Had heavy cold. Joe and Marmie went to church meeting. I stayed in tonight and read and played.
Germans defeated at Battle of Marne1. Oceanic2 wrecked off North of Scotland. No losses.
“Battle of Marne”: See note on 6 September. ↩
Oceanic: See note on 8 September. ↩
Not much to do at work. Finished in good time. Played a bit. Wrote up diary. Cold much better. Uncle Jack in at night and talked about the war. News from the front brighter. Report that Allies have checked German advance & threaten to turn their wings. A report from the Continent that there are 250000 [sic] Russians on French soil1. “Oceanic” wrecked off North of Scotland2. 70000 [sic] Indian troops dispatched to the front (9th)
This was of course nonsense, no doubt related to the contemporary story that a reinforcing Russian army had been seen marching from the north of Scotland to the English Channel, identified as Russian because they “had snow on their boots.” See also The Truth at Last at Picture Postcards from the Great War. ↩
Oceanic: White Star transatlantic liner, launched 1898, until 1901 the biggest ship afloat at 17,272 tons (the first ship to be longer than Brunel’s Great Eastern); thus well-known and a matter of great prestige, she had carried 1,710 passengers and 349 crew. Converted to an armed merchant cruiser in 1914, she was sent to the North of Scotland to patrol the Shetland area, and ran aground on the Shaalds of Foula on the night of 7-8 September, breaking up within two weeks. Curiously, the Wikipedia article says “The disaster was hushed up at the time”, but it clearly wasn’t. ↩
[In longhand above date] Germans fall back from Paris after two days fighting1.
At church and School as usual. Managed pretty well at School. Had rather shorter walks than usual. Charlie at work in morning and afternoon. Received news of the sinking of the “Pathfinder”2 & loss of about 240 lives caused through striking a mine. Also the Runo liner3 with loss of about 20 lives. Gen. French’s official report stating that 15000 men have been lost and that our men were in every way superior to the Germans. I had bad cold and sat out <of> the choir at night. Communion service. Charlie sang a bit of a solo in the anthem.
“Germans fall back . .”: this was the First Battle of the Marne. The Germans’ rapid advance had been intended to finish the war in the West so as to free most of their troops for the war in Russia, and although their southward drive came East of Paris, instead of West as originally planned, it nearly succeeded. It failed however (leading to the 4 years of trench warfare), partly because their communications became too extended, but also because General Galliéni, who had been left with troops to defend Paris, on his own initiative took the opportunity to attack the German right (western) flank as they were moving South of Paris. ↩
Pathfinder: see note on 5 September. ↩
The New York Times reports the sinking of the Wilson passenger liner Runo on 5th 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.
See footnote on 15 May 1914 and Sunderland map. ↩
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. ↩
Things still slack. Got up at 6 o’clock and went to the baths. Had good time. Had a bit cold and felt off a bit. Played the piano a bit and read at night. Rather gloomy news from the front.
Father’s 59th Birthday. 2nd Casualty list 5,218.
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.
HMS Speedy: torpedo gunboat, launched 1893, sunk by a mine – actually in the Humber estuary. ↩
Not much to do at the office. Charlie working. Walked up town. Did a bit homework. Learned a bit grammar. Amiens occupied by Germans. British casualties 5,127.
Busy at work. Choir practice at night and got on pretty well. Tried one of the Messiah basses [bass solos?] through with Charlie for Blaikie. Nothing fresh from the front.
Russians beat Austrians at Lemberg. British Force captures 10 guns at Compeigne [sic].
At church and Sunday School as usual. Spoke to Hector MacDonald about Ranald1. Mr Chadwick preaching. Had long talk with Willie Peake about Chadwicks. Talked to Arthur Marshall about the Debating Society. Wet day. Short walks. Bought special Echoes and heard about the 5 to 6000 English being lost, also that the Germans were withdrawing some men from Belgium to send to Prussia2.
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.