All posts by Arthur Linfoot

5 April 1916; Wednesday

April 1916, , , , , ,

Visited Grandmother, Whittakers’1 and Jack’s. Mr Dill’s funeral in the afternoon and I went over to see it with Ernie. Met George Crawford2 who was in the procession. Climbed Ernie’s backyard wall to get in. Ernie took my photo3. Down to chapel at night and saw Mr Blott, Arthur Mullens, Billy and Edie and a few more.

Arthur Linfoot in Uniform
Photograph of ALL in uniform, with lance-corporal’s stripe, seated in a back yard; undated, but possibly taken while on embarkation leave, April 1916.
Ernie Linfoot in Arthur Linfoot's Uniform
Photograph of Ernie, ALL’s elder brother, apparently wearing ALL’s uniform and seated in the same back yard, possibly taken on the same day.

  1. “Whittakers'”: Willie Whittaker‘s family. Willie might not have been there, having enlisted in November 1915, although he was present a few days later. ↩

  2. George Crawford: a colleague of ALL from the Hendon Paper Mill, still working there as late as the 1950s. ↩

  3. While apparently taken in a back yard, there is no other evidence to suggest that the photograph of ALL accompanying this entry (top) is the one taken by Ernie on this day although a very similar photograph of Ernie himself (bottom) also exists in a family collection. See also Family page. ↩

4 April 1916; Tuesday

April 1916, , , ,

Lay in late. Went down to see Ernie. Out with Mother and over the water1 to see the damage done by the Zeppelin raid2. Out late in afternoon. Called at Whittakers3. Called for Ernie at night. Went over with him to Whitburn later. Had photo taken at Eccles’† in Holmeside4.

  1. “over the water”: phrase commonly used by ALL and his contemporaries (usually rendered as “ower the watter”) for “across the Wear to north Sunderland”; nothing to do with the Jacobites’ “King over the water”.  ↩

  2. “Zeppelin raid”: Presumably the raid on Sunderland of 1 April noted in that day’s diary entry. ↩

  3. “Called at Whittakers”: Willie Whittaker‘s family. Willie might not have been there, having enlisted in November 1915, although he was present a few days later. ↩

  4. Holmeside was (and remains) a shopping street in the middle of Sunderland. Perhaps “Eccles” was a commercial photographer? ↩

3 April 1916; Monday

April 1916, ,

A lot of parading with the draft. Route march in the afternoon and we lay down a long time while the band played. Received orders to put in passes in the afternoon. Received them back at night. Borrowed 5/-­ off Bennett. Wired home. Got the 8.33. Delayed at York. Arrived about 2 o’clock at home. Watson and I travelled to Sunderland together.

Home on Final Leave.

1 April 1916; Saturday

April 1916, ,

At football match in the afternoon. Sheffield United v Sheffield Wednesday.

Zeppelin Raid over Sunderland1.

22 killed. 100 injured. Damage to Deptford, and Monk<wearmouth>.2

  1. At about 10pm on the evening of 1 April 1916 German Imperial Navy Zeppelin L11 under the command of Korvettenkapitan Viktor Schutze crossed the coast to attack Tyneside. The defences around the River Tyne had recently been strengthened. Because of this and the prevailing adverse weather conditions, Schutze decided to manoeuvre round and attack the less well protected port of Sunderland. ↩

  2. A commemorative clock dedicated to the memory of the victims was recently installed at the Wheatsheaf junction in Monkwearmouth. ↩

30 March 1916; Thursday

March 1916, ,

Turned out at 7 o’clock parade and left it early after reporting Jackson sick. On parade at 9, 10.30 as usual and went to be medically examined at 11.30 in the orderly room. Both Captain McGlashan and another officer along with Lieutenant Johnson examined me. Got leave off route march in the afternoon and dusted. Tea brought along with Jackson. Arm pretty painful. Rumours current about final leave and Holden told me we would probably get it.

Got to know definitely that I’m on the draft.

In soldiers’ home at night. Wrote up diary.

29 March 1916; Wednesday

March 1916,

On 7 o’clock parade, but left it after calling roll. On parade as usual in the morning. Half day off in the afternoon and stayed in the room lay in bed all the afternoon. Up for tea and out last thing in the soldiers’ home. Our men paraded for overseas boots and I was told that I am not on the draft. Spoke to Sergeant-­Major Ford and he said he would try to get me there.

28 March 1916; Tuesday

March 1916, ,

On parade as usual. Field day1 in the morning. It snowed heavily and was terribly windy and we had a rough time. Had a march round by Wharncliffe afterwards. On parade as usual in the afternoon and was very tired at the end of day. Went to Inwoods’ at night and stayed until after 10 o’clock. Sat beside the fire and talked. Mrs Inwood and the other young women were at the pictures and came in late. Mr Inwood came in last of all.

  1. “Field day”, now usually used metaphorically to describe a good day, is used here in its original, literal sense to mean a day spent in field activities. ↩

27 March 1916; Monday

March 1916

Missed 7 o’clock parade. Paraded with the duties†. at 9 and then dismissed. Usual parades afterwards. Went into town at night with Metgrave. Had hair cut and bought shaving soap and a few things. Called at soldiers’ home last thing and had some supper.