Finished work about 2 o’clock. Went down to the north side of the river and saw the Hebe1 and† submarine and then walked on to Roker with Joe. Went to Roker again at night with Willie Whittaker and Charlie. Very cold and rather wild.
H.M.S. Hebe was completed as a torpedo gunboat, but was converted along with her sister Onyx to submarine depot ship before the War. Hebe served with the Sixth Submarine Flotilla based on the Tyne, 10 or 12 miles north of Sunderland, from 1914 to 1916 ↩
At work as usual. At recruiting office at night and arranged to join the Army Medical when called upon. Probably it will be about 6 weeks’ time. Charlie and I carried some deeds† down to Rowes’ last thing and called at Gordon’s for some chocolate. Stormy night.
At work as usual. Went to recruiting office at night arranged to call in tomorrow night to see the doctor. They say I can arrange to go to Haltry† on Easter Tuesday. Went down and saw Mrs Furley about Luke who was not at Sunday School last Sunday.
U29 announced as sunk1. Father at the Court and the case settled.
U29 was sunk with all hands on 18 March 1915 (i.e. a week earlier than this diary entry) in the Pentland Firth after being rammed by HMS Dreadnought, the only German submarine known to have been sunk in this way. ↩
At work as usual. Went to recruiting office at night with Joe, but met the man coming out and the office was closed. Went straight down to Mrs Wiseman’s with Joe.
Russians reduce Przemyzl1 after about 7 months siege. Father at Heath’s Office.
Busy at work. Got book well up to date. Didn’t go to work at night. Went down to recruiting office, but was too late.
At work as usual. Typed summary. Got work well up to date. Some wounded in at night and Joe and I went down to see them. Alice Carr in at night. Did pretty well in the shop. A good deal better.
Slept in in the morning. At School and chapel at night. Mr Hewitt1 commenced his mission and preached rotten at night. He spoke to Arthur Robson during the service. Read a bit and played a bit. Fine day.
“Hewett” on 28 February. ↩
At work as usual1. Finished about 1.30. Came up with the chemist’s assistant. Went into town in the afternoon, for my papers and called at John Wilson’s and got a file and a cord† from the shop. Went down to Dr. Blair’s and got a bottle. Had walk out to Grangetown2 at night with Willie. Felt a bit better but still off form.
Saturday morning working was of course normal – as it remained until the 1960s. ↩
Grangetown is a suburb of Sunderland two miles south of Sunderland City Centre. ↩
At work as usual. Lay awake tonight unwell. Played and read at night. The business progressing well.
At work as usual. Got work well up to date.
Bombardment of Narrows in Dardanelles. “Ocean” & Irresistible and Bouvet1 sunk. Bouvet lost about 500 men.
Out of sorts a bit, trouble with liver.
During this incident Bouvet was hit approximately eight times by shellfire, although she did not suffer fatal damage. She struck a mine at around 3:15, and sank within two minutes; only some 50 men were rescued from a complement of 710. Two British battleships were also sunk by mines that day, and the disaster convinced the Allies to abandon the naval campaign in favour of an amphibious assault on Gallipoli. ↩