Still slack at work. Went to choir practice at night. Walked up with Blaikie and the others. Played the piano. Wrote letter to Robsons’ in reply to their written offer of employment for Father.
Germans defeated at Warsaw by Russians.
Tag Archives: Work
19 October 1914; Monday
Not much to do at work. Did some shorthand at night and went to Mr Chadwick’s last thing and talked over the questions of the children’s service. Discussed Mr Mathews too.
17 October 1914; Saturday
Very slack at work. Finished at 1 o’clock. Walked up town in the afternoon with Father and then went to Porteous and Got last tooth out. Went up town again at night and saw them bring in some wounded. About 100 wounded arrive & more taken to the infirmary and Children’s Hospital. All the district military divisions† and ambulance men were engaged and a lot of soldiers and policemen kept back a large crowd who cheered loudly the first arrivals.
News last thing that 4 German destroyers had been sunk off the Dutch Coast1. Capt. Fox got his own back2.
This was the Battle off Texel, a naval battle off the coast of the Dutch island of Texel where a British squadron consisting of one light cruiser and four destroyers on a routine patrol encountered the remnants of the German 7th Half Flotilla of torpedo boats, which was en route to the British coast on a mission to lay minefields. The British forces attacked and sank the entire German flotilla of four torpedo boats. ↩
Captain Cecil Fox led the British squadron in HMS Undaunted. ↩
16 October 1914; Friday
Busy at work. Directors’ meeting. I had a few letters and managed them all right. Very late for dinner.
Got news that the “Hawke”1 had been sunk by a submarine off Scotland with heavy loss of life. Went up town at night to see Belgian wounded come in, but none arrived. Wrote to Ernie.
HMS Hawke was an old cruiser (launched 1891), on patrol in the North Sea with sister ship Theseus, at which submarine U9 aimed a torpedo, which missed Theseus and hit Hawke; 524 out of 594 crew were lost. In 1911 Hawke had had the distinction of having her bow sheared off in a collision in the Solent with RMS Olympic, sister ship of the Titanic, slightly smaller but at that date still the largest liner afloat. ↩
15 October 1914; Thursday
Still slack at work. Went down to Mission at night. Mr Mathews’ last night. He spoke to us at the door. Mr Kidd, in seconding the vote of thanks, said he didn’t agree with all Mr Mathews had preached. Walked round with Joe afterwards. Mission Ended. Father & Mr Wanless went to the mill for a trial, but Robson & Dixon only talked and made awful fuss and said a trial was not necessary.
13 October 1914; Tuesday
Not much to do at work. Went down to the chapel at night. Pretty good meeting. A whole lot including Mr Mullens, Dick Crossley and Joe Speed “reconsecrated” themselves. Walked round with Joe and discussed Mr Mathews and his methods. Felt pretty dead† off and not inclined for any work.
Belgian Government removed to Havre.
12 October 1914; Monday
At work. Fairly busy. Stayed in at night except to go to the post with a parcel for the negro1 with picture papers in it and a letter to the insurance people confirming the interview. Father went to see Mr Wanless and showed him his hand.
Full news of Antwerp. Various opinions – certain amount of depression.
If ‘the negro’ is a correct transcription, which it may not be, it would refer to one Isaac Abadu, somewhere in West Africa, who had written out of the blue to Charlie, possibly at the Post Office, and was his pen-pal for a considerable time. Picture papers might well have been sent to him. Isaac remained a topic of conversation for many years. See also entry on 1 February 1915. ↩
9 October 1914; Friday
Got up early and went to baths. Still slack at work. Went down to Wanless’s at night and talked to Willie a bit and then Joe arranged with Mr Wanless to go to the dock with Father on Friday to try if he can work his machine. Walked round by chapel and went into Mission meeting last thing. Charlie had been there earlier and then arranged to give his testimony.
Germans occupy Antwerp.
8 October 1914; Thursday
At work but not much to do. Played a bit at night and read a bit. Received letter from Insurance Co. asking Father to go down for a trial at his machine on Thursday next. We worried that the notice was too short and wrote at night stating that we would try to arrange for next Thursday.
Exodus of Antwerp population. Petrol tanks ablaze. Part of the City in flames. British & Belgian force retires through the night. Boer Commando under Maritz rebelled 1.
“Boer Commando…”: This was the Maritz Rebellion, an organised rebellion against the Union of South Africa. See also 2 December 1914. ↩
7 October 1914; Wednesday
Got up early and drilled. Not much to do at work. Went to Patriotic Concert in Victoria Hall1 with Willie Whittaker and Alf Wright and his sister. Very good concert. The Sunderland Vocal Union were the chorus and Mr L A Nicholson’s orchestra accompanied. Mrs Vincent and Miss Spain, and Mr William Hendry were the singers and a lady recited.
Germans commence to bombard Antwerp2 at midnight with heavy guns & 6 Zeppelin Airships drop bombs3.
Victoria Hall: see note on 10 January. ↩
Winston Churchill rather controversially went personally to take part in the defence of Antwerp, on the arguably slender grounds that Royal Marine troops were involved; he was First Lord of the Admiralty – not an operational appointment – and no longer a serving officer in the Army. ↩
This presumably means “on Antwerp”: the first Zeppelin raids on England are said to have been in January 1915. ↩