Fine day. At chapel and School. Went to Mount Tabor church in the morning and heard Rev AL Broadfield preach, and he was very good. Mr Hewitt evangelist preached his farewell sermon at our chapel at night, and it was scandalous. He afterwards had a row with Mr Waggott. Charlie at work most of the day, and I was at Whittakers’ to tea with Blaikie. Fine day.
Category Archives: 1915
22 May 1915; Saturday
At work as usual1. Finished about 2 o’clock. Called for papers in the afternoon. Walked round Grindon with Charlie and Willie Whittaker at night. Fine night. Played the piano a bit.
Terrible Railway Accident at Gretna Green2. Troop train, goods train and express all smashed up and an appalling death roll. Daily Mail3 burned at Stock Exchange.
Saturday morning working was of course normal – as it remained until the 1960s. ↩
“Terrible Railway Accident at Gretna Green”: the Quintinshill rail disaster remains the worst ever UK rail accident – 246 injured, est. 230 killed (uncertain because regimental records being carried in the train were destroyed in fire caused by gas lighting in wooden carriages); troop train (carrying men bound for the Dardanelles) hit local passenger train (wrongly shunted onto main line), was then hit by express train; fire ignited two nearby goods trains. Two signalmen were convicted of culpable homicide (broadly equivalent to the English offence of manslaughter; the trial took place in Scotland). ↩
The Daily Mail was burned (and its circulation fell by a quarter of a million) because of its personal attack on Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener, who was still immensely popular with the public as Secretary of State for War. The proprietor, Lord Northcliffe, was running a campaign against the Government’s conduct of the War, mainly based on a shortage of shells to which the Generals in France claimed their lack of success was due. ↩
21 May 1915; Friday
At work as usual. Very busy all day. Frank1 back to work. Played the piano a bit. Submarine AE.2 2 lost about this time in the Dardanelles. Daily Mail attack on Kitchener3.
The AE2 was an Australian Navy vessel; she sailed to Australia from Vickers Armstrong on delivery in 1914, then the longest voyage by a submarine, but was then towed back to the Mediterranean. She operated for five days in the Dardanelles before surfacing due to mechanical trouble, was damaged by a Turkish torpedo boat and was scuttled, all her crew being captured; the only Australian Navy vessel lost due to enemy action in WW1. ↩
The Daily Mail famously attacked Kitchener, blaming him for a shortage of shells during the shell crisis of 1915. ↩
20 May 1915; Thursday
At work as usual. Very busy all day. Worked until about 7.40 at night. Charlie met me and we walked round the town. Met Dora’s Charlie and talked to him. Played a bit. Saw Wearside Artillery marched into the town. Saw some cavalry too. The King visited Newcastle1.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, some 15 miles north-west of Sunderland and about 10 miles inland, on the north bank of the river Tyne. ↩
19 May 1915; Wednesday
At work as usual. Still busy. Had walk at night with Joe and Charlie. Played the piano until late. Read a bit.
18 May 1915; Tuesday
At work as usual. Busy all day through Frank being off. Finished late. Went to practice late. Came up with Charlie and Blaikie. Lord Kitchener announced that we will use poisonous gases now1. An appeal for another 300,000 men.
The first British use of gas was at the Battle of Loos on 25 September 1915 – there is no mention of it in ALL’s diary. ↩
17 May 1915; Monday
At work as usual. Frank went out first thing, and Mr Aitken had a row with him and sacked him for drinking. Frank sent home. We were busy all day, and scarcely knew what to do. I typed summary.
16 May 1915; Sunday
Laid in in the morning. At Sunday School and chapel at night. Had usual walks. Saw some wounded being brought in at night. Mr Chadwick preaching.
15 May 1915; Saturday
At work as usual. Finished pretty soon. Went down the town and bought some postcards of battleships. Went out with Willie Whittaker at night. He called for me. Walked up by Offerton and back by Durham Road. Went into town last thing with Joe. Some oddment† at Youlls’† and the Special Constables called out.
14 May 1915; Friday
Busy at work. Did a bit ambulance work with Joe. Read and played a bit.