Eugenio Montale (1896 – 1981) - Italian poet, writer, editor and translator, recipient of the 1975 Nobel Prize in Literature.

With thanks to WW1 from Italy on Twitter, whose post led to this research, and to AC Benus* for translating the poem for us 

Born in Genoa, Italy on 12th October 1896, Eugenio was was the youngest of six sons. His family were traders in chemical products. He gave up his secondary education and began to train as an opera singer.  During the First World War, Eugenio served as an Infantry Officer in the Italian Army on the Italian Front.   

Eugenio was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1975;   he died in Milan on 12th September 1981.

His poetry collection “Ossi di seppia” ("Cuttlefish Quills") was first published in 1925 and contains this poem, bearing in mind the title of the poem - "Valmorbia", it seems very likely that this was inspired by his First World War service in the Italian Army. 

"Valmorbia"

Valmorbia, discorrevano il tuo fondo

fioriti nuvoli di piante agli àsoli. 

Nasceva in noi, volti dal cieco caso, 

oblio del mondo.

Tacevano gli spari, nel grembo solitario 

non dava suono che il Leno roco. 

Sbocciava un razzo su lo stelo, fioco 

lacrimava nell'aría.

Le notti chiare erano tutte un'alba 

e portavano volpi alla mia grotta. 

Valmorbia, un nome – e ora nella scialba 

memoria, terra dove non annotta.

"Valmorbia" - Montale's poem translated into English for us by Poet, Writer, Historian AC Benus*

Valmorbia, your thick flowered clouds of plants on high

speak a breath of wind to your bottom lands.

Says, it's been left to us, by blind circumstances,

to face the world's oblivion.

Muffled were the gunshots in the solitary lap of depth

to grant no sound but that of the hoarse god of war.

Above, a rocket bloomed on a tall stem, dimly

weeping plaintively in the air.

The calm, clear nights all became the dawns of my discharge,

and they would drive forth the vixens into my dugout.

Valmorbia, a hollow name – now dulled in whitewashed

memory, a land with no sleep.

NOTE: Valmorbia is a hamlet in the municipality of Vallarsa, in the province of Trento, in the region of Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. Fort Pozzacchio was built there during World War I above Valmorbia, Italy. 

The fort was the last fortification of the barricade to be started on the imperial border with Italy. On the Italian side, the complex is called "Forte Pozzacchio".

Fort Pozzacchio, Italian Front, WW1

Sources:

https://liceocuneo.it/raimondo/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/Testi-Montale.pdf

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1975/montale/biographical/

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/eugenio-montale

http://www.worldwarone.it/2013/06/the-poets-and-world-war-valmorbia-by.html

https://www.summitpost.org/valmorbia-by-eugenio-montale-the-poet-soldier-on-the-summits-of-pasubio/814748

*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

Harry Amoss (1890 – 1965) – Canadian Poet

Harry Amoss was the pen name of Harold Edwin Amoss, who was born on 22nd April 1890 in Corinth,Ontario, Canada. His parents were James Amoss, a teacher, and his wife, Annie, nee Hockey.  Harry also studied to become a teacher.

In 1911, Harry married Janet Mary Ellen Anderson.

During the First World War, Harry served with the 73rd Battery of the Canadian Field Artillery and his brother, Francis Xavier Amoss, who was awarded the Military Cross, also served with the Canadian forces in France during WW1.

After the war, Harry returned to Canada and resumed teaching.  He died in February 1965.

Here is a passage from Harry’s retrospective poem "Passchendaele 1917", published in 1933:

… war has stripped illusions Buddha-wise

Has tossed the tinsel on the winds astrew,

And with gaunt fingers rent the robes of pride

Till life in naked worth confronts the eyes

Amoss, Harry. “Prayer of the Good Trouper and Other Poems” (Ryerson, Toronto, 1933)

From http://www.flanderstoday.eu/living/canada-flanders-offers-solemn-tribute-countrys-role-first-world-war

“By the end of the war, some 619,000 Canadians had enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force for service overseas. This was an enormous contribution from a country with a population of just under 8 million in 1914. Approximately 7% of the total population of Canada was in uniform at some point during the conflict, and hundreds of thousands of additional Canadians worked on the home front in support of the war effort.

While initially consisting mostly of white British-born Canadians, the Canadian Expeditionary Force also included other cultural groups: aboriginals of the First Nations, black Canadians and Americans, and even West Indians from the island of Bermuda.”

Percy Haselden (1887 – 1959) – British poet

With grateful thanks to Historian Debbie Cameron for finding the poet known as Percy Haselden in 2014 and to Linda Michelini* for her 2023 response to my original request posted on the Fascinating Facts weblog in 2014 for information regarding the poet.

Born Percy Haselden Evans in Liscard on the Wirral Peninsula, England on 5th December 1886, Percy was baptised on 27th March 1887.  Percy’s parents were William Parry Evans, a cotton broker, and his wife, Matilda, nee Haselden, who were married in 1884.  

Linda tells us that Percy was educated at Denstone College in Staffordshire. According to the college magazine ”The Denstonian”, he wrote using the name Percy Haselden. 

It seems Percy may possibly have served during the First World War with the Cheshire Regiment. However in 1918 he registered as a teacher with The Teachers' Registration Council Registers 1914-1948 and is listed as having first worked as a teacher in 1909.     

According to the “London Gazette” on 21st August 1919, Percy dropped the use of Evans and officially became known by Deed Poll as Percy Haselden. However, when he married Rose Phyllis Sutcliffe in 1921 in Essex, Percy still used the surname Evans. On the 1921 Census we find Percy Haselden Evans and his wife Rose Phyllis living in Brentwood, Essex. Percy was listed as an art teacher. Their son, Roger was born in Essex in 1937 – the birth being registered in March.  

On the1939 Census, Phyllis was listed living in Kingsbridge, Devon with some of her family members and Roger. Phyllis was described as “Married” but, at that time, Percy was still in Billericay and described himself on the 1939 Census as “Assistant School Master (Art Master) (Travelling).    

If anyone has any definite information and a photograph of Percy please get in touch.

Percy Haselden's WW1 poems were published by Erskine Macdonald in 1917 under the title "In the wake of the Sword".  His poem "Searchlights on the Mersey" was published in "The Fiery Cross: an Anthology" edited by Mabel C. Edwards and Mary Booth and published by Grant Richards in 1915.

"Searchlights on the Mersey" by Percy Haselden 

A LONG lean bar of silver spans

    The ebon-rippled water-way,

And like a lost moon's errant ray

    Strikes on the passing caravans.

Ghost ships that from the desert seas

    Loom silent through the steady beams,

Pale phantoms of elusive dreams

    Cargoed with ancient memories.

Through the long night, across the cool

    Black waters to their shrouded berth;

Bearing the treasures of the earth

    Glide the fair ships to Liverpool.

DEVON MEN by Percy Haselden

From Bideford to Appledore the meadows lie aglow 

With kingcup and buttercup that flout the summer snow; 

And crooked-back and silver-head shall mow the grass to-day, 

And lasses turn and toss it till it ripen into hay; 

For gone are all the careless youth did reap the land of yore, 

The lithe men and long men, 

The brown men and strong men, 

The men that hie from Bideford and ruddy Appledore. 

From Bideford and Appledore they swept the sea of old 

With cross-bow and falconet to tap the Spaniard's gold; 

They sped away with dauntless Drake to traffic on the Main, 

To trick the drowsy galleon and loot the treasure train ; 

For fearless were the gallant hands that pulled the sweeping oar, 

The strong men, the free men, 

The bold men, the seamen, 

The men that sailed from Bideford and ruddy Appledore. 

From Bideford and Appledore in craft of subtle gray 

Are strong hearts and steady hearts to keep the sea to-day ; 

So well may fare the garden where the cider-apples bloom 

And summer weaves her colour-threads upon a golden loom; 

For ready are the tawny hands that guard the Devon shore, 

The cool men, the bluff men, 

The keen men, the tough men, 

The men that hie from Bideford and ruddy Appledore ! 

PERCY HASELDON 

Reprinted by special permission of London "Punch" Magazine in “The Great War in Verse and Prose” edited by James Elgin Wetherell, (Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Toronto, Printed and Published by A. T. Wilgress, 1919.)

*Linda Woodfine Michelini is one of the researchers for the Liverpool Pals in the First World War.  To find out more about the Liverpool Pals and read some of their very interesting stories, please visit their website http://liverpoolpals.com

Sources:  Find my Past, Free BMD,

https://allpoetry.com/Searchlights-on-the-Mersey#:~:text=Searchlights%20on%20the,ships%20to%20Liverpool.

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBOR%2FLONDON-GAZETTE%2F1929%2F08-27_33529_0055&parentid=GBOR%2FLONDON-GAZ%2F%2F05940701

http://www.worldwar1schoolarchives.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/1915_121.pdf

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/46427/46427.txt

https://archive.org/stream/greatwarinversea00wethuoft/greatwarinversea00wethuoft_djvu.txt

Catherine W. Reilly “English Poetry of the First World War:  A Bibliography” (St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1978) pp. 7, 31 and 162, which tells us that Percy had a poem published in two WW1 anthologies - “The Fiery Cross” and “The Great War in Verse and Prose” edited by James Elgin Wetherell, (Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Toronto, Printed and Published by A. T. Wilgress,  1919.)

Frank Percival Dixon (1898 – 1918) – Canadian WW1 soldier poet

 

With thanks to Steve Glover,  Historian and PR Officer of Barrie Legion, Canada, and Frank's Great Niece, Carol Ogaranko, for their help and to Dr Connie Ruzich for posting Frank's poem "Cigarettes" on Twitter.

Frank Percival Dixon was born in Elkhorn, Manitoba, Canada on 16th April 1898.  His parents were William John Dixon and his Ellen Mary Dixon, nee Cole. Frank Dixon was the fourth child born to William John and Ellen Mary, who were married in Shoal Lake in 1888. Frank and his siblings were educated at the local public school in Elkhorn.  Before the First World War, Frank served with the 12th Manitoba Dragoons.

Frank enlisted on 21st December 1916 as a Gunner in the Canadian Field Artillery.  He went to France with the 10th Brigade, CEF and transferred to a Signalling Corps.  Frank was mortally wounded on 29th August 1918 during the Second Battle of Arras (26 August – 3 September 1918) and died from his wounds. He was buried in LIGNY-ST. FLOCHEL BRITISH CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France, Grave Reference:  II. F. 10.

Ligny-St.Flochel is a village about 6.5 kilometres east of St.Pol on the main road to Arras. The distance from Ligny-St. Flochel to Arras is approximately 24 kilometres. The Ligny-St.Flochel British Cemetery is situated to the south of the village on the east side of the road to the village of Averdoingt.

Frank’s mother, Ellen Mary Dixon, published Frank’s poems in 1937 in a book entitled, “War-Time Memories in Verse” – there were 40 pages and it was privately printed. 

 Frank's poem “Cigarettes” was included in a book edited by Barry Callaghan and Bruce Meyer. They collected a number of poems soldiers had written during WW1 and published a book in 2001 called, “We Wasn’t Pals.” When a singer Jon Brooks saw this poem in their book, he appreciate it so much he set it to music and produced a CD.

NOTE: Tobacco was considered to be a very important part of keeping up the morale of troops in the trenches and so was included in ration packs supplied by the military to the troops - 2oz of tobacco per day.tobacco.  on the home front, funds were established to “send smokes to the boys”, eventually sending 16 billion cigarettes as part of relief by the war’s end.

Frank's poems have recently been republished and this came about when I saw Connie Ruzich's post about Frank P. Dixon’s poems – “Cigarettes” – on Twitter and began to try to find out more about him.  My research led me to The Brandon Legionnaire Newsletter – 2 April 2021

https://www.brandonlegion.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2021-Legionnaire-April.pdf

That brought me to the Barrie Legion 147 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/legion147  

The Legion mentioned that they were hoping to reprint Frank’s poetry collection.   I sent them a message regarding a reprint and that brought me into contact with Steve Glover, Barrie Legion Branch Historian, who, in turn put me in touch with Frank’s Great-niece.

With grateful thanks to Dr Connie Ruzich who posted the poem "Cigarettes" on Twitter, to Steve Glover, the Historian of the Barrie Legion Branch for putting me in touch with Carol Ogaranko - Frank’s Great niece and for additional information about Frank and the Dixon family - and to Carol and her family for allowing us to reproduce Frank’s collection of poems and sending us the poems, photos and information about Frank.

Lucy London, 16th April 2023 

Donald Alxander Mackenzie MA MC (1889 - 1971) – British school teacher

With thanks to Historian Andrew Mackay for finding this poet and poem for us

Donald Alexander Mackenzie was born in Wigan, Lancashire, UK on 1st June 1889. His parents were Duncan Mackenzie, a commercial traveller, and his wife, Jessie who were both from Scotland.  Donald had the following siblings: Finlay Mackenzie, b. 1874, Annie Mackenzie, b. 1876, Maggie Mackenzie, b. 1878 and William Mackenzie, b. 1880.

Educated at Standishgate Weslyan School and Wigan Grammar School, he went on to study at Victoria University, Manchester. 

Donald became a teacher eacher and taught at Carre’s Grammar School, Sleaford, 1910-1913, Central Secondary School, Sheffield, 1913-1920. 

Volunteering for service during the First World War, Donald served initially as a Lieutenant in C Battery, 317th (Northumberland) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery TF for four years. He wrote a poem about Wigan, originally entitled “Home Thoughts from France” while on the Somme in May 1918.

After the war Donald became Secretary for Higher Education, Sheffield, Assistant Editor of “Teachers’ World” until 1944, Principal of Gaumont British Education Division, 1944-1949.  In 1951 he was working as a freelance journalist, living at ‘The Grove’, Greville Park Avenue, Ashstead, Surrey.

Donald died in Worthing, Sussex in 1971.

Sources:  Find my Past, Free BMD and

https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Docs/PDF/Resident/Leisure/Museums-and-archives/archives/Past-Forward/pf33.pdf

Kim Beattie (1900-1963) – Canadian poet and writer born in Ponsonby Ontario, Canada

With thanks to Greg Oakes for contacting me via the weblog, suggesting I add Kim Beattie to my list of WW1 poets, and to Steve Glover and Greg Oakes for sending me additional biographical details about Kim. If anyone has a photo of Kim please get in touch.

Kim was born Walter Kimberley Beattie on 2nd March 1900 in Ponsonby.  His parents were Peter Beattie and his wife, Mary Jane, nee Swanston.  Kim grew up in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.    He was named Kim because when he was born the Canadians and British had just taken Kimberley in the Boer War.  Kim ran away to Toronto as a child. 

During the First World War, Kim enlisted in the 48th Highlanders and served as an officer in the 15th Battalion. His WW1 poetry collection was entitled “And You”. He served again in the Second World War.

Kim Beattie wrote about his WW1 experiences: “Where the barrage had pounded, the trenches were literally smashed out of existence, garrisons were wiped out and countless Huns were buried under the flails of the guns. The Germans met were staggering and dazed.”

Kim dramatically described a seminal moment in Canadian history that for many soon symbolised a coming of age: “And so, as the word sang forth on the wires of the world that ‘the Canadians have taken Vimy Ridge’, men of the battalion were thrilling to their deed as seldom, if ever, they did on a day of victory. The average soldier takes such things as all in the day’s work and leaves the outward evidence of the elation of war to his war correspondents.”

"After Vimy"                                                     

"Vimy Memorial" c. 1930 by
William Longstaff 

In flashes melt my dull-day comforts;

     I drift a-dream down flaming ways;

I see the loom of nature's ramparts

     In Vimy's red-embroidered haze!

At Neuville Ste. Vaaste (reliefs there mustered)

     Are files of men, dim, weaving by

The grim cross-road, where shrapnel flustered,

     In spiteful gusts from a snarling sky!

Where the Nine Elms once defied the ages,

     But to crash and die in war-alarms,

There, the thunders drum as combat rages

     And I glory in a Might of Arms!

I cringe in rush of salvo passings --

     Rumbled threat of grim enterprise;

I pause till distant, rolling crashings,

     Leap and throb and the echo dies.

From Arras reverberates a thresher,

     Horizons foaming, oranging red;

The winds of dawn are blowing fresher,

     As Woods of Farbus loom ahead;

There, blotted Thelus smokes, an ember

     In the swathe of ruin wars enjoy;

And bursts afar the baleful temper

     Of a losing stand before Fresnoy!

The night's pent strain is loosed below me,

     The black is streaked with livid stain,

The stand-to panic floods wide slowly

     As hints of sun cross Douai plain.

From lofty rim are mists swift bolting

     The Ridge of Vimy falls off, sheer;

Shadows surprise with strange, new cloaking,

     And a valley spire is glinting near.

A last rocket wavers, wan and hollow,

     As, lost above, comes a swelling drone --

The impotent "Archie's" white puffs follow

     A belated bomber, homing lone!

The scoring sun with clean rays beating,

     Fills fields forlorn with augury,

And with staunch hearts, in foe's defeating,

     Can see, at last, last victory!

Then from the rear drifts driver bawling --

     A batter labours, changing ground!

In frantic haste a plank road's crawling;

     With toiling men the slopes abound.

A prying plane arcs, and zooms down, scouting,

     And turns to flee like a startled fawn!

Malevolent jaws, once more, are shouting;

     Exultantly the assault goes on!

From “And You!” (MacMillian, Toronto: 1929).  Pages 56-57.

https://peregrineacland.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/after-vimy-from-kim-beatties-and-you/

Captain William Frederick Longstaff (1879–1953) was an Australian painter and war artist best known for his works commemorating those who died in the First World War. The painting is from the Beaverbrook Collection of War Art in the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa.

"Star Shells"                                              

"A Star Shell, 1916" C.W.R. Nevinson

The star shells, like the souls of men,

     Are gleaming through the gloom,

A lovely radiance shudd'ring up

     Above a foul, grim tomb,

To hang in brooding brightness till

     The fall brings black of doom.

The Watcher for the Judgment Day

     In million drops of white;

A sparkling splendour in the sky,

     A brilliant loop of light --

And murder's in yon rifle spurt

     That stabs the aching night!

The slinking shadows stretch and race

     A-down the writhing floors,

As up the jet walls of the night

     The silver seeker soars,

And hovers, while the far guns roll

     Like threat from Heaven's shores!

The peering sentries strain with eyes

     That rim the sandbag tops;

The toiler stays his hand and stills

     And quakes and all life stops,

Till back the shadows shrink and merge --

     And blacker blackness drops!

                --Kim Beattie

"A Star Shell, 1916" painted by artist Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson (1889 – 1946) - the son of Henry Nevinson, the radical journalist, and Margaret Nevinson, an activist in the campaign for women's rights

From “And You!” (MacMillan, Toronto: 1929).  Page 35.

https://peregrineacland.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/star-shells-from-kim-beatties-and-you/

Sources:

https://www.keymilitary.com/article/canadas-first-stand

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/kimbeattie

https://peregrineacland.wordpress.com/tag/kim-beattie/

For additional information and poems about Kim Beattie 

https://peregrineacland.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/after-vimy-from-kim-beatties-and-you/

Beattie, Kim. “48th Highlanders of Canada 1891­-1928. “Toronto: 48th Highlanders of Canada, 1932.

https://qormuseum.org/tag/remembrance/