medical Board - next

A military representative appeared

At the Dover Borough Tribunal, asking

To request a number of exemptions.

Certificates of 8 men to be assigned

To disbanded Dover Anti Aircraft Corps.

They had been bound by 'Ultra Vires,'

When first applied 'beyond the powers;'

The Military rep said how a tribunal

Could overwrite these cards - such

Men with training would be of use.

Valid certificates were deemed 'Intra

Vires' - in this case they lacked legal

Authority, to have 'Ultra Vires' status -

Some Anti Aircraft Corps permits were

Withdrawn, others legally represented

Were given short terms - due to expiry
Dates the applications were withdrawn.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. War Tribunals. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 10 October 1916. P.5. Col.3. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213454/Daily-Telegraph-October-20-1916.html> [Accessed: 22 October 2016].

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

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213454/Daily-Telegraph-October-20-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ Patriotic Gesture - Friday, 20 October - Saturday, 21 October 1916

Impression sketch for a girl's patriotic gesture.

Established in the heart of the English capital,

The Fishmongers Hall had witnessed many

Varied eras over 600 years, from medieval

Beginnings as a city guild; once destroyed

In the great fire of London was then rebuilt.

With such a history the Fishmongers Hall

Again adapted in 1914 in a time of war -

Alderman wives in approaching many

Firms made request to Fishmongers Hall.

Then owned by a city livery company.

In need to treat wounded men, the hall agreed

To become Royal Red Cross Hospital; while

Small and grand facing the River Thames, the

Situation served well for recovering officers

With 27 beds; opened on 1 October 1914.

Along with the apartments used on the first

Floor, the Great Hall was divided into five

Cubicles next to the windows. Positioned

Amid the gilded decoration, was another

Room divided into two, to hold four beds.

A wooden hut was constructed out on

The balcony - for those cases of septic

Nature or needing open air - on the quiet

Side were other rooms for more serious

Wounded, with X-ray and operating rooms.

A 27-bedded hospital gave environment akin

To homeliness with armchairs, electric lights

And reading tables - pink rugs next to beds

With down quilts - meals served in rooms

Allowing two guest visitors for afternoon tea.

Situated alongside London Bridge, endless

Traffic passed by. This included one young

Lady, who decided to write to the grand

Hospital offering her services - prompted

By her daily excursions across the bridge.

Though her actual name was finally omitted

From the published transcript, Jane as she

Might be called for purposes here, would

Have seen wounded men taking the air

On the balcony - being moved to assist.

The House Surgeon of Fishmongers Hall

Hospital, had received the letter from Jane,

A city worker, who began by apologetically

Saying she was taking liberty in her question,

To ask after the process of healing wounds.

Jane had heard that there had been a lack

Of skin - which if grafted to the wounded

Man, would to be better and easily healed.

For this purposes Jane made offer of her

Own skin, as much as practically possible.

Jane informed the house surgeon of her

Situation - being obliged to travel every

Day into the city to earn a living - this

Was not an impulsive idea - no doubt

Having seen arrivals of ambulances.

Jane’s own situation disallowed any

Chance to help soldiers as other girls

Her age had done - how she might help

Then by offering her own skin - she wanted

To do this for her two fighting brothers sakes.

Having taken much time to think of this

Contribution, Jane stated how she knew

Of nowhere else to write - furthermore that

If they could not use her services for taking

Skin grafts, where else might she approach?

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. A Girl's Patriotism - Offer to Hospital. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 10 October 1916. P.5. Col.3. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213439/Daily-Telegraph-October-18-1916.html> [Accessed: 20 October 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 20 October 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213439/Daily-Telegraph-October-18-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ A Swiss Spies for Germans - Monday, 16 October - Thursday, 19 October 1916

Impression sketch; recruitment of Swiss spy Felix Malherbe.

From neutral Switzerland came source

Of subjects, willing to sell services

For purposes of Germany's war intent.

Exact numbers to be then classified

By the French army - for their missions

Such recruited spies travelled miles.

A subject of Switzerland Felix Malherbe,

An electrician, later confessed how his

Involvement as a spy began - six months

Of war had passed, when in February

1915, Felix Malherbe was sat on a bench.

A man came to him asking his situation.

Felix Malherbe had no work or money.

The stranger talked to him asking about

His past, his knowledge and his ability

To speak French - studying his passport

Malherbe evidenced he could freely travel

About France - did he want to earn money?

In agreeing to idea of taking work Malherbe

Was asked to report to a brewery in Geneva.

On arrival there he met a German man from

Loerrach - being a German city close to the

Swiss border - Malherbe learned from him

About the German Intelligence Service.

Given 100 francs Malherbe then agreed

To go on an initial trip across France - war

Was still young and battles over frontiers

Had happened - in the proximity of Cernay

With the battle of Mulhouse, Malherbe

Was issued with specific orders to follow.

This was to be a trial to see how well he did
Various tasks - Malherbe was requested

First to travel via Bellegarda to Lyon, Dijon

And Duchy of Bar, to finally reach Troyes.

A return journey to take in Belfort and Delle,

Having gained information to make a report.

Specifically Felix Malherbe was ordered

To find out about cost of raw materials,

Commodities and resources - to observe

The French state of mind at Villefranche;

Where the engineering company Vermorel

Was engaged in manufacturing of shells.

The Germans wanted to know how many

Worked there - age groups and if men 
Or women. At Dijon Malherbe had to find

How well the army shops were supplied -

Onwards to Neufchâteau, where he would

Discover that a woman of the intelligence

Group had been arrested, as suspected.

At Brienne-le-Château Malherbe learnt

About artillery ammunition of the French.

With the trip going to plan, he returned to

Loerrach via Troyes - here questioned

At length - Malherbe was given 800 francs.

Next he was asked to travel to Cherbourg.

21 March 1915 Felix Malherbe set upon

A mission - meeting a woman of German

Secret Service who had passed him

A newspaper - a series of codes had been

Written In the margin that he conveyed

To Basel. Next he travelled to Cherbourg.

There he looked into state of naval guns,

Then onto Saint-Malo - Malherbe passed on

Information - along to coast from Manche

Into Brittany to arrive Brest; here to discover

About Bretagne Battleship progression and

Goods and coal being shipped to England.

Other boats Malherbe looked for information

On were transatlantic SS Paris, along with

SS France; turned into a merchant cruiser.

Also in Brittany Malherbe arrived in Nantes,

To spy on imports of British steel and state

Of plants; idle by lack of labor or materials?

After passing on information to a German

Spy in Nantes, Malherbe soon travelled

To Paris - to meet four German officers

Disguised as British Red Cross - at end

Of March Malherbe was back in Loerrach,

Providing the secret service with a report.

Handed a total of 1,100 francs Malherbe

Was asked to travel again - at Villefranche

His mission to look into Vermorel plants.

There discovering amounts of shells

Being made, also to find about industrial

Goods produced and moved out by train.

Journeying to Poitiers central France, the

Experienced spy Malherbe looked into

French army enrollment and movements

Across to Evereux in Normandy - after

To Rouen, where 20,000 British 40,000

French troops were being moved to front.

Whilst in Normandy, Malherbe found out

About shipping boats origins and cargos,

To observe unloading of army supplies

By the British - then he looks into numbers

Of wounded or sick troops, to consider

French women’s morality for reference.

German newspapers intentions to say

French immorality was rife and debauchery

Existed in the country - after trying to find

About barracks to house recruits, Malherbe

Moved onto Valbonne southeast France,

To spy on colonial and Montluel troops.

Close to Rhone Alps city Lyon, he sought

Information of troops stationed at Banne

Camp - in same region Malherbe paused

At a station of Saint-Germain-des-Fosses,

To watch troop transports and presence

Of artillery - noting details of an airfield.

After Orleans he found where British were

Stationed - Malherbe back in Paris delved

Into the city’s economy - from 29 March

Spy Malherbe had covered many miles -

Throughout April he had asked questions

To then look at Paris' people and defences.

On 4 May Malherbe journeyed to Troyes,

North central France - his subject there

To look into how factories operated again

And the moves of transport - this talented

Electrician started to falter, running out

Of luck; to be stopped at the train station.

With routine passport checks done more

Thoroughly, Felix Malherbe was detained

And quizzed - due to lack of a diplomatic

Signature - a further search of the Swiss

Subject had found he possessed details;

Regiment numbers and other information.

Imprisoned at Troyes Malherbe underwent

A trial - providing all details of his activities.

In his defence he made an appeal to Troyes

Protestant Chaplin - but charges were held;

Felix Malherbe had conspired with enemy

In 12 months. 12 May 1916 came sentence.

Whilst no immediate execution was made,

He sought a presidential pardon; time ran out.

Monday 9 October 1916 spy Felix Malherbe

Aged 41, finally faced his firing squad 5 a.m.

At Hauts-Clos, Troyes - to be given a small

Paragraph in the English Daily Telegraph.

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Spy Shot In France. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 10 October 1916. P.6. Col.6. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213413/Daily-Telegraph-October-10-1916.html> [Accessed: 16 October 2016].

Source: File: Une affaire d'espionnage à Troyes. Available at: <http://www.jschweitzer.fr/notre-histoire/espionnage/m> [Accessed 16 October 2016]

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 16 October 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213413/Daily-Telegraph-October-10-1916.html

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

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Poem ~ What To Do With 'Drunken' Officers - Wednesday, 11 October - Sunday, 15 October 1916

Impression sketch for What To Do With 'Drunken' Officers.

i

In a number of insubordinations, various

Appearances of officers stood before

Major-General Lord Cheylesmore, who

Presided at a court-martial, Westminster.

A Commandant of Bisley Camp School

Of musketry, who had in his youth been

Described as an all round sportsman -

Though 'a little too eager to shoot birds.'

Eager Major-General Lord Cheylesmore 

Was fond of 'teaching the young idea

To shoot' - along with Karl Hans Lody trial
He had many court-martials under his belt.

Major-General Lord Cheylesmore now
Turned his talents to home grown issues -

He faced an accused Second Lieutenant

F. L. Whalley, who had pleaded not guilty.

A charge held on the Lieutenant as drunk

On 6 September 1916, at the Wimbledon

Common camp, 10.45 p.m. - the court
Listened to how Whalley's story unfolded.

A taxi cab driver appeared at servant's

Hut on the camp, asking for Lieutenant

Whalley's servant Private Donovan, who

He addressed, to request the officer’s fare.

The driver had refused the idea of being

Given a cheque - although not very clear,

Private Andrews likely went to officers

Mess, to inform another officer of events.

A further witness confirmed how Lieutenant

Whalley was slumped on his bed to appear

Drunk - in shaking him he asked him what

He was going to do; 'give the man a cheque.'

Whalley asked them to write this for him -

Private Donovan advised the driver a cheque

For 25s would be posted - in his evidence

Whalley informed court of personal worries.

Since late August his concerns centred 

About his wife having recently given birth -

On 5 September he had been all day at the

Nursing home, returning to camp at 9 p.m.

He could not sleep so then returned

To the nursing home by 1 a.m., where

Two Doctors held no hope for his wife.
In addition the child would not survive.

Staying there for many hours he finally

Left 9 p.m. Whalley took a taxi to stop

At a hotel, to drink 3 sodas and brandies

He had not eaten - but nor was he drunk.

Collapse came from mental worry and

Physical exertion - court then heard how

Whalley had been in army 11 years with

4 years active service in South Africa.

During that time no crime had been made

Against him - a letter was provided by late 
Lord Roberts to Whalley's parents, to say 

He had been part of his close bodyguard.

Whalley carried out his duties smartly,

As a keen soldier - while Captain Neale

Advised he proved to be excellent officer

And popular with colleagues and men.

ii

From Bedfordshire Yeomanry stood

Second Lieutenant H. E. R. Craig, to be

Accused that on 16 September 1916 he 

Was at Empire Music Hall Promenade.

He was found dancing whilst in uniform.

Captain T. V. Brown, Assistant Provost

Marshal of Australian Force, saw Craig

Step dancing, his arm around a civilian.

Captain Brown spoke to Craig to say his

Behaviour did not become an officer -

The Lieutenant replied he was not doing

Any harm - the Captain asked for his card.

The reply was, 'I have not got any,' to add

Was his word not good enough? then given

An order to report on Monday. 'I cannot

Do it' - then Craig followed Captain Brown.

Craig had asked for Brown's card in order

He may lodge a complaint; at 11.15 p.m.
A Captain Cameron asked him, after what

Brown had said, why did he follow him?

Craig denied he followed Brown - asked

Again if he understood he was to report

To the Provost-Marshals office the next

Morning - the reply was, 'I cannot report.'

After repeating that he must report, Craig

Was told not to loiter but go on his way -

Giving back reply, 'I shall stay where I like.'

At that point he was arrested and taken.

Travelling quietly in the taxicab Craig was

Quite sober - at Scotland Yard Lieutenant

Craig was put into a cell, to perform steps

Of a dance as the door was being locked.

Lieutenant Craig faced court-marshal over

3 charges of insubordination to a superior

Officer - this he denied, stating how he had

Only been at Promenade talking to a friend.

Further to explain that after being led into

The cell, where all the windows were open,

Lieutenant Craig stamped his feet to keep

Warm and that he had not been dancing.

iii

Second Lieutenant A. E. N. Phillips, an

Officer of the Royal Garrison Artillery sent

A telegram to the Anti Aircraft company,

Commander Captain Rotteburg one Saturday.

His words, 'kindly excuse me parade this

Morning: unavoidably detained.' Without word

Until Monday 18 September, to say by wire

He would report Tuesday with explanations.

Second Lieutenant A. E. N. Phillips was

Actually absent from Friday 15 to Tuesday

19 September - in his decision not to give

Any explanations, he instead gave evidence.

Stating that his section had no weekend duty,

Phillips had not realised that there were strict

Regulations in what his absence had meant -

If known he would not have taken time away.

Lieutenant Phillips defended his character,

To state he had been in the Matabeleland

And Natal Mounted Police, South Africa -

Having gained medals prior to his arrival.

He had decided to leave his police post there

To travel to England and fight for the Empire.

Having heard evidence, the court remained

Undecided on Lieutenant Phillips sentence.

Vi

On another day, without any connection,

A second Lieutenant of the Australian

Imperial Force, G. D. Lemon, had been

Present in London, 23 September 1916.

Second Lieutenant Lemon faced charges

Of drunken behaviour in Leicester Square

10.30 p.m. when he should have reported

To camp, catching his train from Waterloo.

Missing the 5.50 p.m. train that evening,

Lemon advised he was unaware of having

To get a specific train - he met an Australian

Friend, intending to travel to camp with them.

Lemon planned his return Sunday morning.

His promotion to rank of Second Lieutenant

From private had occurred in 1916; a court

Martial existed from August, for being drunk.

With Lieutenant Lemon's sentence yet to be

Decided, as was Second Lieutenant Phillips,
Lieutenant Craig, the keen, sober dancer's

Summing up said 'not guilty' - while Whalley's

Concerns for his wife, was found 'not guilty.'

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Courts-Martial - Charges Against Officers. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 7 October 1916. P.x14. Col.1. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213397/Daily-Telegraph-October-7-1916.html> [Accessed: 11 October 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 11 October 2016). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12213397/Daily-Telegraph-October-7-1916.html

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

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