The paper brought us the news that the Germans had taken Namur Link, very serious news. Everywhere they behaved in a terribly brutal manner burning whole towns & villages. After all these years of civilisation to think that such things could take place. Truly men have made a wonderful hash of things, they say they are so good & superior & all this is the result. Roger Wollocombe came over in the morning with Mr Samson who took a photograph of Philippa Bidlake. In afternoon working party at Rectory Mrs Smith was away & there was a gloom over the...
Father & I went to Plymouth by train. Father to see uncle Joe. I went to see Mr Britton who stopped one tooth & pulled out 3 old stumps by pincers. Which process makes one mouth very sore & painful after & when the gums unfreeze there is a good deal of aching. Came back in new car which Father has bought. Stopped at Tavistock for drill.
In afternoon walked to Cleave to see Able Johns about a rifle club. Mrs Smith & I want to start one for the Guild boys. Had a talk with him about it . He told particulars of the Lifton Club to which he used to belong. After evening Service we had meeting of the Guild . The boys all seemed keen about it. We talked of a suitable place for a range. Mrs Smith talked so well to the boys & put it all very clearly. We settled to start the rifle club with Able Johns as a teacher. So...
We were told last night that Dr Musgrove had had a bad accident on his motor bicycle so this morning Reginald went down to inquire & found out that the story was true. He had run into a motor & broke his leg & finger & had to be taken to the Tavistock Hospital. After lunch the wagonette & old car were wheeled away into the barn where they will reside with other 2 old carriages. Arthur went to Launceston & brought back papers. An Interesting account in Daily Mail of the German entry into Brussels. 40,000 of them and...
Father’s Birthday . Day of intercession for Peace, Partial Eclispe of the Sun. Service at 8 AM. Great excitement here in the morning over a suspicious looking man. He was seen by Eli Guscott yest. eve. at Yalford & when spoken to did not reply. He was noted also by others including young Tom Yole who is staying at Kelly Mill, who saw him at 8 this morning. Reginald went down to Lifton & fetched up a policeman who interviewed Eli but could not get in a word, owing to the flow of words. The man was last seen in...
Lovely morning. Thunderstorm in aft. We hoped to have a tennis party but no one came except Mrs Sears from Bradstone. After tea the Newmans turned up. The new apple house is beginning to make a show. The thatcher is putting on the roof. It will be very pretty when finished.
A letter in the paper to day [sic] from Lord Kitchener, a copy of which has been given to every soldier, exhorting them all to courage & good conduct. Had a letter from Gerald Ashton. He has joined the Hon Artillery [HAC Website] [Wikipedia Link] & has volunteered for active service. He seems very happy & enthusiastic working hard too. Another lovely day. Mention made in the paper of the wonderful manner in which the English army has left the country. In a comparative short time, vast numbers of men, horses, ammunition & food supplies have been shipped across to...
News that our army has reached France. General French [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_French,_1st_Earl_of_Ypres] had a wonderful reception in Paris. Working party at the Rectory, a representation gathering, all classes. Mrs Smith [Vicar’s wife] read aloud extracts from the paper. Reginald brought back news from Lanson [Launceston] that the Germans Crown Prince had been wounded, This and the murder of the German Emperor & Austrian Emperor is what we hear from time to time. The people in Meadwell have heard the firing of “the battle” so little idea have they of the geography of the world. A man has been caught trying to poison...
Lovely day. Went to Tavistock for lecture. Very dull, Admiral went very slowly.
Lovely day. When I went to the stables in the morning I found that the little cat who lives in hectors kennel had brought 5 kitten about 3 weeks & put them inside. & there they all were. Hector, the cat & the Kittens all living together in harmony . A lesson surely to the European nations at this time. Had tea under the beech tree. In evening Frank preached.
Thunderstorm in early morning. Baby woke 4.45, but went to sleep again about 5.30. Very hot & close. No news in the paper of our army or navy. Reported defeat to Germans. We doubt if any of it is true. The French army is now ready & on the move. In morning washed my hair, dried it out of doors, no sun. In afternoon went to Tavistock for drill, made a bed again & did some bandaging. A real nurse was there, showed me how to bandage an arm, She was not at all pleased with the way I did...
Very close & hot. Baby very good in the night did not wake until 6.45, was quite happy no tears after her bottle. Germans had another defeat in Belgium. Still no news of our army or navy. I went to Plymouth to see W Britton [Dentist]. He finished crowning a tooth. Got some flannel for shirts & wool for socks, for the working party to make. Very slow tedious journey back. Waited ever so long at L Road [Railway Station] for Riviera Express [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_Riviera_Express]. Admiral met me at Lifton. Very slow journey home. Reginald spent the day on the moor...
England has declared war on Austria. Germany has made no head way in Belgium [Schlieffen Plan]. The forces of the nations are gathering up for a fearful battle. If only something could stop it, it is too terrible to contemplate. No one knows where our army and navy is at least when I say no one, of course one forgets the authorities. The King for instance is kept informed by wireless telegraphy, the exact position of every ship. The Atlantic is being guarded by our cruisers so that our food supply shall not be cut off. Last night Plymouth was...
In afternoon Mary & I went to Tavistock for drill. Spent 6 hours of time driving there and back & drilling, having tea & all we did was to make one bed. It was rather sickening. We wished we had brought in some bandages to practise with. After the drill we went to the Mission Room where was held a working party. Every parish is to hold one & send in shirts and socks to Tavistock. Truly the women of Tavistock are working very hard. Could hear no news of the war, we seem very out of things here. Lovely...
No news of any importance. Practised bandaging in the morning.
Sun at last. Blue sky & white clouds. Lovely day. Paper Western Morning news. Very reduced only one sheet. We read of another defeat to Germany. This time by the French in Alsac [tk]. Dorothea went down to Plymouth to see Mr Britton [the family dentist]. Mary & Stella practised bandaging all the morning. Frank Drewe came over from St Stephens to fetch Ursula, and it was settled that they leave Baby here for a week so that Ursula should have a rest. At 1.15 Mary & I set off for Tavistock in four wheel dogcart, drawn by the Admiral...
Very wet all day with fine mist. Did usual jobs all the morning, in the afternoon M*1 & I went to Tavistock with Father & Arthur, the 2 latter to meeting of Kelly College Trustees on the matter of “Boggis wires” M & I went to the hospital & had there a lesson from Matron in making beds. Phyllis Morshead was there & before the class began She, I & Mary had an amusing chat about “Boggis wires”. At the other end of the room was another group all indignant that the college was not to be used. After the...
Practised bed making & more bandaging. I tried also to reduce housekeeping expenses. Butter for instance is to be curtailed. No bread & butter for early morning tea. Must think out more schemes. Eggs to be used very carefully. Cakes to be plain dough cakes. In afternoon Mary & I went in Tavistock to see the Red Cross sec’t*1 & give in our names. We have to pledge ourselves for a year and to be ready to come at any moment. Attend 3 drills a week. That evening at dinner came a telegram from the woman at the head of...
In Afternoon Dorothea & I went in to a meeting in Launceston of the Suffrage Society, I had to take the chair. We decided to discontinue all Suffrage work & use the small funds we have to help the distress in Launceston which will be caused by high prices & loss of work. After the meeting we went to tea with Mrs Horlock, she told us that a cousin of hers, Mrs Acland was in Germany with her husband, that no news of them had they heard. Whilst we were having tea in rushed Mr Frank Rodgers with the tiding...
The paper brought the news that war was actually declared between England & Germany. A policeman came up from Lifton & stuck up 2 printed notices on the double doors of the frame ground, calling on all Territorial Reservists to report themselves. Intense excitement all day. What can we do to help. I wrote to Mrs Boggis who is head of the Red X Dep’t in Tavistock & offered my services as nurse, Although I know nothing. That afternoon Stella suggested that we should practice some bandaging & we went to Kelly Mill to ask Mrs Yole to come &...
