Tag Archives: Father

Diary entries which mention Arthur Linfoot’s father, Christopher William Linfoot. See the Family page for more details.

12 October 1914; Monday

October 1914, , ,

At work. Fairly busy. Stayed in at night except to go to the post with a parcel for the negro1 with picture papers in it and a letter to the insurance people confirming the interview. Father went to see Mr Wanless and showed him his hand.

Full news of Antwerp. Various opinions – certain amount of depression.

  1. If ‘the negro’ is a correct transcription, which it may not be, it would refer to one Isaac Abadu, somewhere in West Africa, who had written out of the blue to Charlie, possibly at the Post Office, and was his pen-­pal for a considerable time. Picture papers might well have been sent to him. Isaac remained a topic of conversation for many years. See also entry on 1 February 1915. ↩

9 October 1914; Friday

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Got up early and went to baths. Still slack at work. Went down to Wanless’s at night and talked to Willie a bit and then Joe arranged with Mr Wanless to go to the dock with Father on Friday to try if he can work his machine. Walked round by chapel and went into Mission meeting last thing. Charlie had been there earlier and then arranged to give his testimony.

Germans occupy Antwerp.

8 October 1914; Thursday

October 1914, , ,

At work but not much to do. Played a bit at night and read a bit. Received letter from Insurance Co. asking Father to go down for a trial at his machine on Thursday next. We worried that the notice was too short and wrote at night stating that we would try to arrange for next Thursday.

Exodus of Antwerp population. Petrol tanks ablaze. Part of the City in flames. British & Belgian force retires through the night. Boer Commando under Maritz rebelled 1.

  1. “Boer Commando…”: This was the Maritz Rebellion, an organised rebellion against the Union of South Africa. See also 2 December 1914. ↩

2 October 1914; Friday

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Got up about 6.20. Went to baths. Pretty busy at work. Stayed in at night and wrote to Ernie. Went out last thing and called by the chapel. Charlie and Father there. They said the meeting was better.

Riot in India & about 20 natives and one Englishman killed1. British Navy commenced to mine North Sea. Heavy bombardment of Belgian trenches. Belgians retire across the Nethe. Germans occupy outer ring of forts.

  1. “Riot in India…”: Probably the denouement of the Komagata Maru incident. ↩

1 October 1914; Thursday

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Not much to do at work. Slight signs of general improvement. Mother and Father to tea at Uncle George’s. Went down to meeting at night. It was slightly improved but very noisy. Policemen going round asking people to keep lights out or as low as possible.

H.M.S.Cumberland captured 10 merchant ships1 and one going out for the Cameroons. The lights in the town very much reduced. Lière forts destroyed.

  1. According to Wikipedia, HMS Cumberland was sent to West Africa after the beginning of the war in August and supported operations in the Cameroons where she captured 10 German merchantmen at Douala on 27 September. ↩

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. ↩

12 August 1914; Wednesday

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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. ↩

7 August 1914; Friday

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Got up at 6 o’clock. Went to the baths. Only 4 of us there. Had good swim. Received news of the sinking of the cruiser “Amphion” on a mine1. 131 English & 20 Germans lost. Further news of the Liege battle. President Wilson’s wife reported dead2. Rumours of North Sea fight, but not confirmed. Had walk with father at night. Town full of soldiers. Defence of Boldon & Cleadon being proceeded with. Ad Ahlers3 remanded for a week.

  1. “Amphion”: the scout cruiser leading Lance’s flotilla, which next intercepted the “St Petersburg” which was taking the German ambassador back to Germany; on realising the St Petersburg’s diplomatic status, Amphion interposed herself between it and the British shelling, which eventually ceased. Amphion then struck one of the Königin Luise’s mines, her surviving crew and rescued German sailors were taken by attendant destroyers, but Amphion drifted onto another mine and more lives were lost in a further big explosion. ↩

  2. “President Wilson’s wife”: Ellen Axson Wilson, first wife of President Woodrow Wilson, died on 6th August 1914. ↩

  3. Ad Ahlers: See note on 6 August. ↩

4 August 1914; Tuesday

August 1914, , , ,

Went to work. Frank off. Busy all day.

Sir Edward Grey made his speech in the House & said if Germany attacked France by sea1, we must join in. We could not stand by & see Belgium trodden down & demanded that Germany should reply to us in a given time.

Walked round town with father and Joe. Crossed Town Moor and saw carnival. Saw Willie Warren2 standing beside pub. He was an awful sight. Charlie at work all night.

  1. “by sea” is rather a mystery? – but ALL’s longhand is quite clear. ↩

  2. Willie Warren” (if the surname is correct): not identified. ↩