Tag Archives: Charlie

Charlie was Arthur Linfoot’s younger brother. See the Family page for more details.

5 September 1914; Saturday

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Finished about 1.30. Went to Tunstall Hills1 in the afternoon with Father and saw a destroyer off the harbour. Went to Roker at night with Charlie and met Willie Whittaker at Whitburn. A lot of soldiers in the town. News to hand of the Germans sinking 15 fishing vessels in the North Sea. Received Ernie’s letter stating that if things didn’t improve he was going to <en>list.

Pathfinder sunk by submarine 250 dead wounded & missing2.

  1. See footnote on 15 May 1914 and Sunderland map. ↩

  2. Pathfinder: a 4″gun destroyer, 2940 tons, built 1904, sunk by submarine U21 in the Firth of Forth 14 miles ESE of May Island; a contemporary report says that the majority of the 268 crew were lost. ↩

25 August 1914; Tuesday

August 1914, , , ,

Busy at work. Finished shortly after 5 o’clock. News to hand of the fighting. The Allies have retired to the French frontier. The British losses are estimated at 2000. Mr Asquith stated this in the House in reply to a question. Lord Kitchener held midnight Conference. Newspapers try to keep up appearances, but German success cannot be denied. Went to practice. Got on very well. Walked round with Dora’s Charlie, Willie Whittaker and Blaikie and got home late. Japan declares War on Austria1.

  1. Japan declared war on Austria-Hungary on 25 August 1914. ↩

22 August 1914; Saturday

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Busy at work. Finished about 2.15. An aeroplane passed over the town in the afternoon. Trial football match played. Took Histories1 up to Hills’ to be bound. Went to Roker at night with Willie Whittaker and Charlie. Discussed war news. Belgians retire to Antwerp & Germans occupy Brussels. They demand 8 million indemnity for the town. Various rumours from Austria & Russia. Charlie heard of the movement of the German fleet to Ostend.

  1. “Histories”: presumably History of the Nations; see note on 11 April ↩

20 August 1914; Thursday

August 1914, ,

Got up about 7.30. Busy all day, but finished a bit sooner. Had short walk up town with Charlie. Had a bath. Read usual war news. A bit better but troubled with toothache.

Nothing very fresh from front. Our soldiers being well received in France. Official report of the loss of the “Amphion”1 and description of brave behaviour of men. Two airmen & 2 motorcar men killed in France.

  1. Amphion: See note on 7 August. ↩

19 August 1914; Wednesday

August 1914, , ,

Busy all day. Finished about 6 o’clock. Felt rather tired and had a walk to Roker with Charlie. Saw a liner go south all lit up. It caused a lot of stir in the town. A little bit better, but still unwell.

News to hand of the arrival of our soldiers in France. A report of some desultory fighting in the North Sea. Pope Pius X died1.

  1. According to Wikipedia, Pope Pius X died on 20th August 1914. ALL was in the habit of writing up events in his diary on the date they were reported to have happened and not on the date he became aware (see, for example, “we didn’t get to know until the 18 & 19th” on 13 August 1914). It seems he may have missed by one day on this occasion. ↩

12 August 1914; Wednesday

August 1914, , , , , ,

Very busy at work. Finished late about 6.15. Went up town with Father and Charlie. A few battle ships off Roker. Soldiers still busy making entrenchments. Read a bit and played a very little. Had walk last thing with Joe. Received postcard from Ernie saying how things were out there1.

A great battle commencing between Liege and Namur. About 2,000,000 men engaged and 200 miles of battle front.

  1. “Out there”: presumably St Andrew’s, where he was working. ↩

10 August 1914; Monday

August 1914, ,

At work as usual. Very busy through George being off. Went up the town at night. Charlie on counter duty. Got news of the sinking of the submarine. More soldiers drafted into the town. The Victoria Hall1 and several other buildings in the town including the Havelock House2 taken by soldiers.

  1. Victoria Hall: see note on 10 January. ↩

  2. Havelock House: A department store which, the following year, became the Havelock House cinema. See note on 27 December 1915. ↩