Tag Archives: Recruitment

Diary entries which mention, sometimes very tangentially, events related to the recruitment of Arthur Linfoot or others into the armed forces.

29 October 1914; Thursday

October 1914, , ,

X Wednesday X Mr Aitken took Willie into the room and gave his notice X
 Finish on Saturday first. He tried to induce Willie to enlist. A good deal of excitement caused by this step. I had a slight cold so stayed at home at night and read and looked up some words.

Turkish battleships bombard Theodosia1 in Black Sea without formal declaration of War.

  1. Theodosia: in Russia, at the E. end of the Crimea. There was long-­standing rivalry between Russia and Turkey, both because of Russia’s ambitions to replace the crumbling Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, Romania and Bulgaria, and because Turkey, possessing the Dardamelles, still controlled access to the Black Sea and thus to the Crimea and southern Russia; indeed the failure of the Gallipoli expedition (1915) to open seaborne access to southern Russia was arguably a significant factor in the economic, and then political, collapse of Russia in 1917. ↩

27 October 1914; Tuesday

October 1914, ,

Kept pretty well busy at work. Still talk about the reduction in the staff. Joe and I went up to the YMCA to see about joining the Civilian Force, but there was a march out and a big crowd so we didn’t do anything. Went to the choir practice. Played one game at ping-­pong. Nothing fresh in the war news.

Russians drive back Austro-­German Army in Poland.

26 October 1914; Monday

October 1914, , ,

Not much to do at work. Mr Aitken read from a letter from Mr Lawson asking that he should <arrange> for some of us to join the army1. I explained my position to Mr Scott. A lot of stir and excitement about it. Finished soon. Went to the King’s Theatre at night with Joe to see Hamlet played by Mr Alexander Morton’s company. We were in the gallery. It was very good. Didn’t get out until late.

  1. Mr Lawson was evidently a Director of the Hendon Paper Works Company; his absence from a Directors’ meeting is noted on 15 December. Mr Aitken appears to have taken Mr Lawson’s request to heart as he was giving employees their notice and encouraging them to enlist only 2 or 3 days later. ↩

30 September 1914; Wednesday

September 1914, , ,

At work. Not much to do. Sands and Bob came down in the morning with their uniform on. They are going to Ravensworth Castle tonight1. Got money. Went to Porteous and had two teeth extracted at dinner time. It didn’t hurt much. Fine day. Had walk out last thing after playing a good bit.

Waelhem & Wavre-­Saint Catherine completely destroyed. Waterworks behind Fort Waelhem blown up. Belgian infantry fight well.

  1. Ravensworth Castle: presumably an Army camp; there are two Ravensworth Castles, one at Lamesley in Tyne & Wear, SW. of Low Fell, the other at Ravensworth village in N. Yorkshire between Richmond and Barnard Castle; the former appears to have been used as a training camp in 1914 having been abandoned by the Liddell family in 1910. The castle is now partially destroyed as a result of subsidence caused by mining. ↩

5 September 1914; Saturday

September 1914, , , , , , ,

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. ↩

3 September 1914; Thursday

September 1914, , , ,

Not so busy at work. The recruiting strain getting worse and lots of men joining. Had walk at night. Bob and Sandy in the office. They are going to join Kitchener’s army. Their appearance and conversation caused a lot of excitement.

Lemberg & Galicia captured by Russians. HMS.Speedy1 sunk in North Sea by a mine.

  1. HMS Speedy: torpedo gunboat, launched 1893, sunk by a mine – actually in the Humber estuary. ↩

29 August 1914; Saturday

August 1914, ,

Got to work rather late. Busy all morning. Finished about 2 o’clock. Heard of British Naval Victory. Russians invest Koenigsberg. Our Army doing nothing but recover. 12,000 men being sent to replace the lost 6,000. Decided to send another Army Corps. Indian troops to be used. Read about the Renascence in the afternoon and an interesting article on Russian language. Heard the band of the Coldstream Guards at Roker at night. It was very good. The band master made a speech and asked for recruits.