Louis Bernard Solomon was born on February 12, 1896, in Oakland, California, to British parents Philip Leopold Solomon and Fanny Jane Solomon. The family returned to England during his childhood, residing in Hove and later in Croydon. Solomon attended Dulwich College but left school at 15 to work as a mechanic.
In 1915, Solomon enlisted as a private in the Royal Fusiliers and was deployed to France in November of that year. He received a commission in August 1916 and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, serving on the Western Front. On April 12, 1918, Lieutenant Solomon was killed in action. He is buried in Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension in Bailleul, France.
Solomon’s poetry, reflecting his wartime experiences, was published posthumously in 1919. His work contributes to the body of literature from World War I poets, offering insight into the personal impact of the conflict.
You may learn more at War Poets.org.
Ypres
Louis B. Solomon
Thou, Ypres, that once wert queen of Flanders plains,
What art thou now?—a tumbled heap of dust,
With scarce a wall that stands, nor iron where rust