At work as usual. Took dinner down. Busy all day. Work slipping back. A big summary. Played at night. Read some of R.L.S.1 Asian† books. Got word that Bob2 was dangerously wounded. Wrote up some of parson’s news.
“R.L.S.” – Robert Louis Stevenson? See also: Arthur Linfoot’s Library ↩
See Robert Thomas Brotherston on this site. ↩
On 3 May 1915, Arthur Linfoot noted that he had “read some of R.L.S. Asian books”.
It is not altogether clear what he meant by “Asian books”, but “R.L.S.” clearly means Robert Louis Stephenson.
New Arabian Nights, published 1882, a collection of short stories individually published between 1877 and 1880 is considered by some to be Robert Louis Stephenson’s best work.
At chapel and School as usual. Commenced anniversary practices in School. Mr Chadwick preaching. Fine day. Went to tea and supper at Whittakers’. Big Willie in bed at tea time with a cold, but up at night. Stayed until nearly 11 o’clock.
At work as usual. Finished rather late. Played the piano and went out with Willie Whittaker last thing. Joe, Willie and I played ping pong most of the night as it was wet.
“Recruit”1 sunk by submarine, and Two German Torpedo boats sunk by British destroyer.
At work as usual. Took dinner to work.
Mr Fairhew told me Bob1 was wounded.
Bob: Probably Robert Thomas Brotherston ↩
At work as usual. Busy all day. Finished late.
Germans using poisonous gases1 2 & made an advance near Ypres at this time.
The first successful, large scale use of gas was in the German attack at Langemarck in the NW. angle of the Ypres Salient, on 22 April; initially against French African troops, but Canadian and British troops were soon involved. German prisoners had given detailed accounts of the preparations, but the French Corps commander, Balfourier, would neither believe the warnings nor transmit them to the British. ↩
See also: Wikipedia: Chemical weapons in World War I and Wikipedia: Second Battle of Ypres ↩
At work as usual. Busy all day. Can’t get work up to date. Played the piano a bit.
“Leon Gambetta”1 sunk by submarine about this time.
“Léon Gambetta”: French cruiser, launched 1901, torpedoed 27 April in Ionian Sea by Austrian submarine U-5, under Corvette-captain G L R von Trapp, now more widely known as patriarch of the Von Trapp Family Singers. ↩
Ar work as usual. Went down to practice at night. Commenced anniversary hymns. Came up with Willie. Blaikie hurried away.
At work as usual. Charlie went to St Andrews for his holidays. Finished in decent time.
At chapel in the evening. Slept in in the morning. Mr Mullens preaching in the morning and Mr Hewitt at night. At Sunday School as usual. Had short walks. Fine day. Aeroplane over three times. Went to Whittakers’ to tea. Fine night. Willie appeared at chapel in khaki.