Berton Braley (1882 – 1966) - American poet

 With thanks to Chris Dubbs for finding the “Puck” magazine of August 1917 cover with artwork by American artist and sculptor Louis Meyer (1869 – 1969) and poem “Patria’s Progress No. 3” by American poet Berton Braley (1882 – 1966)

Berton was born in Madison, Wisconsin, USA on 29th January 1882.

His WW1 poetry collections were: "A Banjo at Armageddon" (1917). New York: George H. Doran Company and

"In Camp and Trench: Songs of the Fighting Forces" (1918). New York: George H. Doran Company

Berton died on 23rd January 1966.

“Puck” was the first successful humour magazine published in the United States of America containing colourful cartoons, caricatures and political satire of the issues of the day. It was founded in 1871 as a German-language publication by Joseph Keppler, an Austrian-born cartoonist. The first English language edition of “Puck” was published in 1877, covering issues like New York City's Tammany Hall, presidential politics, and social issues of the late 19th century to the early 20th century. The magazine ceased publication in 1918.

"Puckish" means "childishly mischievous". This led Shakespeare's Puck (from his play “A Midsummer Night's Dream”) to be recast as a charming boy and used as the title of the magazine. “Puck” was the first magazine to carry illustrated advertising and the first to successfully adopt full-color lithography printing for a weekly publication.

The poem on the cover of "Puck" :

Berton Braley features in Catherine W. Reilly's book "English Poetry of the First World War: A Bibliography" (St. Martin's Press, New York, 1978) p. 394.

Robert Jentzsch (1890 – 1918) – German poet and mathmetician - Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class

With thanks to AC Benus* for finding this poet and his poems for us. Although it has not been possible so far to find any war-related poems by Robert Jentsch it is entirely possible that he wrote some and that they were either not published or lost. 

Robert c. 1910

Robert Georg Adolf Alfred Jentzsch was born on 4th November 1890 in the capital city of Prussia, Königsberg (now Kaliningrad).  Robert was the youngest of four children.  Robert’s father, Alfred Jentzsch , was a professor of geology in Königsberg and later moved to Berlin. Robert’s brother Felix Jentzsch became a physicist.

Educated at the Prinz-Heinrich-Gymnasium in Berlin, Robert went on to study mathematics in Jena. He only stayed one semester in Jena before moving back to Berlin. In 1908 he enrolled at the then Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin as a mathematics student. Between 1911 and 1912 he studied in Munich before returning to Berlin.  He received his doctorate in 1914 from Ferdinand Georg Frobenius on the subject of investigations into the theory of the consequences of analytical functions and received the award "summa cum laude".

Robert joined the expressionist Berlin poets' association Der Neue Club, of which the well-known poet and friend of Robert’s - Georg Heym – was also a member. The tragic accidental death of  his friend Georg Heym while ice skating in January 1912 upset Robert deeply.  

Robert joined the Germany Army early in the First World War.  He served at the front and was discharged. He then signed up again and was in Command of a Battalion of a Communications Company when he was killed on 21st March 1918 during the Battle of Cambrai on the St. Quentin Canal as part of the German spring offensive that was just beginning. He was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st class.

Robert during WW1

From AC Benus:

I had hoped to find war poems from him, but this morning I'm convinced he wrote none, or that none survive.

Here's a sample of his work from 1911, together with my translation of the poem:

Die Gefangenen

Uns blieb das enge Zimmer nicht erspart;

Drin wir wie Tiere trotten auf und ab.

– Die Zeit fällt langsam in ihr Abgrund-Grab . . .

Der Teppich schweigt und jene Diele knarrt.

Weh! Schon fließt über schrill im Abendrot

Der Horizont! – fern hinterm Fensterglas . . .

Da schäumt noch einmal wütend unser Haß.

Dann wirft er uns zu Schatten, toll und tot.

The Prisoners

We weren't deprived of a single small cell;

Pent in there, we paced like beasts all around.

– Time into its hell-grave gets slowly ground . . .

The rug's silent, and that floorboard creaks well.

Oh! The sunset flows so soon harshly red

On the horizon! – the window's glass plate . . .

Where once more furiously foams our hate.

Then it casts us to shadows, raged and dead.

Sources:

https://archive.org/details/dieschriftendesn0000unse/page/216/mode/2up

p. 626 ( Die Aktion)

https://archive.org/details/dieschriftendesn0000unse/page/626/mode/2up

Here is the German wiki entry on the man:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Jentzsch

 And in google translation:

https://de-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Robert_Jentzsch?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Cover of Robert's poetry
collection "Versensporn"

* AC Benus is the author of a book about German WW1 poet Hans Ehrenbaum-Degele : “The Thousandth Regiment: A Translation of and Commentary on Hans Ehrenbaum-Degele’s War Poems” by AC Benus (AC Benus, San Francisco, 2020). Along with Hans's story, the book includes original poems as well as translations.    ISBN: 978-1657220584

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1657220583

Fabian Strachan Woodley, MC (1888 – 1957) - British journalist, WW1 soldier, school teacher and poet

With thanks to AC Benus for finding the poems of Fabian Strachan Woodley for us 

Fabian at school

 Fabian Strachan Woodley was born on 19th July 1888, in Redland, Bristol, UK. His parents were William Augustus Woodley Jnr. (1855-1933), a solicitor and co-proprietor of the “Somerset County Gazette” newspaper, and Ada Constance Woodley, née Strachan (d. 29 December 1920).  Fabian had one younger brother, SeymourAnnerley Strachan Woodley, who was born in 1905 and died in 1986.

 Fabian's paternal grandfather was William Augustus Woodley (1817-1891), owner of the Somerset County Gazette from 1843 and his great-grandfather, the Rev. George Woodley (bap. 1786, d. 1846), was also a poet.

 Educated at Cheltenham College from 1903–1907, where he was in Southwood House and was a member of the Clifton Rugby Club, Fabian went on to study for a BA at University College, Oxford, qualifying in 1911.  At Oxford, Fabian was captain of his college rugby team.

After university, Fabian went to work for the “Bristol Times and Mirror” newspaper, before going to live and work in London.   In September 1914, he was commissioned as a Temporary Lieutenant and joined the 8th Service Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers.  In September 1915, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and served as an Acting Captain on several occasions while in command of Companies.

Fabian was awarded three Divisional Parchment Certificates for gallantry in action and was awarded the Military Cross (MC) in October 1916: ‘For conspicuous gallantry during operations. By his skill and determination he beat off three counter-attacks of the enemy, who were endeavouring to reach his trench. Four days later he led his men in two attacks with great pluck’. When recommending him for a permanent commission in August, 1918, his Commanding Officer wrote: "This officer has served continuously in France for a period of two years and 8 months, and has commanded a Company both in and out of the line, for 2½ years”. The “Gloucestershire Echo” of Wednesday, 22 May 1918 reported that Fabian Strachan Woodley had been wounded.

After the war, Fabian studied for a Diploma in Journalism before working with his father on the staff of the “Somerset County Gazette”.   He went on to teach English at several schools, including Wrekin and served with the Officers Training Corps (OTC).  He taught for many years at the Peter Symonds School in Winchester.  

On the 1939 Census, Fabian was living in Winchester and described himself as a Secondary School Teacher.   He died on 8th August 1957. 

Fabian’s WW1 poetry collection was entitled “A Crown of Friendship, and other poems” and was published by Woodley, Williams & Dunsford, Taunton, in 1921.  

Catherine W. Reilly -  “English Poetry of the First World War:  A Bibliography” (St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1978),  p. 342 

"Aftermath" by Fabian Strachan Woodley

God! this is Death in Life – to wake at morn 

Heart-sick with memories; till the sun set 

To watch the long day wane, with soul forlorn 

For ever striving to forget – forget! 

Gone is the old content; from field and flower 

The glory fled; Pleasure turned Bitterness; 

Desire grown dim ere ever the longed-for hour 

Might in oblivion steep the heart’s distress. 

Could I but hear once more the bugle sound, 

Into belovèd eyes look once again, 

Clasp the strong hands of fighting men – my men, 

In one united comradeship firm bound – 

From the dead ashes of My Self would soar 

A Phoenix-soul in love with Life once more!  

You can read more of Fabian’s poems on AC Benus’s fantastic website

https://gayauthors.org/story/ac-benus/the-great-mirror-of-same-sex-love-poetry/55

Sources:  Catherine Reilly, Find my Past, Free BMD and Wikipedia