Weather decidedly colder, but no rain. No more news in the paper. Fresh casualty lists yesterday, another batch of wounded arrived at Plymouth. Some of them are German wounded. This afternoon at Dorothea, Mary, Hector & I all went to Dunterton to ask Mrs Clayton to belong to the soldiers and sailors help society. She consented, & we stayed a little time, & chatted and then walked home again in time for tea. The great events of the day was that we had bread & butter with our early tea. At breakfast, a great argument raged about the word culture....

Cold today. Turning to rain in the afternoon. No fresh news in the paper. Germans remain the other side of the Aisne. A fearful battle must be going on now. Lord Kitchener made a statement in the House of Lords on the present situation. The Home Rule Bill “Government of Ireland Act 1914” & Welsh Disestablishment “Welsh Church Act 1914” have become law, but will not be put into force until after the war “Suspensory Act 1914”. Dug up a part of one of the hen runs & after having sprinkled lime on it, the idea is to purify the...

Situation in the same. Germans in a strong position on the N of the Aisne. D & I went to Tolapit to lunch. Had a fearful scramble to get ready in time, as the Minister came dreaming in wanting two old doors out of which to make a platform for the rifle shooting. With the help of Moyse, we found 2 which just did. I do believe there are few things which when asked for we cannot supply. Then I had to see about two new rollers for the laundry wringer & get Moyse to measure same. We got to...

Germans making a stand, beyond the river Aisne “River Aisne”, there will in all probability be a fearful battle during the next few days. The enemies position seems to be a very strong one. Mary into Tavistock to make jam in the morning. I followed in the afternoon & attended lecture.

Further back, still the Germans being driven, they are across the River Marne now. The press bureau published today a denial of the story about the Russian troops in France. All the wonderful stories we heard about train loads of Russian soldiers passing through England were false. Mrs Newman came to tea. Bernard, she told us, was relieved from picket duty, which he had found very distasteful, as without exception, every sentry he visited was either drunk or asleep. He daily expects to be sent to the front. George Collinson Mrs Newman’s nephew has joined the Cameron Highlanders “Queens own...

Victory for the Allies at last: on Saturday we drove back the Germans. They retired in some confusion. The Belgians have retaken Maline. Evelyn saw in a paper sent him from Long Eaton that a son of one of his parishioners was in hospital in Plymouth, so off he dashed to see him. Dorothea also went to Plymouth to see the dentist & Mary to Tavistock in the morning to help the quartermaster make jam. Evelyn saw a man who belonged to the same regiment as his old school fellow Schonberg & he told him how his party was nearly...

As usual, weather dull with rain in the evening. After I had fed my hens in the morning, was just going to church 8 AM Mrs Wicket came to me in great distress having burnt her eye, with fat jumping up in it. I had much pleasure in bandaging it up, but thought it wise to send for the doctor.

More good news in the paper. The Germans are being beaten back, & retiring in disorder. We all went to Tintagel in the car to see the Wingfields. The rain began just as we got there, & the wind too was high, so it was an unpleasant day. We went to their lodgings, & had a picnic lunch, & afterwards walked into the town, where we saw in the post office a telegram dated Sep 11th 9:25 PM, in which was stated a further retreat of the Germans in the centre and a glorious victory for the Allies. The Wingfields...

Colder. Sir John French’s official despatch in the paper, with an account of the Battle of Mons. I could not follow it as it was so technical but read what the papers said about it. From all accounts, we gather that the story about retreat by the English army will live in history as being one of the most wonderful things that has ever happened in war. There are terrible pictures in the Daily Mail, but they looked as if they were faked. The Western Morning News has the best account, at least the calmest, & never at the worst...

Better news still. The Germans have had to cross the river Petit Mouvain. An interesting article in yesterday’s Times saying that Austria was in such a terrible state of internal chaos that the only hope for her was an external war. One wonders if the murder of Archduke was brought about by Austria & Germany, merely to make an excuse for war. In afternoon Father & I went to Lamerton. I saw Mrs F Morshead, & then went on to Landue for tea. Saw John, Edgar, Sophie Grace & Mrs Tregoning, also Mrs Cardwell. Edgar had volunteered but has been...

Cloudy day with thunder showers. Germans are being beaten back. They are frustrated in their efforts to drive a wedge of their army between us & the French. We have driven them back 10 miles. Today, for the first time there appears in the paper a mention of the Russian troops in France. Everyone has been talking of it, but the papers had been bound to secrecy & even now the extract was copied from a station paper, so wonderfully is Lord Kitchener managing everything. M & I went to lunch at Holwell, & then on to the class. Several...

Thunderstorm very early in the morning 3 AM. More cheering news in paper. Germans have had to retire, but they are only 20 miles from Paris. Dinant Dinant, another Belgian town has been destroyed. I spent 2 to three days there, with Mrs Ophelia Turner. Pretty little place on the Meuve. The Smiths had to take Daisy to Plymouth to have her arm x-rayed, poor child she was very bad all night. We had a working party in the walled garden, not many came.

The Press Bureau has at last made a statement & gives our casualties as 15,000. In a very few words it describes how we had kept back the Germans, although we have been obliged to retreat. They have failed in their effort to break our connection with the French. Bad news from the sea. The Pathfinder, a light cruiser has gone. Blown up by a mine with the loss of many hands HMS Pathfinder. After lunch we went into Tavistock. John Trelawney came in with us & went off home. Daisy Smith broke her arm badly this morning. M &...

As usual, lovely day. After evening service, Mr and Mrs Smith & I met the lads & Young men of the place, & discussed the rifle club. I was wondering all the time to say that none who are over 19 ought to belong, but kept silence yea even from good words. There was that great hulking fellow George Wevill, with no home ties, working independently, he ought to enlist. But he is one of these fellows that talk. When I think how they all stood up at our last concert & sang Hearts of Oak, & now prove that...

Thunderstorm very early in the morning. The paper says that all is quiet for the time just now, but also says that Wednesday battle was the fiercest ever fought. The terrible part about casualty lists is the large number of men who are missing. The German brutality is simply awful. In the afternoon drove down to meet John Trelawney, who has come to pay us a farewell visit before going to India. He has an appointment on the railway.

The great event of to day is that we have seen some wounded soldiers. We were passing through Tavistock Square after our drill when we saw a large crowd. There by the town hall was a motor charabanc with about a doz. Soldiers, all convalescent. Chocolate & tea were being handed to them, & we all stood there, & watched until they drove off. The seat of government for France is moved to Bordeaux, the enemy come on apace. Maline [Mechelen] has now been destroyed, the beautiful cathedral in ruins. I remember going there for the day, I think it...

Lovely day. Very hot in the afternoon, the temperature rose to 18 in the shade. Drove in morning to Brentor to take one of the servants home for a holiday. Bouchier gave me a lesson in driving the car. Went on to Lydford station & brought back Mr Plum for lunch. The Radcliffes also came & were photographed by Mary. She is doing a lot of portraits & selling them. Proffits to go to the war fund. I went in afternoon to Lifton. Met Mrs Bradshaw at the Arundell Arms. She & I belong to a soldier & sailors help...

Lovely day. Very hot. The figures of the casualty lists published in the paper comparatively few killed a great number missing. Altogether, about 4000. The papers make out that the Germans have lost very heavily, but that we do not know for truth. The tale, that large bodies of Russians are in England, still rose. Many people profess to have seen them and all the different reports agree that Bristol is the place they have passed through, but there is nothing about it in the paper. Mr R Morshead, Mr Radcliffe came over in the morning to shoot. Very hot...

The first hospital train with 100 wounded reached Plymouth yesterday afternoon. One of the Red Cross detachment told me yesterday that she saw it go through Lydford station. From scraps of information in the papers we gather that the battle of Sunday week, which lasted three days was fearful. The worst battle ever fought. Ursula Frank & baby left this morning to return to Wimbledon. Pity the weather has turned so hot again as it is so bad for baby. Mary, Dorothea, & I cut out shirts in the morning. In the afternoon working party Mrs Smith brought out the...

Very lovely day. Hot & thundery in afternoon. First list of casualties in the paper this morning, only naval list, result of the battle of the Bight of Heligoland Battle of Heligoland. A very smart piece of work on the part of our ships, they seemed to have enticed the German ships out of the harbour, & then attacked them. One of their cruisers sunk after one shot from one of our Dreadnoughts. Lecture at Tavistock on operations for shell wounds. When we got home and found a small tennis party, Newmans, Drews,Tregonings. A great deal of baby worship went...