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1|P a g e O b s e r v e t h e S o n s o f U l s t e r M a r c h i n g T o w a r d s t h e S o m m e E d u c a t i o n P a c k
ContentsPage
Introduction
Page2
Howtousethispack
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ProductionInformation
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PoetryandWorldWarOne:PoemOne
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PoetryandWorldWarOne:PoemTwo
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PoetryandWorldWarOne:PoemThree
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PoetryandWorldWarOne:PoemFour
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We’vesaid“No”andthat’sthat
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Resources
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Conten
tsPage
Photography:JohanPersson
Education Pack
WelcometoObservetheSonsofUlsterMarchingTowardstheSommeEducationPack.
On1July1916,the36th(Ulster)Divisiontookpartinoneofthebloodiestbattlesinhumanhistory.TheBattleoftheSomme.
Onehundredyearson, amajornewco-productionofObservethe Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme directed byHeadlong’sArtisticDirector,JeremyHerrin.
IntheextraordinarycircumstancesofWWI,eightordinarymenarechanged,changedutterly…
ThisiconicwarplaybyFrankMcGuinnessisapowerfulportrayalofmortality,loveandloss.
Whatmorehavewetotelleachother?
Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme issupportedbytheBritishIrishChamberofCommerce.
.
“ThoseIbelongedto,thoseIhavenotforgotten,theirreplaceableones,theykepttheirnerve,andtheydied.”
Introd
uctio
n
HowtousethisResourcePack
BoththeresearchinformationandtheactivitiesinthispackhavebeeninspiredbytheHeadlong,CitizensGlasgow,LiverpoolEveryman&PlayhouseandAbbeyTheatre’sproductionofFrankMcGuiness’ObservetheSonsofUlsterMarchingTowardstheSomme.Thispackmaybeusedtoexploreanddeveloptheplaythroughpracticalactivitiesintheclassroom.
Morematerialsareavailableatwww.headlong.co.uk/work/observe/explore
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CreativeTeam
DirectedbyJeremyHerrinDesignerCiaranBagnallCostumeDesignerNiamhLunnyLightingDesignerPaulKeoganSoundDesignEmmaLaxtonComposerStephenWarbeckCastingDirectorKellyPhelan
OBSERVETHESONSOFULSTERMARCHINGTOWARDSTHESOMME
ByFrankMcGuiness
Photography:JohanPersson
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POEMONEManyofusarefamiliarwiththeworksofSiegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brooke andWilfred Owen but how many of us arefamiliar with the poets of the othernations that participated in this ‘war toendallwars’We will be featuring a series of blogswhere we share the work of these lesswell-knownpoets.Here is thepoem ‘buried’byPierre JeanJouve (1887-1976) who retains today inFrance an exceptional reputation as oneofthetwentiethcentury'spremierpoets.
PierreJeanJouveTheBuriedThismanisinhisfoxholeBuriedalive;He'sbarelybreathing,Withhisbarehands,hedigsouttheearth.Helistens---thesoundofthecanon,Stilldistant,swallowedbytheearth.Hesweats,hispickaxstrikes. HecallstohisbuddiestobesureThattheyarestillalive.Theyfeelastrangemoistness,Liketheearthoozing.Onesays:We'rebeingflooded. ---That'sbetterthen,it'llbeoverfaster.Butwhiledigging,thewaterEngulfstheminer'sfaceHislipsaresmearedwithit:Blood,it'sblood.[…]Theearthcollapses,crackinglimbs,Thebloodystreamrunsfaster,Makingthegroundevermoreviscous.SoonhescratchesoutanothermatterSpongyandwet.Thespongymatterishumanmatter.
Poetryand
WorldW
arOne
Photography:JohanPersson
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POEMTWOWhilstObservetheSonsofUlsterMarchingtowards the Somme is being performed atThePlayhouse(8th–25thJune),we’vebeentrying to learnmore about the experiencesofthesoldierswhofoughtintheFirstWorldWar. One of the ways many of us havelearnt about different soldier’s experiencesis through the poetry of British war poetssuchasWilfredOwen,SiegfriedSassoonandRupertBrooke,however,poetryofotherthenationswhofoughtintheFirstWorldWarisnotascommon.Guillaume Apollinaire (1880 – 1918) was aFrench poet who became famous for hisexperimental verse and his support foravant-gardeartmovementssuchasCubism.He is also considered the forefather ofSurrealism as he coined the term. DuringWorldWar1hefoughtasasoldier,howeverin1916wasbadlywoundedandneverfullyrecovered. He died of influenza during theSpanish Flu pandemic of 1918.
Thereis–GuillaumeApollinaire
ThereisthisshipwhichhastakenmybelovedbackagainTherearesixZeppelinsausagesintheskyandwithnightcomingonitmakesamanthinkofthemaggotsfromwhichthestarsmightsomedayberebornThereisthisenemysubmarineslippingupbeneathmyloveThereareonethousandyoungpinetreessplinteredbytheburstingofthesameshellsfallingaroundmenowThereisthisinfantrymanwalkingbycompletelyblindedbypoisongasThereistheobviousfactthatallthatishappeningherewashatchedalongtimeagointheintestinaltrenchesofNietzcheGoetheandthemetaphysiciansofthetownofCologneThereistheobviousfactthatI'mdyingoveraletterwhichhasthusfarbeendelayedThereareinmywalletvariousphotosofmybelovedThereareprisonersmarchingpastwithanxiousfacesThereisthisartillerybatterywithitsfaithfulservantshurryingamongthegunsThereisthepostmasterarrivingatatrotontheroadbeneaththesingletreeinsilhouetteThereisaccordingtorumoraspywhoinfiltratessomewherenearhereinvisibleasthehorizonasthehorizon-blueFrenchuniformhehasassumedforoffensivepurposesandinwhichheisnowmosteffectivelycamouflagedThereiserectasanylilythebosomofmybelovedGuillaum
eAp
ollin
aire
Photography:JohanPersson
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ThereisthiscaptainanxiouslyawaitingthelatestradiodispatchtoreachusviatransatlanticcableThereareatmidnightthesedetailsofsoldierssawingplanksforcoffinsTherearewomensomewhereinMexicopleadingwithwildcriesformoreIndiancornandmaizeThereisthisGulfStreamwhichissowarmandbeneficialThereisthiscemeterycoveredwithcrossesonlyfivekilometersawayThereareallthesecrosseseverywherethiswaythatwayThereareparadisialpersimmonsgrowingoncactus-treesinAlgeria TherearethelonghandsofmyloveThereisthisinkwellwhichI'vemadefroma150mmshellIsavedfromshootingThereismycavalrysaddleleftoutintherainTherearealltheseriversblastedofftheircourseswhichwillnevergobacktotheirbanksThereisthegodofLovewholeadsmeonsosweetlyThereisthisGermanprisonercarryinghismachine-gunacrosshisshouldersTherearemenonearthwho'veneverfoughtinthewarThereareHindusherewholookwithastonishmentontheoccidentalstyleofcampaignTheymeditategravelyuponthosewho'veleftthisplacewonderingwhetherthey'lleverseethemagainKnowingastheydowhatgreatprogresswe'vemadeduringthisparticularwarintheartofinvisibility
Exercise1.DiaryEntriesandMonologues
TolearnmoreaboutApollinaireclickhere:http://www.firstworldwar.com/poetsandprose/apollinaire.htmImage:http://coeur-grenadine.com/tag-guillaume-apollinaire.html?s=1star
Photography:JohanPersson
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POEMTHREETheFirstWorldWar,morethananyotherwar, is associated with British war poetssuch asWilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoonand Rupert Brook. However, it was notjustBritishsoldierswhotookpentopaperinordertowritetheawfulexperiencesofwarinverse.BlaiseCendrars(1887–1961)wasaSwiss-born novelist and poet who became aFrenchcitizenin1916.Hewasawriterofconsiderable influence in the Europeanmodernistmovement.At theoutbreakoftheFirstWorldWarhe joinedtheFrenchArmy and fought on the front line. InSeptember 1915 he was badly wounded
leadingtothelossofhisrightarmandasaresulthewasdischargedfromthearmy.
WarInLuxembourg–BlaiseCendrars‘Onetwo,onetwoAndeverythingwillgojustright...’TheyweresingingAwoundedsoldierkepttimewithhiscrutchBeneaththebandagehiseyeThesmileoftheLuxembourg AndthesmokefrommunitionsfactoriesAbovethegoldenfoliagePaleautumnsummer'sendYoucan'tforgetanythingOnlylittlechildrenplaywarTheSomme,VerdunMybigbrother'sintheDardanellesIt'ssobeautifulArifleME!CriesmelodiousvoicesCriesME!ThehandsreachoutIlooklikemydaddyTheyhavecannonstooAlittlegirlpretendsshe'sthebicyclemessengerAhobbyhorsewheelsaroundInthebasintheflotillascrisscrossTheParismeridianisinthefountain'ssprayTheymountanattackontheguardwhohastheonlyrealsaberAndhediesThesunhangsabovethepottedpalmsAMilitaryMedalTheyapplaudthezeppelingoingbyoverneartheEiffelTowerBlaiseCen
drars
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ThentheyraisethedeadEveryonewantstobedeadOratleastwoundedREDCutcutCutoffthearmcutofftheheadWHITETheygiveeverythingRedCrossBLUEThenursesaresixyearsoldTheirheartsaredeeplymovedTheytakeouttheirdolls'eyestofixtheblindIcansee!Icansee!TheoneswhowereTurksarenowstretcher-bearersAndtheoneswhoweredeadrevivetotakepartinthemarvelousoperationNowthey'restudyingpicturesinthenewspaperPhotographsTheyrememberwhatthey'veseeninthemoviesItgetsmoreseriousTheyyellandwhackbetterthanPunchandJudyAttheheightofthefrayGet'emwhilethey'rehotEveryonefleestowardthewafflesThey'reready.DIt'sfiveo'clock.RThegatesareclosing.ETimetogohome.AIt'sevening.MTheywaitforthezeppelinthatdoesn'tcomeETiredRGazingattherocketstarsSWhilethemaidpullsyoubythehandAndthemommiesstumbleonthebigshadowcarsTomorroworanotherdayThere'satrenchinthesandpileThere'salittlewoodsinthesandpileTownsAhouseThewholecountryTheSeaAndquitepossiblytheseaTheimprovisedartillerymovesaroundtheimaginarybarbedwireAkitequickasafighterplaneThetreesshrinkandtheflowersfalloutandturnlikeparachutesThethreeveinsoftheflagswellupateveryblastofthewindhowitzerYouwon'tbesweptaway,littlearkofsandChildrenmoreprodigalthantheengineersTheylaughandplaytankpoisongassubmarine-facing-New-York-that-can't-get-throughI'mAustralian,you'reblack,hewashesuptoplaythe-life-of-the-English-soldier-in-BelgiumRussianhelmet1chocolateLegionofHonorisworth3uniformbuttonsThere'sthegeneralgoingbyAlittlegirlsays:IlovemynewAmericanmommyverymuchAndalittleboy:NotJulesVerne,butbuymeanotherniceSundayDispatch.
LearnmoreaboutBlaiseCendrarshere:http://warpoets.org.uk/worldwar1/poets-and-poetry/blaise-cendrars/
Image:http://warpoets.org.uk/worldwar1/poets-and-poetry/blaise-cendrars/
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POEMFOUR
Thepoetryof theFirstWorldWarallowsus to gain an insight into the awfulexperiences of the soldiers who sufferedin the trenches and front-line, an insightthat still resonates in today’s societyaboutthehorrorsofwar.Indeed,WilfredOwen’s Dulce Et Decorum Est andSiegfried Sassoon’sAftermath are still ashaunting today as they were at theirpublication. However, itwas not just thesoldiers whose poetry documented theterribleeffectsofwar.HereGermanpoetYvan Goll, wrote of the awful effects ofthewaronthepeopleofEurope.
Yvan Goll (1891 – 1950) was a GermanpoetwhowasbilingualandwroteinbothFrench and German. A socialist pacifist,Goll escaped to Switzerland at theoutbreak of war in 1914 in order toescape conscription. There he publishedpoemsandarticlescriticalofthewar,themostfamousbeingRequiemfortheDeadGerman expressionism and Frenchsurrealism as well as influence from theearly movements of Dada. During theinter-waryears,Goll livedbetweenBerlinand Paris and continued to publish.However,duringtheNazirisetopowerinthe 1930’s Goll was under threat due tohis Jewish antecedents and in 1939, toescapeNazipersecution,heemigratedtotheUSAwherehecontinuedtowriteandproduceliterature.
RequiemfortheDeadofEurope-YvanGoll
Letmelamenttheexodusofsomanymenfromtheirtime;
Letmelamentthewomenwhosewarblingheartsnowscream;
Everylamentletmenoteandaddtothelist,
Whenyoungwidowssitbylamplightmourningforhusbandslost;
Iheartheblonde-voicedchildrencryingforGodtheirfatheratbedtime;
Oneverymantelpiecestandphotographswreathedwithivy,smiling,truetothepast;
Ateverywindowstandlonelygirlswhoseburningeyesarebrightwithtears;
Ineverygardenliliesaregrowing,asthoughthere’sagravetoprepare;
Ineverystreetthecarsaremovingmoreslowly,asthoughtoafuneral;
Ineverycityofeverylandyoucanhearthepassing-bell;
Ineveryheartthere’sasingleplaint,
Ihearitmoreclearlyeveryday.
Yvan
Goll
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By the end of 1915, hopes of a swiftsuccess on the Western Front had beendashed as British military campaignscontinued to fail and the casualtiesmounted. The German military machinewasunrelentingandLordKitchener’s‘warof attrition’ tactic, which relied onthrowing as many men at the enemy aspossible, meant that Britain needed aconstant supply of soldiers. However,despite the rush of men willing tovolunteeratthebeginningofthewar–ayearon,thenumberofvolunteersforthearmy was dwindling and the Britishgovernmenthadtotakeactioniftheyhadany chance ofwinning thewar. In January 1916, theMilitary Service Actwas introducedmeaning that conscription to the military was to be enforced on all able-bodied menbetweentheagesof18-41.
With the introduction of conscription came hugecontroversy.Not only did this necessitate furthersacrifices of men from the already grievingcommunities, but also the freedomof individualstohaveachoice in their stance towards thewar.However,thegovernmentdeemedconscriptionasessential if Britain was to have any chance ofwinning thewar and it remained in lawuntil theendofthewarin1918.
Localtribunalsweresetupformenwhoappealedconscription, a man could be exempted frombeingcalledupongroundsofemploymentinkeyoccupations, familycircumstances,poorhealthorconscientiousobjectiontothewar.Conscientiousobjectors (COs)weremenwho objected thewaronmoral,politicalorreligiousgrounds.Theirrighttoclaimexemptionfrommilitaryservicehadcomefrom the No-Conscription Fellowship and their
successfulcampaigntosecure‘theconsciousclause’inthe1916MilitaryServiceAct.
Whatwerethereasonswhymenconscientiouslyobjectedtothewar?
1. ReligionThiswasthemostcommongroundforbeingaCO.FortheQuakers,pacifismwasatime-honoredtenetandtheyopposedallwars.ManyQuakersregisteredasCOsdueto their strong opposition to war, although some did enlist as they believed thiswould be the quickest way to put an end to thewar. Therewere other religious‘Wesaid“No”and
that’sth
at.’
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groupswhoalsoopposedthewar, includingmanyChristianswhotooktheBibleatitsword:‘Thoushaltnotkill.’
2. PoliticsLeft-wing political activists were the next largest group of COs. Socialism wasgrowing in importance inBritain andwarwasdeemed tohavenoplace in a trulysocialistsociety.Theysawthewarasanimperialistconflictandasanexampleoftherulingclassescreatingawarthattheworkershadtofight–tothem,therewasnoapparentmoralpurposetothiswar.
3. MoralityManypeoplesimplyfeltthatkillinganotherhuman-beingwaswrong.Thiswasnotonreligiousgrounds,butrathertheirownmorality.
4. ObjectorstogovernmentinterventionTherewasalsoagroupofpeoplewhobelievedthatthegovernmentshouldhavenointervention in individual people’s lives and objected to being forced to sacrificetheirlivesforthestate.
However,registeringasaCOwasnotadecisiontobetaken lightly – in fact, refusing to fight on grounds ofconsciencewasanincrediblybravethingforthesementodoandthosewhodidfacedharshconsequences.
Menwho appealed had to do so in public – thiswasoftenaveryhardprocessasthetribunalstendedtobehostiletowardsthoseseekingexemptionongroundsofconscientious objection and the men were oftensubject to trick questions and ridicule. A lot of thetribunals did not see conscientious objection as alegitimate reason for exemption and of the 750,000cases heard – only 16,000 men were officiallyregisteredasCOs.
It was not just in the tribunals that the COs facedhostilities.Oppositiontothewarwasaminorityview,heldandacteduponby lessthanhalfofonepercentofeligiblemen,andmanypeopleinBritishsocietyhadanunsympatheticattitudetowards‘conchies’(astheywereknown).Fromearlyinthewar,acampaignofshamingmentoenlistbypresentingthemwithawhitefeather(asymbolofcowardice)hadhelpedcreateapublicperceptionthatallmenshouldbeseentobe“doinghisbit”–nonconformitytothisledtomockery.Menwerepublicallyridiculedinthestreetsascowardsand ‘shirkers’, shunnedbytheir friendsandneighbors,andostracisedbytheirlocalcommunity.
Yetsomefacedevenharsherpunishments.IntheeyesoftheBritishgovernment,thosewhohadbeenrejectedonappealtobeaCOwereinprincipleasoliderabsentwithoutleaveand
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therefore,subjecttoarrest.COswerealsosubject to arrest if they refused allcompulsory service, over 1,500 men tookthis stance and they were known asabsolutists.Theywereusuallydrafted intomilitary units and if they refused to obeythe order of an officer, they were court-martialed and faced military punishment.An extreme example of the brutality wasthecaseoftheRichmondSixteen,agroupofCOswhoweresentagainst theirwill toFrance with the Non-Combatant Corps in
June1916andsentencedtodeathbyfiringsquadforrefusingtoobeyorders.Althoughthissentence was immediately reprieved and changed to ten years imprisonment, it istestimonytothebraveryofthemenwhowerewillingtorisktheirlivestostandupforwhattheybelievedin.
Ofthe16,000COs,overonethirdofthemweresenttoprisonatleastonceduringthewar–includingthemajorityofabsolutistswhowereimprisonedforalmostthewar’sduration.InprisontheyweresubjecttothemostseverelevelofpunishmentsunderEnglishlawatthetime – months of solitary confinement on bread and water, hard labour and fieldpunishments.Bytheendofthewar,atotalofsixty-nineCOshaddiedinprisonduetotheharshconditions.
It isoftenforgottenthatmanyoftheCOswhorefusedtofight,didagreetoperformnon-combatservice.Around7,000menwereallocatedalternativeservicesuchascivilianlabourinafarmorfactory,orunarmedserviceintheNon-CombatantCorpsorRoyalArmyMedicalCorps.Despitetheirobjectionthewar,manyriskedtheir livesonthe front lineservingasstretcherbearerswhichdemandedconsiderablecourageunderfire.
BytheendoftheFirstWorldWar,themassivelossoflifeencouragedthepublictohaveamuchmoresympatheticattitudewithpacifisminthe1920sand‘30s.WiththeoutbreakoftheSecondWorldWarin1939,althoughconscriptionwasenforcedfromthestart–society
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hada significantlygreaterawarenessof the legitimacyof conscientiousobjectionand thebraverythatittook.
If you would like to learn more about Conscientious Objectors, Margaret Brooks’ article‘Conscientious Objectors in their Own Words’ includes both audio and transcripts ofinterviewswithCOsabouttheirexperiences.
http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/conscientious-objectors-in-their-own-words
Images
Image1–Thepriceofobjection:‘Conchies’weresenttobreakstonesincamps.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/non_fictionreviews/3671563/The-courage-to-be-a-conscientious-objector.html
Image2–ExemptionPoster1916http://www.wakefieldfhs.org.uk/blog/2015/07/east-and-west-ardsley-conscientious-objectors-during-wwi/
Image3–AsmartlydressedconscientiousobjectorbeingleftbehindbysoldiersinaWW1cartoonpropagandapostcardwiththedamninglegend:Thislittlepigstayedathomehttp://www.lookandlearn.com/blog/28658/during-ww1-some-conscientious-objectors-were-virtually-crucified/
Image4-AnothergroupofconscientiousobjectorsinDartmoorwhowereputtoworkhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/02/17/world-war-one-conscientious-winchester-whisperer_n_4803975.html
Image5-BritishstretcherbearersinPasschendaelein1917http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/10589311/World-War-One-documents-reveal-stories-of-those-who-pleaded-not-to-fight.html
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RESOURCES
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27404266
http://www.ppu.org.uk/learn/infodocs/cos/st_co_wwone.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/inside-first-world-war/part-nine/10803538/conscientious-objectors-first-world-war.html
http://www.hertsatwar.co.uk/conscientious-objectors
http://www.quaker.org.uk/about-quakers/our-history/quakers-and-wwi
http://spartacus-educational.com/FWWconscription.htm
http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/conscientious-objectors-in-their-own-words
Resources
Photography:JohanPersson