Lovely day. Weather really looks as if it is improving.
War news Russia coming up & defeating Germans. But this is telegraphed from St Petersburg so doubt the truth of it. Many letters in the paper about whether it would be a good thing if there was conscription. Volunteers are few & far between especially in this part. It does not occur to these country people that they ought to go & volunteer. They except someone to come round & ask them to go. The thrilling notice “Your King and country need you” leaves then unmoved. 
The young men in Milton would not even go when Cecil Spears offered them £5 if they would enlist. They said they felt safer at home. There is no public spirit, or patriotism in them.
Mary, Ursula, Reginald & Frank went off in the morning in the car lunched at Tregeare, tea at Marystowe. They had a simply lovely drive back.
Mr Coleridge & Evelyn went to the Tamar & fished. I cut out my red cross uniform but much doubt if it will be used. We have come to the conclusion that the reason why we do not learn anything at these drills & lectures is that we are just play things of Miss Boggis. Something for her to fuss over, but which she had no intention of using.
Such a lovely peaceful evening everything is still & quiet. Met Mr Smith coming away from the Church where he had been having Evensong all by himself. The church bell is rung at 12pm and 6pm just after the Stable bell, to call us all to say a prayer for peace.
If Margaret’s remarks about the ‘Milton men’ were true at the time, one at least went in 1915 to war in France and died in battle. He was my great uncle, who enlisted in the Suffolk Regiment and later transferred to the Queen’s Royal (West Surrey) Regiment. His brother, who was also born in Milton Abbot but emigrated before the war, served in the 78th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry and was also killed in battle. Neither have known graves but are commemorated on the Menin Gate and the Canadian Memorial at Ypres, and also on the war memorial at Milton Abbot. I am very proud of them both and I have visited the Menin Gate and the Memorial at Ypres in their memory.
I am thrilled to be able to read Margaret’s blog – what a find. Thank you Sophia