Got up as usual. At the orderly room in the morning with Corporal Collins and Welsh. Welsh got 14 days C.b. 1 and was lucky he didn’t get more. Green went to the V.A.D. sick with influenza. Out at night with Black and had a short walk. Talked pretty seriously and found him a sincere decent fellow.
10th Division in action in Serbia2 about this time.
Confined to Barracks – presumably punishment for his disobedience of the day before. ↩
“Serbia”: spelling has changed since 23 July 1914. ↩
Got up about 7.30. Wet day. Welsh refused to go to the V.A.D.1 when ordered by Lieutenant Smith in the afternoon. Corporal Collins ran him in. Went to the pictures at night with Black. They were pretty good. Spent a decent night.
“V.A.D.”: Voluntary Aid Detachment? ↩
At church twice - Clayport1. Mr Don preaching in the morning and Mr Lawton at night. At the Bible class in the Y.M. in the afternoon and at the meeting at night. The Baptist choir singing at night. Wet night. Had spray2 first thing.
Clayport: See 21 November. ↩
“spray” perhaps means “shower” – a form of ablution sufficiently unusual in 1915 to have perhaps no settled name? ↩
Received parcel from home and one from the church through Chadwick. Wrote to Chadwick. Spent morning in going into the town to see bailiffs and going to Barton Farm. Grand morning, frost and snow. Wet afternoon and I didn’t go out. Wretched night. Went across to Green’s hut with Black and had some supper from them. Rotten night. Watson, Dunbar, Bulmer, and Shaw, drunk. Had a bit trouble and didn’t get my things off until 11 o’clock.
Day as usual. Drew rations. Got orders to go back to Hut 36 because there are some strange men going in. Read at night.
Got Segts’ [Sergeants’] Mess Book to keep.
Day as usual. Talked to men in the room last thing about military discipline. Read a bit in the afternoon from my manual. Wrote to Charlie. Heard that Charlie had been at Alexandria.
Day as usual. Drew rations. Went to the Congregational church and heard a lecture on “The challenge of the war to Christianity” by Dr Vishauer. A very good lecture and I enjoyed it. With Green. Bought pork sandwiches at night.
Day as usual. Drew rations. Got on all right with new men. Got A.S.C. man in bunk with me. Went to town on the Red Cross van with sergeant and paid more accounts.
Usual day’s routine. Not much to do. Drew rations etcetera. Got orders to go and take charge of the new * recruits and went over at night to them.
At church in the morning and evening, Clayport church1. Went with Green and some more chaps to deer† Park and Brizlee Tower2. Cold but fine. Enjoyed the walk and were up the tower. At Y.M.C.A. at night. Came down with Miss McGill3 and Sergeant Sharp. He was with us at church.
Clayport Church: See 21 November. ↩
Brizlee Hill and Tower (marked on map) are 2 miles NW. of Alnwick, in Hulne Park (the word preceding “park” is probably a lazy way of writing “deer”, as transcribed, and is certainly not “Brizlee”.).
See also Alnwick map. ↩
Miss McGill: Miss Mack? See 4 January 1916. ↩