Remembering Wilfred Owen

[Paul Reed]

War poet Wilfred Owen was killed in action 84 years ago today, while 2nd Manchesters were attempting to cross the Sambre Canal at Ors. Recently awared the Military Cross, Owen was serving as a Lieutenant at the time. He is buried in Ors Communal Cemetery with many of his comrades, including two VC winners from the same action.

But what say such as from existance' brink

Ventured but drave too swift to sink,

The few who rushed in the body to enter hell,

And there out-fiending all its fiends and flames

With superhuman inhumanities,

Long-famous glories, immemorial shames -

And crawling slowly back, have by degrees

Regained cool peaceful air in wonder -

Why speak not they of comrades that went under?

Owen was probably one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century; and for many people a way into the subject of the Great War. May his legacy continue to occupy our thoughts.

[Guest Pete Wood]

Has anyone read Hibberd's new biography on Wilfred Owen? Is it worth putting on the christmas list.....??

[Graham-McAdam]

It had great reviews in my papers - Guardian, Independent, Observer - and my wife (I don't really know this, of course) tried to order it for me from Amazon, who say it won't be published until Jan 2003. Odd.

[Walter Kortooms]

Hello,

I saw the book at the I.W.M. shop.

Wilfred Owen is also part of the special exhibition "Anthem for Doomed Youth". Was there last monday. Very good, although not sure if it was worth the £ 5.00 I had to pay to see it.

Walter Kortooms

[John_Hartley]

2nd Lt James Kirk, one of the VC winners, appears on one of my local war memorials, in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport. His citation reads "To cover the bridging of the canal, he took a lewis gun and, under intense machine-gun fire, paddled across the canal on a raft, and at a range of ten yards, expended all his ammunition. Further ammunition was paddled across to him and he continuously maintained a covering fire for the bridging party from a most exposed position till killed at his gun. The supreme contempt of danger and magnificient self-sacrifice displayed by this gallant officer prevented many casualties and enabled two platoons to cross the bridge before it was destroyed".