The women commenced to cook. Had a good bit of trouble with them. Kept me running all day. Read a bit at night.
Tag Archives: Alnwick
10 November 1915; Wednesday
Busy with rations as usual. Had a row with Lieutenant Smith at night on account of misunderstanding with women cooks, who commence tomorrow.
9 November 1915; Tuesday
Took up duties again. Corporal Collins told me† about spending <his> wages and getting on the beer over the weekend. Wrote home. Busy with rations.
8 November 1915; Monday
Got up at 9 o’clock. Played the piano and then walked into the town before breakfast. In the afternoon played duets with Marmie and then walked out with Gertie. Called at Lily’s, Grandmother’s and Whittaker’s. Had tea at home, and then got 7.30 train. Father, Mother, Marmie, Gertie and Dorothy saw me off. Met Metcalfe at Newcastle. Fell in with two decent chaps too.
Left home for Alnwick.
4 November 1915; Thursday
Busy as usual. Corporal Collins didn’t return until last thing. Went into town and left a note with the coroner1, who stood me a drink. Went to the guild meeting at the UMC and afterwards to Mrs Kyle’s to supper. Greece Neutral Ministry defeated2. Got pass through3.
Received letter from Charlie at Salonica4.
Coroner: odd shorthand, if the transcription is correct; if so, it would perhaps relate to Corporal Lightbody’s accident (see 1 November), though we do not otherwise know that this was fatal. ↩
“Greece Neutral Ministry defeated”: Possibly a reference to the the Greek Prime Minister’s decision to invite allied forces to set up a base at Salonika despite King Constantine’s insistence on Greek neutrality, although this had happened around a month earlier than this diary entry. The Salonika force was formed partly by forces withdrawn from the Gallipoli campaign, which probably explains Charlie’s presence there (see final note below). See also Greece during World War I at Wikipedia. ↩
“Got pass through”: ALL had, evidently successfully, applied for a second home leave. ↩
As emerges later in the diary, Charlie (fortunately) did not arrive in the Eastern Mediterranean until after the decision to abandon the Gallipoli expedition, though the last Allied troops did not leave Gallipoli until 9 January 1916. Charlie spent the rest of the War in Salonika (now the more usual spelling of Salonica), Egypt, Palestine and thereabouts. ↩
3 November 1915; Wednesday
Usual work. Drew rations. Busy all day. Stayed in at night. Received word from home that Ernie had taken the King’s 1/-1.
‘Taking the King’s shilling’ was an 18th/19th century expression meaning ‘enlisting in the Army (or Navy)’ – completing the contract by accepting a token payment; by 1915, a semi-jocular expression except in boys’ adventure stories. ↩
2 November 1915; Tuesday
Busy as usual. Went into town in the morning. Drew rations in the afternoon. Stayed in at night and read. Corporal Collins telegraphed for an extension. Received word from home that Willie Whittaker had enlisted in the 13th Yorks.
1 November 1915; Monday
31 October 1915; Sunday
Up at 7 o’clock. Paraded for church, but we were dismissed through rain. Went with Green to the Presbyterian church and enjoyed the service. Spoke to a few UMC friends at the Y.M1.
“Y.M.”: common abbreviation for “Y.M.C.A.”, Young Men’s Christian Association. “UMC” (if correct) might be “United Methodist Church. ↩
30 October 1915; Saturday
Fine day. Received pay but I only received 9/6. Went for rations and didn’t get them until 6 o’clock. Went into town at night and bought a music book. Had some trouble at night with some fellows coming in drunk. Cameron & Dunbar came in drunk.