Geoffrey Dearmer
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Dearmer LVO
(21 March 1893 – 18 August 1996) was a British poet. He was the son of Anglican
liturgist
and hymn
ologist Percy Dearmer
.
During World War I
, Dearmer was commissioned and served with the London Regiment
at Gallipoli and on the Western Front
. Many of his poems dealt with the overall brutality of war
and violence
, to which he was a direct eyewitness. His brother Christopher, a pilot with RNAS
, died of wounds in 1915, and his mother Mabel died the same year while serving with an ambulance unit in Serbia.
One of his most famous poems is "The Turkish Trench Dog".
He was appointed a Lieutenant in the Royal Victorian Order
(LVO).
Dearmer died at the age of 103. The Geoffrey Dearmer Award
for new poets was founded in his memory in 1997.
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(21 March 1893 – 18 August 1996) was a British poet. He was the son of Anglican
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
liturgist
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
and hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
ologist Percy Dearmer
Percy Dearmer
Percy Dearmer, was an English priest and liturgist best known as the author of The Parson's Handbook, a liturgical manual for Anglican clergy. A lifelong socialist, he was an early advocate of the public ministry of women and concerned with social justice...
.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Dearmer was commissioned and served with the London Regiment
London Regiment
The London Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the British Army. It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform. The Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry in 1908...
at Gallipoli and on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. Many of his poems dealt with the overall brutality of war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
and violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
, to which he was a direct eyewitness. His brother Christopher, a pilot with RNAS
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
, died of wounds in 1915, and his mother Mabel died the same year while serving with an ambulance unit in Serbia.
One of his most famous poems is "The Turkish Trench Dog".
He was appointed a Lieutenant in the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(LVO).
Dearmer died at the age of 103. The Geoffrey Dearmer Award
Geoffrey Dearmer award
The Geoffrey Dearmer Award is an annual poetry prize was established in 1997 by the estate of Geoffrey Dearmer to award an annual prize to the Poetry Review "new poet of the year" who has not yet published a book....
for new poets was founded in his memory in 1997.