Category Archives: 1914

All diary entries written in 1914.

5 August 1914; Wednesday

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War declared against Germany by England

Busy at work. Great excitement caused through war.1

War declared against Germany by England.2

Joe and I went to Roker at night and saw 5 different bodies of soldiers on parade. Soldiers placed in the Salvation Army barracks, Thompson Memorial Hall, Royal Hospital, Roker House, Mrs Chester’s and Lister’s, Reserve houses, Skating Rink, barracks, pottery plot, and warehouses on the docks. Digging trenches along Roker Way. We saw the big 4.7 guns go out to Cleadon. Ernie & Hilda got a baby daughter.

  1. Most of Britain at the time, outside of Westminster and Whitehall, didn’t know about the final commitment to war until the 5th of August. ↩

  2. ALL’s use here of “England” where one might have expected “Britain” may seem odd but was quite usual at the time – many contemporary newspaper reports similarly cite “England” – for example, see this reprint from the Guardian’s archive, which uses both “England” and “Great Britain”, and this from the New York Times. Incidentally, up to the mid-20th century “North Britain” was still occasionally used, and well understood, to mean “Scotland”, which is consistent with interchangeability between “Britain” and “England”. ↩

4 August 1914; Tuesday

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Went to work. Frank off. Busy all day.

Sir Edward Grey made his speech in the House & said if Germany attacked France by sea1, we must join in. We could not stand by & see Belgium trodden down & demanded that Germany should reply to us in a given time.

Walked round town with father and Joe. Crossed Town Moor and saw carnival. Saw Willie Warren2 standing beside pub. He was an awful sight. Charlie at work all night.

  1. “by sea” is rather a mystery? – but ALL’s longhand is quite clear. ↩

  2. Willie Warren” (if the surname is correct): not identified. ↩

3 August 1914; Monday

August 1914, , ,

Charlie, Willie Whittaker and I went to Seaside Lane on the car1 and walked from there to Marsden and on to South Shields. Crossed the ferry and walked to Tynemouth2. Car back to the penny ferry3, got the train to Sunderland and arrived about 6 o’clock. Fine day and pleasant time. Saw the defending† arrangements at Frenchman’s Bay4, South Shields, and Tynemouth. A large quantity of parapet wired off there†, and the wall in front of the guns levelled to the ground.

International affairs much worse. Grave conjecture as to what England5 will do.

Went to Whitburn at night with Willie Whittaker.

  1. Car means tram-car, as usual. ↩

  2. Curiously, the vowel-signs in the shorthand clearly indicate the pronunciation “Tinmouth”. ↩

  3. “Penny” ferries were for foot-passengers. In the 1947/8 Ordnance Survey revision, there were still a foot-­ferry and a vehicle‐ferry from North to S. Shields, and another foot-­ferry from Whitehill Point to S. Shields. ↩

  4. Frenchman’s Bay is between Marsden Bay and the mouth of the Tyne, adjacent to modern South Shields. ↩

  5. England: See note on 5 August. ↩

2 August 1914; Sunday

August 1914,

At chapel and Sunday School as usual. Showery day and some very heavy rain. My Sunday School class got the award for obtaining the greatest number of new scholars.

Germany invades France without declaring War. British Fleet reserves called out. Cabinet sitting.

1 August 1914; Saturday

August 1914, , ,

Very busy at work1. Didn’t finish until about 3 o’clock. Went to Roker at night with Willie and Charlie. Called round by the East End Carnival & crossed the ferry2. Fine night.

German ultimatum to Russia and note to France. King George intervenes. France mobilising and Germany declares War on Russia.

  1. Saturday morning working was of course normal – as it remained until the 1960s. ↩

  2. There was a tiny steam ferry between Monkwearmouth and old Sunderland (ie downstream from the modern bridge), still operating until some time after WWII, at 1 old penny each way. ↩

28 July 1914; Tuesday

July 1914, , ,

Got up 6.20. Went to baths. Tom Vicar back. Busy at work all day. Played the piano a bit at night. Wrote up diary. A good deal of excitement caused by Dublin matters1 and by Servia2 and Austria. Troops being recalled to their stations.

War declared against Servia by Austria. Servian ships seized on the Danube. Kaiser holds all night War Council.

  1. Dublin matters: The Ulster crisis again; see note on 21 March. ↩

  2. See note on 23 July about the spelling of Serbia. ↩

27 July 1914; Monday

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Got <up> in decent time and went to work <in> better time. Very busy all day. Got through in good time at night. Played a bit and had short walk with Charlie. Did a bit Pelman1. Looked up a bit grammar. Trouble between Servia2 and Austria & a prospect of all Europe being concerned. Gun running3 at Ulster and 4 people killed in riot. Mr Whittaker called for Father to go and sign loan.

  1. Pelman: see note on 6 January. ↩

  2. See note on 23 July about the spelling of Serbia. ↩

  3. Gun running: See note about the Ulster Crisis on 21 March. ↩