At church parade in the morning. Received long letter from Joe telling of all the doings in the business and that Mrs Hewitt† has taken over the business and we have kept the house.
Charlie leaves Hitchin for Dardanelles.
Category Archives: 1915
2 October 1915; Saturday
Reveille at 6 o’clock instead of 5.30. Field Day1. We were shown how to put up a tent, and how to go out in stretcher parties, etcetera. Went into the town in the afternoon with Quinn and a chap called Crossland and had tea at Lyons’ café2. Went to Victoria Hall with Gurney, Quinn and Crossland and had a good time. Wet night. Received letter from Charlie to say he was going to start from Hitchin tomorrow night at 9 o’clock3.
“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. ↩
J. Lyons & Co., the same company as also famously imported tea, had a large and very successful nationwide chain of cafés. There would have been a Lyons’ café in most large towns at this time. Interestingly, though irrelevantly, Lyons was also the first company anywhere to incorporate computers into its business operations, which it did in the early 1950s. Lyons’ computing efforts were so successful that its computer business was later spun off, eventually forming part of ICL, now owned by Fujitsu. ↩
Charlie, having earlier joined the Royal Engineers, was about to be sent from Hitchin to the Dardanelles. ↩
1 October 1915; Friday
At hospital in the morning. Lieutenant Shanks. In the town last thing and called at the Wesleyan Army later. Had supper at Soldiers’ Home. Called in public reading room.
30 September 1915; Thursday
At hospital as usual. In the X Ray Room. It was most interesting, we saw a man’s broken arm, a broken elbow, and a bullet lodged in the chest, and Lieutenant Jones’ wrist. Read a bit at night. Lieutenant Jones with us.
29 September 1915; Wednesday
At hospital in the morning. The King at Wharncliffe Hospital in the afternoon1 and we were allowed outside the gates of the barracks a little earlier and saw him go past in his motorcar. Saw the King.
See The King’s Visit at Wharncliffe War Hospital. ↩
28 September 1915; Tuesday
At hospital again, with Lieutenant Jones. Route march in the afternoon, about 10 miles. Enjoyed it. Got back something after 6 o’clock. Went to Inwoods’ at night and played the piano. Didn’t leave until late.
27 September 1915; Monday
A parade as usual. Took larger party of 50 men to Wharncliffe Hospital with an officer, Lieutenant Fitzgerald.
26 September 1915; Sunday
Slept in guard room. At church in the morning. Very busy arranging new hospital party. Wrote some letters and went to Inwoods’ to tea. At church at night, and stayed to sacrament. Stayed at Inwoods’ to supper.