13 December 1918; Friday

December 1918,

Up shortly after 6 and on parade. Off in the afternoon. Did a little French. Received ballot paper1 and voted for Goldstone and Greenwood2. Off in the afternoon.

President Wilson arrived at Paris3.

  1. The 1918 general election was called immediately after the Armistice and was held on 14 December 1918. The count was delayed until 28 December so that the ballots cast by soldiers serving overseas could be included.  ↩

  2. The candidates for Sunderland were Frank Goldstone (Labour), Hamar Greenwood (Liberal) and Ralph Milbanke Hudson (Unionist).  ↩

  3. President Woodrow Wilson spent six months in Paris for the Peace Conference, and was the first U.S. president to travel to Europe while in office. He disembarked from the George Washington in Brest on December 13. ↩

8 December 1918; Sunday

December 1918, ,

Up at about 7 o’clock. Went along to billet and got a place next to Billy. Walked out with him in the morning. Warned to go to number 18 C C S, in the afternoon after 2 o’clock. Arrived shortly after 2 o’clock and did nothing during the afternoon but look round the place. Did a little French at night and read a bit. Prospects none too pretty. Wrote home.

Went to Doullens.

7 December 1918; Saturday

December 1918, ,

Up at 5 am and fell in at 7. Entrained about 10 o’clock and arrived at Amiens about 6. Entrained in supplies train to Longpré1 and changed again to Doullens. Nurse with child beyond Longpré and Doullens. Left Doullens about 10.30 to walk to Longuevillette2 and got lift on a car. Arrived about 11 o’clock and got down in a hostel.

  1. Longpré: presumably Longpré-les-Corps-Saints, as on previous journeys. ↩

  2. The map shows this stage of ALL’s journey from Boulogne (A) to Longuevillette (E; Michelin square F7): 5km SW. of Doullens (D), via Amiens (B) and Longpré-les-Corps-Saints (C). ↩

6 December 1918; Friday

December 1918, ,

Arrived at King’s X at about 6.30. Crossed by tube to Victoria and left there about 7.30. Arrived Folkestone at about 10 and left at 2 o’clock. Slept part of the way across and * †landing nest the rest†. Stayed below. Arrived at Boulogne1 at about 5 o’clock. Marched up bank to camp and got bills and francs. Got down about 10 o’clock.

  1. The map shows ALL’s journey from Newcastle (A) to Boulogne (D), via London (B) and Folkestone (C). ↩

4 December 1918; Wednesday

December 1918,

Up about 8 o’clock. Went to Eaves’1 but he wasn’t in. Walked round town. Went to Roker in the afternoon. Uncle George in at night. Sister Mary to tea and Aunt Mary. Uncle George now on jury day-time until pretty late.

  1. Mr Eaves was a minister at the South Durham Street United Methodist Free Church, where ALL and his family were members. ↩