Soldier Poets

Discussion in 'General' started by Gerry Chester, Oct 21, 2004.

  1. Gerry Chester

    Gerry Chester WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    One cannot but be emotionally moved when reading the works of poets from the Great War, Brookes, Owen, Rosenberg and Sassoon. among them. The writings of many, the last three mentioned particularly, dwell heavily on the horrors of war, whereas WW II soldier poets ( at least those of whom I have read) dwell more on individual experiences - the North Irish Horse is honoured to have one who served in North Africa and Italy.

    C Squadron's Trooper Jack Neilson MM and Bar was born in southern Ireland but settled in Northern Ireland after the war. He was one of the best known soldiers of the Regiment and, as well as his obvious courage, a man with a love for poetry and words - entitled 'The Observer', here is what he penned on 7 April 1943 while in action near Beja, Tunisia.


    At Ksar Masour Station in Wog Hut Watching
    Silent stand in Observation post,
    Field glasses focused on form opposite,
    Two miles of undulating greenness
    On skyline, red roofed white buildings,
    And nearer the broken fuselage of a Focke-Wulf.
    Intensely aware of singing birds,
    See love-sick storks, building nest.
    By soft breeze over valley drifting
    The sickly scent of death.
    Quietness suddenly shattered
    By Wheow - Wheow - Whumph!
    Of German Six Inch Mortar
    Hastily our Five Fives
    Quickly send screaming
    Their hazard messengers of death.
    In hut on far farm watching
    Stands silent some German boy,
    Wistfully thinking of Gamerisch-Partenkirchen.
    Brain war weary asking 'Why?'
    So, watching, invisible to each other
    Mutually wonder 'Why?'
    And the stork builds on.

    Should this topic be of interest I will post some Jack's other works. Perhaps others may have know other works that may be shared with members of the Forum.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. BeppoSapone

    BeppoSapone Senior Member

    Gerry

    Very interesting. Did Trooper Neilson MM and Bar enter any of the series of poetry competitions organized in 8th Army by the Army Educational Corps? I don't have my book to hand, so can't check. Can you post some more of his work anyway?

    The book I mention above is of Seventy-Two poems, written in Sicily and Italy between July 1943 and March 1944, and published with an introduction by Siegfried Sassoon.

    Here is one sample poem "To an Unknown British Soldier". It was written by a Lieutenant M J Disney. Of Disney I know nothing, other than he seems to have survived the war, as he does not appear on the CWGC Register.

    To an Unknown British Soldier

    We shall not stay to see the peace we won,
    Nor watch the world grow clean again from war;
    Find no forgetfullness of things we saw,
    In careless freedom under England's sun
    Let not the living mock the price we paid,
    Or bring dishonour on our half-done task;
    Hold not from us the only gift we ask -
    Assurance that the dead be not betrayed.
    When others feel the joy of lover's kiss
    Or gaze in gladness on the springtime flowers,
    Or hear the children laugh in playtime hours,
    We shall not grudge the happiness we miss.
    But let no hatred wake us from our peace,
    We gave our lives that enmity might cease.

    Very apt, now that poppies are on sale for November 11th.
     
  3. Gerry Chester

    Gerry Chester WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Originally posted by BeppoSapone@Oct 21 2004, 10:14 AM
    Did Trooper Neilson MM and Bar enter any of the series of poetry competitions organized in 8th Army by the Army Educational Corps? I don't have my book to hand, so can't check.

    I don't know but will be most interested in find out if he did. Do you know when the competition was held?
    Can you post some more of his work anyway?

    Will do, I have one Jack wrote while in 36th General Military Hospital, Algiers, recovering from a seriously wounded arm - plus one or two filed away.

    Regards,

    Gerry
     

    Attached Files:

  4. BeppoSapone

    BeppoSapone Senior Member

     
  5. BeppoSapone

    BeppoSapone Senior Member

    Will do, I have one Jack wrote while in 36th General Military Hospital, Algiers, recovering from a seriously wounded arm - plus one or two filed away.

    Regards,

    Gerry
    [post=28869]Quoted post[/post]
    [/quote]

    Gerry

    Looking forward to it.

    Regards

    Tony
     
  6. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Great subject Gerry I do love a bit of poetry, my favourite
    Is the book that Beppaspone spoke about, which is titled:
    Poems from the Desert, this is a collection of poems written
    By members of the Eighth Army while serving in the
    Western Desert from December 1942 to February 1943.
    There were some 403 poems submitted for a competition
    That the Crusader (Eighth Army weekly paper) ran in their
    Christmas 1942 edition and twenty six of these poems
    Were selected and are included in this book.

    Here is a little taster:

    They’re coming from the Highlands,
    They’re coming from the glen;
    From pits and workshop benches,
    Come Britain’s fighting men,
    From Empire’s far flung countries,
    To answer mother’s call:
    Proud heads aloft-in Honour’s Name,
    They march-Crusaders All!

    In response to Monarch’s summons,
    To all that we hold dear;
    For Freedom, Justice, Liberty-
    While Life is with us here;
    In the Name of God and Empire
    We rally to the call;
    We pledge our lives and all our strength
    And march-Crusaders All!

    We march in tens of thousands-
    All colours, race, and creed;
    Calm and strong, united
    Till tyrants’ slaves are freed.
    Courage then, brave peoples,
    For we have heard your call;
    We will not fail you, steel your hearts,
    We march-Crusaders All!

    F.Z.Smith
    Lieutenant
    (Regiment unknown - Serving with the Eighth Army)

    Unfortunately Trooper Neilson MM and Bar don't have any poems
    in this particular book but I am sure there is another book that was
    done for Italy maybe they could be in there.
     
  7. Gerry Chester

    Gerry Chester WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    As promised here is another of Jack Neilson's poems.

    African Victory
    Written 13 May 1943 while recovering from wounds in 36th General Hospital, Algiers. His tank was knocked out Friday, 30th April 1943 - the only one lost to a Panzer during the Tunisian Campaign.

    As a preface Jack wrote:
    "In the flush of Victory I noticed that every soldier in Hospital wore a wristwatch or ring, 'presents from loved ones'.
    One thought of the cost of victory, the dead at Sedjenane and Longstop, each dead soldier wearing some token of love and so representing not a mere individual, but a person whose manner of living influenced others, who thus became poorer because of that death. Thus victory for the soldier is not something to be lightly celebrated: to the soldier, victory and dead friends are bracketed together."

    Rommel's rout,
    Church bells peal gaily,
    Victory's price paid freely
    From Greenhill to Longstop -
    All the Medjerda Valley -
    From Bizerte to Tunis -
    Ours by conquest.
    Paid for yard by yard,
    With dead soldiers
    Men and boys
    Wearing wrist watches,
    Presents from loved ones.
    Through mud and through blood,
    To the green fields beyond.
    Beyond the green fields,
    And lurking round the bend
    Death, the inevitable friend
    Freedom's cost -
    Paid by us!
    Freedom's Torch -
    Yours to keep flaming!
    Remember the dead soldiers
    Men and boys,
    Wearing wrist watches
    Presents from loved ones.
     
  8. Gerry Chester

    Gerry Chester WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Battle in Tunisia
    Written 10th April 1943.

    As a preface Jack Neilson wrote:
    "This poem written on Blackwatch Hill while sheltering under my tank from enemy shellfire, gives an accurate and fairly detailed account of a few hours' typical tank battle."

    Sleeping, blear-eyed, flaps furiously banging,
    'Wakicc, wakiee, tour a.m., get cracking!'
    First light, faint Orange appears eastward
    Rev. to fifteen hundred, let clutch in,
    With clatter and clang of giant mowing machine
    The masculine monsters move ponderously forward
    Squadron sweeps line abreast across the plain,
    Through fields of luscious green
    Rustling wheat, ablaze with golden flowers
    Tracks clang furiously over rocky outcrop,
    And tank slithers to rest with broken track.
    Spanners and sledges flung furiously down,
    The sweating crew work swearing on the broken track,
    Suddenly fling flat for screaming shell,
    Twenty yards away freckled gunner kid
    Dead, lies inertly in a bloody heap.
    'Grab his rifle, he won't need it again!'

    'Get that brew of tea on!'

    Water quickly simmers on petrol tire.

    'Throw the Compo1 in, and make it strong!'
    Ton and a half of broken track linked up
    'Hey, we're moving; jump in!'
    Scramble into tank swallowing scalding tea
    Through lips sticky with four days' stubble,
    Cram sardines and bully into mouth
    Light up inevitable fag, eyes strain through visor
    Speeding over fields spangled red with poppies
    Flat out to hidden gully, slam on brakes,
    Forty tons balance gently, see-saw over.
    On skyline see Jerry Mark Four Tank
    'Gunner, traverse left. Steady, you're on!'
    Telescope cross wires quickly, swing central
    'That's got him—Yahoo Mahommed!'2
    Commander's cry of boyish glee
    Quick rush to grab loot

    Creep cautiously uphill to hull down position
    Intently peering through periscope
    At changing world of four by two
    Over crest, screaming Stukas swoop
    Gunners with Besas blaze furiously
    Arid puff of bomb blast taps face,
    Raid over, taut nerves relax.
    'Let's get another brew on!'
    And so the battle carries on.


    1: Army tea, sugar and milk powder used tor making tea.
    2: Originally the Battle Cry at the Paratroopers who were with'C'Squadron at Sedjenane, passed from them to us, and so generally to the Royal Armoured Corps.

    This poem is included in a collection published by the Salamander Oasis Trust ( a registered charity) in "From Oasis into Italy."
     
  9. Walts Daughter

    Walts Daughter Junior Member

    This gentleman is not famous, but I thought some of the readers would like to read his poetry. He was a WWII Combat Engineer.

    Memories of Bill Gentry

    Thanks! :)
     

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