At work as usual. Pretty busy at work. Went to choir practice late. Talked about joining Royal Flying Corps. Fine night.
Tag Archives: Recruitment
18 May 1915; Tuesday
At work as usual. Busy all day through Frank being off. Finished late. Went to practice late. Came up with Charlie and Blaikie. Lord Kitchener announced that we will use poisonous gases now1. An appeal for another 300,000 men.
The first British use of gas was at the Battle of Loos on 25 September 1915 – there is no mention of it in ALL’s diary. ↩
26 March 1915; Friday
At work as usual. At recruiting office at night and arranged to join the Army Medical when called upon. Probably it will be about 6 weeks’ time. Charlie and I carried some deeds† down to Rowes’ last thing and called at Gordon’s for some chocolate. Stormy night.
25 March 1915; Thursday
At work as usual. Went to recruiting office at night arranged to call in tomorrow night to see the doctor. They say I can arrange to go to Haltry† on Easter Tuesday. Went down and saw Mrs Furley about Luke who was not at Sunday School last Sunday.
U29 announced as sunk1. Father at the Court and the case settled.
U29 was sunk with all hands on 18 March 1915 (i.e. a week earlier than this diary entry) in the Pentland Firth after being rammed by HMS Dreadnought, the only German submarine known to have been sunk in this way. ↩
24 March 1915; Wednesday
At work as usual. Went to recruiting office at night with Joe, but met the man coming out and the office was closed. Went straight down to Mrs Wiseman’s with Joe.
Russians reduce Przemyzl1 after about 7 months siege. Father at Heath’s Office.
23 March 1915; Tuesday
Busy at work. Got book well up to date. Didn’t go to work at night. Went down to recruiting office, but was too late.
25 January 1915; Monday
At work and very busy. Charlie called and we went up to the recruiting office. Charlie was refused on account of his finger being off1. We called at the other office and he was refused there. A man from the County Court left a paper to the effect that Father’s Compensation Case would come on Feb 17/15. Two men hurt at work.
“His finger being off”: see also 13 Dec. 1914 “on account of his finger”; but I (DL) don’t recall that Charlie had a finger missing. Charlie’s rejection was not permanent: on 9 August ALL records that “Charlie may enlist shortly”, and by mid-September he had been posted to the Dardanelles. ↩
23 January 1915; Saturday
Finished rather late at work. Walked round the town with our Charlie and met Dora’s Charlie in town. Came home with him and talked about enlisting. Walked out with Willie Whittaker at night and went up to the top of Chester Road. Looked in the free shop we are interested in and there was very little trade doing. At Trinity1 lecture on the emotions and enjoyed it.
Trinity: See 10 January 1914. ↩
22 January 1915; Friday
At work as usual. Got work well up to date. Worried a lot of day about the form. Posted it at dinner time. Mother not well. Received reply1 from a business up old Chester Road. Had walk out at night with Joe. Read a bit. Rather depressed through thinking about the war.
Presumably a reply to the advert placed in the Echo on 13 January. ↩
21 January 1915; Thursday
Got to work as usual. Filled a form at the recruiting office. Joe went up with me. The clerk, Mr Burn, distinctly cheeky, but improved as the interview passed on. A bit trouble at home. Mother not well. A nasty night. Got chest measured and eyes tested
At Recruiting Office.