Tag Archives: Ernie

Ernie was Arthur Linfoot’s elder brother. See also the Family page.

1 February 1915; Monday

February 1915, , , ,

At work as usual. Busy all day. Received letter from Ernie and one from Isaac1. Stayed in at night and read and looked up Pelman2. Walked out last thing. Another big British ship sunk by a German submarine in the English Channel3. Meeting in the Thornhill Hall of the athletes. Joe went but didn’t stay to the finish.

  1. Isaac: see footnote to entry on 12 October 1914. ↩

  2. Pelman: See 6 January 1914. ↩

  3. It is not clear to which “big British ship” ALL may have been referring here. Three merchant ships (SS Ikaria, SS Tokomaru and SS Oriole) had been sunk by U-20 in the English channel (near Le Havre) on 30 January 1915 and U-20 also fired a torpedo at the hospital ship Asturias on 1 February. The latter attack failed when the torpedo missed its mark. Wikipedia notes these events briefly at this page. U-20 was later better known as the submarine which sunk Lusitania. ↩

7 January 1915; Thursday

January 1915, , , ,

Got up shortly before 8 o’clock. Ernie went back to St. Andrew’s, Charlie to Seaham. Mr Scott discovered a mistake of thousand pounds in my total and in the sales-­book. Received account of Lord Kitchener’s speech in the House of Lords and it was satisfactory. Marmie & Hilda both in bed all day. My cold a lot better. Charlie arrived at night from Seaham & said he was finished there. Dr. Scott down to Hilda.

5 January 1915; Tuesday

January 1915, , ,

Charlie went to Seaham first thing to lodge there. Ernie and Hilda should have gone home but didn’t as Hilda is unwell. She got Dr Scott to come and see her. At work as usual. Finished about 5.30. Played ping pong most of the night and had short walk round the town last thing. Charlie slept at Seaham Harbour for first time.

1 January 1915; Friday

January 1915, , , , , ,

[written above printed date -­ ] Posted letter to N.Z.1

Got supper at Mrs Wiseman’s with Ernie and Joe Mummery after the Watch service. Shook hands with several at church, Ernie first and Mr Chadwick next. Went to bed about 2 o’clock. Charlie got up at 7 o’clock. I walked through to Seaham2 and walked back in the afternoon. Took 1¼ hours to go there and 65 minutes to come back. Strong south easterly gale blowing and very wet. I was drenched. All family but Charlie at dinner and tea and supper together. Played a few games, ping pong, etcetera at night and went to go <sic; “bed” intended?> about mid-­‐night. Charlie in shortly after 11 o’clock and had to start again at 8 o’clock in the morning. “Formidable”3 blown up with a loss of about 700 lives in the Channel.

  1. The letter to N.Z. was probably sent to ALL’s cousin, Hilda Tate Linfoot. See Hilda disambiguation page. ↩

  2. Seaham [Harbour]: small colliery town and sea-­port 4 miles S. of Sunderland. ↩

  3. HMS Formidable, built 1904, was a battleship stationed at Sheerness to guard against possible German invasion. On 31 December she was on gunnery practice off the Isle of Wight, and was hit during the night by two torpedoes from submarine U24. 547 officers and men were lost out of 780. ↩

31 December 1914; Thursday

December 1914, , , , , , ,

Not much to do at work. Tom brought his gramophone over at night. I received 5/61 Christmas bonus. Charlie at work from 5.35 train until about midnight. Went to the Watch service2 with Ernie and Joe after finishing the letter to New Zealand. Mr Chadwick and Joe Speed spoke and Mr Mullens prayed. Pretty good service. I had walk round the town. Walked through Garrison Field with Joe.

THE END3

  1. Five shillings and six pence: = 27½p. ↩

  2. “Watch service”: the Methodist “watch-night” service, usually starting at 11.30 pm, to see the New Year in. ↩

  3. It was ALL’s habit to write “THE END”, or some variation thereof, on the last day of each diary. ↩