Saturday 28 February 2015

Sunday 28th February 1915


Rose 12.30am. Made most of chance. Afternoon played music, made parcels, cleaned buttons, rested. Tea.
Chapel, Arnfield preaching.
Proverbs. Keep thy heart diligently. Sermon good in parts. Said doesn’t care about German or English culture so long as heart allright. Rot.
Official news of destruction of 4 forts at entrance to Dardanelles, Allied flags over forts, first 4 mls swept clear of mines.
Had to walk from Tom Lane, que[sic] of 200 waiting for buses. Snow and rain drizzling, uphill, fagged out.
Hut looked bare and cheerless. Made bed. Sleep about 11pm.
 

Friday 27 February 2015

Saturday 27th February 1915


Brekker in bed.
Bit of panic on Chicago Exchange at news of bombardment of Dardanelles. Wheat down 6d at Liverpool. Russians making big stand.
Botha advances in German S.W. Africa.
Afternoon saw United beat Newcastle 1-0, Kitchen scored 1st min. Decent game, Newcastle forwards weak.
Evening Coliseum. Good programme. “The Aftermath” very good.
Blockade declared of German S.W. Africa, 400 miles of coastline.
Last night at home. Then back to the simple life.
Hot bath.
Last night at home.
Dacia, cotton, transferred ship, stopped by French cruiser and taken to Brest.
  




Thursday 26 February 2015

Friday 26th February 1915


Boiled egg for brekker. Am feeling much stronger. Official announcement that since blockade declared 763 ships entered ports and about same no. left. Out of these 14 were sunk, 7 by submarine and 7 by mine or submarine, and several of these were neutral ships.
Afternoon had name and address put on knife. Cost 6d.
Went to cinema. Beautiful film of American waterfalls, the “Bridal Vale” Waterfall being exquisite.
Evening went over songs and music taking back to camp.
 

Wednesday 25 February 2015

Thursday 25th February 1915


Had breakfast downstairs at 10am.
Admiralty announce outer forts defending entrance to Dardanelles destroyed. Good work. Turks will be feeling queer.
Afternoon, 1.30-4pm, went for stroll with pater. Beautiful day, rather cold. Came back through Roe Wood, going through Southey.
Evening went to Empire. Good piece in which a veteran of Napoleon describes the former glories of France to a Prussian sergeant, ending with fulfilment of promise to Napoleon that would, if needs be, give life for France.
Saw through new house, 101 Burngreave Rd. Much better than one we are in.
 

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Wednesday 24th February 1915


Breakfast in bed. Rose 10.30. Am beginning to feel better.
Went walk in afternoon, out about 1 ½ hrs. Felt weak. Very tired.
Evening Coliseum. Good picture, “The end of the bridge”. Sir Markham challenges coal trade by fixing maximum price of 15/- per ton for coal at his collieries which produce 4,000,000 tones per annum. Coal in London £2 per ton owing to freights 13-17/- per ton. Rotten shame. Wish government would smash up the rings. Wheat  down 6d per qr[quarter] at Liverpool.
 

Monday 23 February 2015

Tuesday 23rd February 1915


Poached eggs on toast, bed. Rose 11am. Played piano. Read papers; one or two small steamers sunk. Slept a little.
Evening went down town. Bought knife in market, 10/6. Good one.
Went to Electra. Good picture, “Playing with fire”. Whoever plays with fire, whether guilty or guiltless, will suffer the pain of burn.
Easily dropped back into civilian life. Conscription would be a curse; it would take away true freedom and in time ruin that freedom which is an Englishman’s pride. We are a race of sportsmen, and as such we can even hunt men. Proud am I of my country, of the land that gave me birth; for her have I turned to a harsh life. Tis the rational egoism which helps us to remain – rulers of the world.

Sunday 22 February 2015

Monday 22nd February 1915


Hurrah. Doctor can go home for 7 dys. Left camp 12am wearing khaki uniform for 1st time. Beautiful sunshine, skylarks singing. “Hail to thee blythe spirit”. Bus to town. City foggy. Home 1pm. Surprised, expected me on Saturday. Soup for dinner. Poached eggs on toast tea. Fish and chips supper.
Nice to be at home again. Saw Mrs Turner and Mr and Mrs Thorpe. Dardanells[sic] bombarded by allied fleet. Looks as if are going to force them. Loose lot of grain and oil in Russia and lower grain prices, competing with American. Russians seem to have had big defeat. Thought they would. Masurian Lake District big stumbling block. We shall have to beat Germany.
Bed 9pm. Feather bed.




Saturday 21 February 2015

Sunday 21st February 1915


Head thick. Bed afternoon and early evening. Very tired, arm almost better.
Aeroplane drops bombs on Colchester, Coggeshall and Braintree at night, doing trifling damage.
 

Friday 20 February 2015

Saturday 20th February 1915


Got up a little. Bed in afternoon. 3 of Varsity girls came up. Had tea in hut. Soon to be taking finals, graduating. Zeppelin L4 also destroyed in snow storm. Doctor won’t let me go home yet.
 

Thursday 19 February 2015

Friday 19th February 1915


Bed. Bad headache in afternoon so didn’t get up. Played Hut 1 at pingpong and won 4-3. Concert in evening, Quartet sung, Whiteley gave delightful reading on “how to become a defaulter”. 3 stages. Jones sang Welsh National Anthem (Land of my Fathers).
Hear of sinking of 2 small slow ships. Evidently submarines as useful as remainder of German fleet.
Zeppelin L3 destroyed on Scandinavian island (Faro Isl) after great storm. Seem to be pretty useless toys.
Housewife and Oldale served out.
Carlisle drew 7/- for me.
200th day of way [sic – war?]
 

Wednesday 18 February 2015

Thursday 18th February 1915


Bed. Got up little in morning but felt rotten so went back to bed.
Tom arrived 4.35pm, having had to wait 1 ½ hrs for bus. Brought jar of Blackcurrant jam, oranges, egg.
Clarke showed him round camp.
German submarine blockade of British Isles due to begin.
   

The War Illustrated, 27th February, 1915


Tuesday 17 February 2015

Wednesday 17th February 1915


Bed.
Dictated letters to Clarke and wrote mother for herb tea, clean pyjamas and kerchiefs. Also congratulated Douglas.
[The entry for 16th February included then crossed out – suggests pages may have been written up later when feeling better!]

Pater came up in afternoon with necessaries and few bananas, bottle of Bovril, cake. Had chat for ½ hr. Temp 103°F.
 

Monday 16 February 2015

Tuesday 16th February 1915


Bed.
Dictated letters to Clarke and wrote mother for herb tea, clean pyjamas and kerchiefs. Also congratulated Douglas.
Air operations continued by 40 aeroplanes. French steamer torpedoed.
Death of Captain of Blucher from pneumonia.
 

Sunday 15 February 2015

Monday 15th February 1915

 
Bed. No parades for vaccinated cripples until next Monday. Also they not allowed out of camp until Saturday.
Had sick parade round hut, Townsend with one foot in a sling consisting of puttee round his neck, the dry scrubber as a crutch, towel for a sling for arm, dish cloth round his head. Looked very humorous.
Saw Arnold Kay in evening.

Saturday 14 February 2015

Sunday 14th February 1915


In bed. Still rotten.
Clarke and all chaps jolly kind.
Arnold Kay dropped in to see me. Said Tom send word Douglas got a good government post Londonway.

Friday 13 February 2015

Saturday 13th February 1915


Felt rotten, headache, pains all over body, rt ear drum and bronchial tube clog. Doctor gave me some medicine and put on slops diet. High temp. Had oxo for dinner. Couldn’t take much food. Got Clarke to bring me up bottle of Bovril.
News of combined aeroplane and seaplane operation previous day by 34 naval aeroplanes and seaplanes on Zeebrugge, Blankenberge and Ostend, latter railway station demolished.


The War Illustrated, 27th February, 1915



Thursday 12 February 2015

Friday 12th February 1915


Ceremonial drill 11-12.45. Fed up with it. Unwin worrying himself to death.
Hanforth’s funeral. Bearers left 10.45am. Platoon and other followers at 11.
Hurried dinner, Unwin rushing about, silly fool.
Bus to Crosspools, marched to Ranmoor Church, where, after waiting 1 ½ hrs, met procession from Cathedral.
Fell in with arms at reverse in front of gun carriage. Marched to Fulwood Churchyard at trail, changing arms, rifles reversed, last 150 yds slow march, arms reversed, very impressive. Opened out inside gate and rested on arms reversed after arm movement. Short cut to grave. Beautiful burial service by Chaplain. Present arms, 3 good volleys, fix bayonets, last tribute to dead present arms, last post. This was blown in splendid fashion and gave a grand and awe inspiring impression. Reminds one that a man yearns for a reawakening of the soul after death.
In evening, headache, shivery, went to bed. Doctor came round about 2am, inspecting men, about 20 who had been vaccinated fainting after hard march to town.





Wednesday 11 February 2015

Thursday 11th February 1915


Clear sky.
Morning:- Ceremonial drill.
Afternoon: Football match, A & B v C & D. Moses unwell, took inlying picket for him. Had to keep crowd back.
Good game. A men vaccinated and so couldn’t go in with vigour. Result 2-3. Sg Heppenstall scored both, penalties.
Supper given to teams.
Pains in stomach at night.
Borrowed Norton’s rifle and thoroughly cleaned it ready for morrow.
Outline of U.S.A. Notes to Great Britain re neutral flags on merchant vessels, and to Germany re proposed submarine blockade.

Tuesday 10 February 2015

Wednesday 10th February 1915


Clear, frosty. Trench digging. Skirmishing with pellets.
Afternoon. Ceremonial drill. Quick march at trail, rifle reversed, 2 movements from reverse. When arrive at Cemetery gates (slow marching) open out to 8 paces, inwards turn, rest on arms reversed. Bring rt hand round to butt, then left, bend head and remain until coffin and chief mourners passed thru. Reverse arms, quick march to grave. Rest on arms reversed during burial service. Present arms as coffin lowered, slope arms, volleys load, pre-sent. Fire. 3 times. Unload. Order arms. Fix bayonets. Present, last salute to dead. Unfix.
Evening route march, equipment, no rifles. Clear sky, 6-9.15pm.