At work as usual. Went to special meeting of the Athletes’ Force in the reception room at the Town Hall. Mr Cecil de Pledge spoke on special constables, and Colonel Barker and others spoke on recruiting. Dr Bell spoke. Went down to the chapel afterwards and played ping-pong.
18 November 1914; Wednesday
Still fairly busy at work. Went down to St Ignatius’ and drilled and called in at Grandmother’s later on.
A lot of field artillery in the play park.
17 November 1914; Tuesday
Fairly busy at work. Went to the Green Street Store hall and drilled at night. Came down to choir practice late. Our Charlie at the practice.
More soldiers in town. Horses in old market.
16 November 1914; Monday
15 November 1914; Sunday
Missed chapel in the morning through sleeping in too late. Wild stormy day and night. At Sunday School and chapel at night. Mr Chadwick asked me to arrange for the missionary men’s anniversary†. I had a bit trouble and finally arranged with Mr Fred to try Jack Robinson. Stayed to prayer meeting. Read a good bit and played a bit. Received news that Lord Roberts had died in France1. He had gone over to inspect the Indian troops and contracted a chill and died there through pneumonia. Mr Chadwick preached in the morning but Mr Kettle preached at night.
Terrific attack on Ypres abortive.
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, died of pneumonia at St Omer, France, on 14 November 1914 while visiting Indian troops. ↩
14 November 1914; Saturday
Finished about 2 o’clock. A remarkable amount of work. Belgian Flag Day. I purchased one in the office at work and Charlie and I were tannered1 again up the town and I had to get them too. Walked up to the Workhouse Field and saw the Athletes2 drilling. Everybody in the town wearing Belgian flags. Went to the lecture at Trinity3 at night, and afterwards went to Roker out with† Willie and Mr Peake. The cars4 not working from Roker to the lower end of Roker Avenue. Fern. Motte called at the office. Bought a pair of new boots at the Store. The “Niger”5 a small gunboat had been sunk by a German submarine off Deal. No lives lost.
“tannered”: the transcription seems to be correct, and if so probably means that ALL and Charlie had again been caught by a seller of flags, for which the going rate was a “tanner”, meaning 6 old pence, equivalent to 2½p.” ↩
Athletes: the Athletes’ Force? See 6 November. ↩
“Trinity”: possibly Holy Trinity Church, Bishopwearmouth. ↩
Cars: tram-cars. ↩
HMS Niger: built as torpedo gunboat, converted to minesweeper; sunk by U-12. This was the first Allied casualty from submarines based in Belgian ports. ↩
13 November 1914; Friday
At work as usual. Hurried up to the High Barnes school with Joe to drill and we had to stay in and drill with the three recruits. Left about 9.15. Called by the chapel and played a foursome at ping‐pong.
Germans capture Dixmude1, slight advance on Rhine side2.
Dixmude: Actually the town of Diksmuide in Belgium; the French spelling is Dixmude. If the Germans did capture Diksmuide as suggested by ALL, then they only held it briefly. A contemporary newspaper report, dated 14th November, from the Evening Post in New Zealand notes that “a bayonet charge enabled the French marines to recapture the greater part of the town.” ↩
See also Battle of the Yser, mentioned in the diary entry for 2 November. ↩
12 November 1914; Thursday
At work as usual. Had another try at Willie Wanless’s song. Went down to the great Endeavour meeting. Played one game at ping pong afterwards and walked round by myself again.
The River mouth turned into a submarine base about this time.
11 November 1914; Wednesday
Busy at work. Went down to drill at night with Joe. Drilled in St Ignatius’ Institute hall. Had some old carbines. Went round by the chapel last thing but there was no-one there.
10 November 1914; Tuesday
Busy at work. Stayed at home until late trying to complete Willie Wanless’s song. Went to the practice late. Came round by myself. Read a bit at home.
Received news that the “Emden” had been destroyed near Cocos Islands by H.M.A.S.”Sydney”1. Also that the Koenigsberg2 had been entrapped on the East African Coast by the Chatham.
“Emden”, a light cruiser (4.1” guns; coal-fired, the last non-turbine German warship), had been a successful raider in Eastern waters, latterly with a dummy fourth funnel to masquerade as HMS Yarmouth; however she reached Direction Island without it, and was spotted by the Telegraph Superintendent; HMAS Sydney, with 6” guns, answered his call. ↩
“Koenigsberg”, similar to Emden but even older: successful Indian Ocean raider, traced by HMS Chatham through her collier in mid‐October, besieged and repeatedly attacked in Rujiji Delta (S. of Dar-es‐Salaam, then German E. Africa, now Tanzania) by RN cruisers, until scuttled under heavy attack in July 1915. ↩