Tag Archives: Work

Arthur LInfoot was employed as a clerk at the Hendon Paper Mill in Sunderland prior to joining the RAMC. He rejoined the company after demobilisation and remained there until his retirement, rising to become a Director of the company by that time.

24 February 1915; Wednesday

February 1915, , , , , ,

At work as usual. Finished in good time, but fairly busy all day. Went to Elijah1 at night in the Victoria Hall2, performed by the Vocal Union. Principals, Mr Herbert Brown, Mr Matt Newton. Madam Catherine Vincent and Miss Lottie Beaumont, were all good. Was with Helen, Olive, Winnie and Willie Whittaker. Mother, Father and Gertie there and Charlie too. I went to Whittakers’ last thing for Charlie’s things3, because he had changed before at their house.

  1. “Elijah”: Mendelssohn’s very popular oratorio. ↩

  2. Victoria Hall: See 10 January 1914. ↩

  3. “Charlie’s things” – he was presumably in the choir. ↩

23 February 1915; Tuesday

February 1915,

Busy at work. Left work at 11.30 and carred1 to the town. Met Father and went to Heath’s office at 11.45. Agreed to take £100 but the company would not stand it. Robson’s made another offer for Father to work and Heath persuaded him to accept £752 and to commence work on Monday at 9 o’clock. Mr Dixon summoned away and Jack Robson at Heath’s.

Made arrangement at Heath’s Office.

  1. “Carred” meaning “rode on the tram-car.” ↩

  2. £75 in 1915 would be equivalent to about £7,500 in 2015. By contemporary standards, £7,500 is not a generous settlement for the loss of two fingers. A similar claim settled today could cost more than double that amount. ↩

22 February 1915; Monday

February 1915, , , ,

At work as usual. Busy all day. Busy in house at night. Charlie brought message that Father and I have to go to Heath’s tomorrow and see about compensation business.

Dardanelles1 Outer Forts bombarded by British & French fleet.

  1. The Dardanelles operation is probably too well known to need much explanation, but – there was disagreement throughout: whether any resources for it should be diverted from the Western Front; whether it was even possible to open the Dardanelles solely with naval action (this diary entry records the attempt to do so); whether, if that failed (which it did), troops should be sent in: they were, and that was a prolonged and very expensive failure, too. ↩

17 February 1915; Wednesday

February 1915, ,

Busy at work. Busy in house at night and didn’t go out. Two big Air Raids on Zeebrugge and thereabouts about this time. 34 machines in the first and 40 in the second1.

  1. “Two big air raids…”: This page at rallypoint.com suggests that, on February 12 1915, there was indeed a raid by 34 British planes on the coastal towns of Blankenberghe, Ostend and Zeebrugge in Belgium. There is no mention of any subsequent raid by 40 planes, although there is no reason to doubt it. ↩