Up at 6.45. Kept pretty busy all day. Received a new patient, London Battalion, making me 4. He has a sprained foot. My turn on at night. Managed all right.
Sunderland Daily Echo 21 May 1917
DEATH IN A TRAIN
Image and text via the British Newspaper Archive.
The death occurred with painful suddenness yesterday morning of Mr James Mullens, 17, Athol Park. Mr Mullens, who was 701, was a well-known local preacher, and yesterday had an engagement to preach at Shiney Row. When he left the house to catch his train he knew that he was rather pressed for time ,and in consequence he hurried to the station. After getting into the train he was taken ill and died before he reached Millfield Station. Dr Gray was then called and saw the body, and stated that death had taken place. The deceased was removed to the mortuary and afterwards to his residence. Mr Mullens was a commercial traveller.
James Mullens was actually 73 years of age at the time of his death. ↩
20 May 1917; Sunday
Up at 6.50. Kept busy all morning. Wrote letters in the afternoon. Lovely day. A lot of troops going up the line1. Dory and Holman called for me in the afternoon and we went to Méteren again. Very hot day. I went to the †Anglicans’ Creed Ascension† service at night and it was very good, but not up to last week.
Heard that Mr Mullens2 had died.
“A lot of troops…”: ALL also mentions a lot of guns moving up the line around this time. See note on 22 May. ↩
Mr Mullens: A minister from the South Durham Street United Methodist Free Church in Sunderland, where ALL had been a member prior to joining the RAMC. Mr Mullens, Esther and Arthur Mullens are all mentioned occasionally throughout the diaries. ALL did not yet know of Mr Mullens’ death at this date and this note was added retrospectively. ↩
19 May 1917; Saturday
Up at 6.40. Kept busy all day. Stayed in at night and helped with dinner. Wrote some letters. A lot of guns going up the line1. Rumours of Russia turning it in2 and the war being over soon3.
“A lot of guns…”: This movement of guns (and troops) is noted over a period of several more days. See note on 22 May. ↩
“Turning it in” (if this reading is correct; it seems an early date for this colloquialism) means withdrawing from or abandoning some endeavour. ↩
Revolutionary Russia did eventually withdraw from the war in October/November 1917, having been increasingly disorganised in its war efforts after the February Revolution of 1917, the rumour of which ALL had noted in his diary on 18 March, but sadly the war was not over soon. ↩
18 May 1917; Friday
Up at 6.30. Kept busy all day. I stayed in at night. Fine day. Wrote some letters.
17 May 1917; Thursday
Up at 6.30. Kept busy all day. My turn out. Went to the Merry Mauves. They did W W Jacobs’ story on The Monkey’s Paw1.
W W Jacobs: very popular writer of short stories and novels. His best‐known short story, “The Monkey’s Paw”, had apparently been adapted for the stage by the Merry Mauves. ALL was already familiar with WW Jacobs’ work and had written about it on 8 June 1914. See also W. W. Jacobs and Arthur Linfoot’s Library ↩
16 May 1917; Wednesday
Up at 6.30. Busy as usual. Captain Manning not so well and in bed all day. My turn in at night.
15 May 1917; Tuesday
Up at 6.30. Fairly busy all day. Got off a letter to Sergeant Sharpley. Went out at 5 o’clock with Warr. Walked round by the grapery and then went to the Y M and heard a lecture on savages by Dr Hutton. Enjoyed it very much. It set me thinking. Had a bath last thing.
14 May 1917; Monday
Up at 6.30. On duty all day. All the fellows drunk at night and we had an awful struggle with dinner. Corporal Ordell drunk and made a row.
13 May 1917; Sunday
Up shortly after 6 o’clock. Got up breakfast and cleaned up things. Kept busy all morning. Glorious weather. Had short evening service in the conservatory by Captain Manning. Went to Y M afterwards and had a good service there. Good singing. Met Walker and had a walk round with him. Returned late.