Tag Archives: Willie Whittaker

Diary entries which mention Willie Whittaker, a friend of Arthur Linfoot from South Durham Street Chapel. Willie Whittaker enlisted in the 13th Battalion of the Yorkshire regiment in November 1915, rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant (by then serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers) by the time of his death, which is recorded in October 1917.

24 December 1915; Friday

December 1915, ,

Got up about 7 o’clock. Dressed, paraded for pay, and got 10.20 train. Arrived Sunderland about 2 o’clock. Walked in as they were reading my letter saying I wasn’t going to get home. Played piano most of the afternoon. Went into town with Gertie at night, but it rained heavily and I sent Gertie back. Went to Whittakers’. Had supper. Met their soldier friend, Mr Spencer. Willie set me back. He looks all right in uniform1. Didn’t go to bed until late.

  1. This would have been Willie Whittaker (not Willie Marshall); see 2 November for his enlisting. His death is recorded in November 1917. ↩

19 September 1915; Sunday

September 1915, , , , ,

Got up at about 9 o’clock and had to hurry to chapel to the Harvest Festival. Had walk with Father in the afternoon. Mr Blaikie, and Willie Whittaker to tea. We were at chapel at night and sang Sun of my Soul, and Charlie took the solo. Said farewell to everybody. Charlie had a big crowd to see him off including some from the chapel and Mr Newrick and his daughter. Went to Newcastle, changed again at York and left Charlie there.

12 September 1915; Sunday

September 1915, ,

On Fire Piquet1 & Canteen Cpl. C.B.2 all day. Tried to clean belt, wrote to Willie Whittaker and wrote up diary. Song† by men in the barrack room at night.

  1. Piquet or picquet: Pronounced picket; refers to a soldier or small unit of soldiers maintaining a watch. This may mean a watch for the enemy, or other types of watch; e.g., in this case, “fire picket”.  ↩

  2. “C.B.”: “confined to barracks”, usually signifying a low-­level military punishment (incorporating frequent inspections in full kit, extra fatigue duties etc), popularly known as ‘jankers’; but ALL seems to be using it here in a purely literal sense – he couldn’t leave barracks due to his picquet and canteen duties. ↩

27 July 1915; Tuesday

July 1915, , , ,

At work as usual. Mother not well first thing. Busy all day. Bid goodbye to the people at the office last thing. George Crawford gave me a Testament. Mother Got new purse, new glass1, new nail brush, handkerchiefs, and so on. Went to the station at night and made enquiries about the train. Willie Whittaker up. Went to bed late. Had a bath.

  1. “Glass”, if correct, is probably “mirror”. ↩

26 June 1915; Saturday

June 1915, , ,

At work as usual. Finished about 2 o’clock. Saw funeral of soldier from infirmary. Went down to Jenny Mason’s with Joe at night and took refrigerator1 to Wanless’s. Met Charlie and Willie Whittaker afterwards. Rather wet and unsettled.

  1. Refrigerator looks a straightforward interpretation of the shorthand outline, though it is not the form given in New Era Pitman’s dictionaries; but it would have been a new word in 1915 -­ ALL himself had two shots at the outline in this entry. If correct, it would refer to some kind of commercial equipment, not a domestic fridge as we know them. ↩