Busy at work. Tried to get book up to date. Stayed in at night and commenced letter to Ernie Missionary Meeting. Very good meeting and collection about £1. Didn’t get out until late. I gave missionary report.
Yearly Archives: 2014
22 November 1914; Sunday
Missionary Anniversary. Rev G.M.Sheppard preached morning and evening and spoke in the School. He was very interesting and threw some interesting lights on life in China. Had usual walks. Charlie sang solo in the anthem “Incline Thine Ear” at night. Our turn in children’s service.
21 November 1914; Saturday
Finished in good time. Went across to Roker with Joe and saw the guns. 3 big guns on the Cliff Park and trenches all the way along. The road stopped off from halfway down. Taking Bede Memorial1 down. Watched them unloading 6”shells at Ebb’s Point battery. Went round town at night with Willie Whittaker and Charlie. A lot of strange soldiers in town. Went to Trinity Preparation School. Mr Milburn not present.
Bede Memorial: a sculpted stone cross, some 3 – 4m high, erected in early 20th century on Roker Cliff Park, between the east ends of Sidecliff Road and Rock Lodge Road. Removal of this monument (and probably others) was presumably intended to make it more difficult for an invading force to identify a specific location. The Bede Memorial was temporarily removed in WWII also, for the same reasons. See also Sunderland map. ↩
20 November 1914; Friday
At work as usual. Went up to the top of Chester Road and went for a march with the Athletes. Marched round Hendon and round the town and back to High Barnes School. A lot of people in town thought we were recruits. Came down to chapel and played ping pong.
A ship sunk off the entrance to stop the channel. Others were sunk within the next few days.
19 November 1914; Thursday
At work as usual. Went to special meeting of the Athletes’ Force in the reception room at the Town Hall. Mr Cecil de Pledge spoke on special constables, and Colonel Barker and others spoke on recruiting. Dr Bell spoke. Went down to the chapel afterwards and played ping-pong.
18 November 1914; Wednesday
Still fairly busy at work. Went down to St Ignatius’ and drilled and called in at Grandmother’s later on.
A lot of field artillery in the play park.
17 November 1914; Tuesday
Fairly busy at work. Went to the Green Street Store hall and drilled at night. Came down to choir practice late. Our Charlie at the practice.
More soldiers in town. Horses in old market.
16 November 1914; Monday
15 November 1914; Sunday
Missed chapel in the morning through sleeping in too late. Wild stormy day and night. At Sunday School and chapel at night. Mr Chadwick asked me to arrange for the missionary men’s anniversary†. I had a bit trouble and finally arranged with Mr Fred to try Jack Robinson. Stayed to prayer meeting. Read a good bit and played a bit. Received news that Lord Roberts had died in France1. He had gone over to inspect the Indian troops and contracted a chill and died there through pneumonia. Mr Chadwick preached in the morning but Mr Kettle preached at night.
Terrific attack on Ypres abortive.
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, died of pneumonia at St Omer, France, on 14 November 1914 while visiting Indian troops. ↩
14 November 1914; Saturday
Finished about 2 o’clock. A remarkable amount of work. Belgian Flag Day. I purchased one in the office at work and Charlie and I were tannered1 again up the town and I had to get them too. Walked up to the Workhouse Field and saw the Athletes2 drilling. Everybody in the town wearing Belgian flags. Went to the lecture at Trinity3 at night, and afterwards went to Roker out with† Willie and Mr Peake. The cars4 not working from Roker to the lower end of Roker Avenue. Fern. Motte called at the office. Bought a pair of new boots at the Store. The “Niger”5 a small gunboat had been sunk by a German submarine off Deal. No lives lost.
“tannered”: the transcription seems to be correct, and if so probably means that ALL and Charlie had again been caught by a seller of flags, for which the going rate was a “tanner”, meaning 6 old pence, equivalent to 2½p.” ↩
Athletes: the Athletes’ Force? See 6 November. ↩
“Trinity”: possibly Holy Trinity Church, Bishopwearmouth. ↩
Cars: tram-cars. ↩
HMS Niger: built as torpedo gunboat, converted to minesweeper; sunk by U-12. This was the first Allied casualty from submarines based in Belgian ports. ↩