Mad Jack (Scene 6) Poem by John Fenton Mcleish

mad jack
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scene 6
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Siegfried arrives at the H.Q, an old french chateau, about twenty miles behind the front line.
There are a few green army limousines parked out the front.
The chauffeurs are gathered together in a group, smoking and chatting.
Siegfried parks his bike and is led into the foyer and the waiting room by an orderly.
There are other officers waiting and all can hear the shouting match going on in gen Haigs' office.
Haig demands gen Phillips launch an assault on the german front line immediately, but phillips refuses to sacrifice the lives of any more of his men.
Sixty thousand were wounded or killed in one day during the last offenive.Gen phillips will have no more of the slaughter.Haig relieves him of his command.
Gen phillips comes storming out of haigs office, through the waiting room, down the foyer and out the door.
The orderly calls for siegfried.Siegfried stands, apprehensively, and enters haigs office.
Haig and gen rawlingson stand and shake his hand.Though not a friend, siegfried has met haig before, at certain social gatherings in london.
Haig, 'Siegfried, welcome'
Siegfried, 'thank you, sir
Haig, 'Siegfried, we have a problem on the front line'
Siegfried, 'Sir? '
Haig, 'We must take mametz wood before german reinforcements arrive.Take a look, old chap'
Siegfried stands across from haig and looks down at the map on the table.The somme, the hindenberg line, haig points out mametz wood.
Haig, 'You see the problem siegfried? '
Siegfried sees the markers for the machine gun posts running along the edge of the woods.
Siegfried, 'Yes sir.It looks like the machine gun posts are the biggest obstacle.
Haig, 'Correct siegfield, and what do you suggest? '
Siegfried stares at the map.He notices the leading machine gun post must be taken out first if there is to be any hope of success.
Siegfried points to the marker for the leading machine gun, 'This gun will have to be destroyed first, sir'
Haig, 'This is your assignment siegfried.You are to take mametz and use guerrilla tactics to prevent reinforcements from arriving.You are forewith being transferred to the royal welch fusiliers as a captain.Do you accept siegfried? '
Siegfried, 'Yes sir, thank you sir'
O.K captain, 'go and get your self cleaned up.An orderly will show you to yout quarters.You can leave first light'
Siegfried, 'Very good sir'
Siegfried follows the orderly upstairs to his room.
That night he dines in the officers mess, and when he returns to his room that evening, he takes his diary and begins writing.
He is enthralled about his new assignment.
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// this poem may contain copying errors