On parade as usual. Got taken off scabies job in the morning and Shepherd† put in my place. Out at night.
All posts by Arthur Linfoot
25 January 1916; Tuesday
Reported sick first thing and then went to duty. Received orders from Lieutenant Stemple† to go to isolation camp and look after men. Old Collins there too. I went into town and saw a man washed in a slipper bath at the workhouse. Rotten dirty chap. I was there all the afternoon.
24 January 1916; Monday
Reported sick and was sent back to bed. Spent most of the day in bed and got up a bit at night.
23 January 1916; Sunday
Church parade. Had a cold. At church in the morning and sat in the same pew as the Misses Mack and merely nodded. Didn’t overtake them coming back to camp owing to the man I was with stopping to speak to Mr Douglas. They didn’t turn out at night. Cold worse. Read all the afternoon and finished I will Repay1.
“I Will Repay”: novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, author of The Scarlet Pimpernel, who lived at Acol (near Thanet in Kent). I Will Repay is the second Scarlet Pimpernel book written by Orczy although it comes chronologically third in the series, after Sir Percy Leads the Band and before The Elusive Pimpernel. See also I Will Repay and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩
22 January 1916; Saturday
On fatigue putting up goal posts in the morning. Had haircut in the afternoon. Football match between Alnwick and camp. Fish† got his nose hurt. In town at night and had supper at a café. Read all the afternoon. Saw the Misses Mack but didn’t speak.
21 January 1916; Friday
Received postcard from Ernie to say he would not be stopping at Alnmouth. Walked into town. Heard that the Misses Mack were in town again.
Ernie & Hilda left St. Andrews1 & returned to Sunderland.
“.. left St Andrews” appears to mean permanent return to Sunderland; Ernie is “at the shop”, sc. Hills’, on 19 February 1916. See also Family page. ↩
20 January 1916; Thursday
On fatigue as usual. Went to the pictures at night with Black and his girl. Picture a sequel to the one last night.
19 January 1916; Wednesday
On fatigues as usual. Went into town. With Black at night. Came back early and went to the Y.M. Had a bath and went to bed early.
18 January 1916; Tuesday
On fatigues as usual. Walked into town and straight back. Kicked the football a bit at dinner time. Wrote letters and wrote up diary at night.
17 January 1916; Monday
On parade in the morning. Funeral of Sergeant Bell in the afternoon. Firing party, band and full procession. Had walk at night with Black. Met his girl and her sister and talked a bit. Walked up the road a bit and talked over marriage and girls generally.
Sgt. Bell’s funeral.
My 26th Birthday. Received cakes from home and * [?money] from Charlie.