Up at 7 o’clock. Busy all day. Finished shortly before 7 o’clock at night. Went to service in YM hut. Ned, the dog1, went with us. Pretty good service. Sang “Sun of my soul2.”
Frost still holding.
This is the only mention in the diary of Ned, the dog. Dogs were used extensively by all sides during the conflict so the presence of a dog is unsurprising. Given that ALL was attached to a medical facility, it is possible that Ned was a casualty dog although he may just have been a mascot or pet. See The role of animals during World War One at the BBC Newsround site. ↩
Sun of my soul, a hymn written in 1820 by John Keble (1792-1866) after whom Keble College, Oxford is named. ↩