Lovely day. Heard from Mary, who said that there are only 3 cases in the hospital so far, so her work is light. The building, which was a boarding out home for children is perfectly fitted up as a hospital. However, also from Florence T who told me that her nephew Harry Rogers was in the Monmouth, which was sunk 2 days ago in S America by a German ship. The paper stated that our into rough weather none of the crew were saved. As regards the campaign in France, one might make one statement which will do for all...
Lovely day, very warm. Our army near Ypre’s has given the Germans a setback. They have lost guns & many killed. In the East room of our cruisers have bombarded Jaffa. We are now definitely at war with Russia. Very busy all the morning. Ramsdown shoot, went up as usual for the launch to the Lodge, it seemed strange without Mr Morshead. We did not follow, but came straight back & went out for a turn with the dogs. In the evening there was a parish meeting to discuss what was to be done in the event of the arrival...
Returned home to day after a week at Buckfastleigh, with Jack & Florence, and during that week, public events have moved rapidly. The retirement of Prince Louis of Battenberg confirms the truth of the stories about him, we must have only Englishman at the head of affairs. Very little news from the front. Only daily casualty lists of terrible length. Roger Ripley a friend of Bob’s has been killed. He stayed here once, arriving in a car which could only go about a walking pace. To day I got a letter sent on by Dorothea from Mrs Boggis to ask...
Forgot to write anything on Monday or Tuesday. As for news from the front, there is hardly any. A fearful battle is raging near the coast by the River Yser, but the press bureau keeps all the information to itself, only the long casualty lists are published, & some of them are very belated. Father & Mary & I went to Holewell for lunch, & afterwards to the hygiene lecture. It was a very cold afternoon with heavy showers from the NW & coming home in the car with the hood up, we thought of the many cold miserable drives...
Wet day, with driving rain. Read Mrs Stobbart’s book in the afternoon. Fed the fowls, and after tea took Hector out to shut up the fowls. Small congregations at all the services. Next Journal entry 29th October
Very warm day, with soft rain, the woods are now in full autumn colouring, everything looks very lovely, showing through the dampness. The papers very guarded in their remarks to day, but we gather that there is fearful & desperate battle going on near the coast around Ostend & Meuport [Nieuwport]. In the afternoon at Dorothea Father & I went in to Lanson, on the way to Lezant. Saw Betty & Eleanor in the street, they told us that Henry was on the way back again from India, they suppose he will be sent to the front. We stopped at...
A long despatch from the admirals in today’s paper, all about the battle of Heligoland. Such a long time ago that one’s interest cannot be stirred afresh in it. No more drills on Fridays, so we stayed at home. I spent the afternoon in making a henhouse windproof. Got Eli to plant the run I dug up with cabbages.
Some of our ships have shelled the German trenches near Ostend. There was a new destroyers of the River class, the Mersey,“HMS Mersey” the Severn“HMS Severn” & Humber “HMS Humber” . The German attacks on the Allies front had been repulsed, so altogether, things are beginning to look better, but still the papers seem to think that invasion is not impossible. Practised bandaging in the afternoon with the giggles girls. A wet afternoon & story evening, weather has broken up.
Change coming in the weather. War news improving. The Belgians are holding their own on the River Yser “Yser” , and our army is pressing on steadily. The Germans, however, hold the line from Armentieres to Lille. In the afternoon Father, Mary & I went to Tavistock, the former to Kelly College, whilst we went to a lecture on hygiene. Afterwards we went to tea with the Clarkes. We met their Mrs Hext. She told us her brother-in-law major Hext is out at the front & has been through is all from the beginning. His wife heard no news of...
In the Times of yest. There is a summary of Sir John French’s despatch & a leading article explaining it, showing how the allies have come on steadily ever since Sep 6th, & very slowly but surely driven back the Germans. They will not be able to recover themselves again, for we have broken the power of Prussian militarism. Also there was an article about the Canadian contingent, which said that never since the time of the Norman conquest has such an enormous force of armed men landed on these shores. But still, we are not told how many men...
Paper full of excitement this morning. First of all, an account of the naval engagement which was a very smart piece of work. Then there was a long despatch from Sir John French, however, I did not read as it was too technical, giving an account of the battle of the Marne, dated from Sep 17th to Oct 8th. The casualties of 500 officers & 12,000 men seem an appalling list, but he says it he might have been worse. He also mentions a long list of those who are to have special honour. Spent the morning wandering around the...
Lovely day. In afternoon I went with Jack to Tavistock, in his car. We went to the post office to see if there was any news, & when we got there I found quite an exciting telegram that an naval engagement had taken place off the coast of Holland, & that one of our cruisers, the Undaunted, & 4 torpedo boats, the Lennox, Lance, Loyal, Legion, had sunk German destroyers. The loss of life on our side being very slight. It was very cheering news & we – off home feeling quite elated & got back at 3.15. The road...
Lovely day. Official account of the loss of the Hawke. With a list of 50 who are known to be saved. The allies have got into Ypre’s and the Germans to Ostend. & That is all we know. Jack & Florence arrived in their car from Buckfastleigh at 12 Spent the afternoon wandering round with Florence. Mary came home from Wimbledon and made a hash of her journey & had to wait in Tavistock a long time.
Lovely day. Father had a letter from Frank dated Sep. 6th. They have up to that date received no letters from us since the beginning of the war. War news bad. The Germans have now occupied Bruges. In the Times of yest. is an account written by an American of the entry of the Germans into Antwerp. In it he describes the huge army & its numberless soldiers & guns. The dreadful part about it is that now that vast army of troops is free to attack the Allies front, & get to Calais. Went into Tavistock for drill. Afterwards...
Yesterday, a large number of Canadian troops landed at Plymouth. The W. M. News gave a full account & described the arrival of the ships. Never before have so many huge liners come in at one time to the sound. However, the account though long told, nothing, no mention was made of the number of ships, or their names, nor was any reference made to the numbers of the troops who landed. It must have been a fine sight
There is rebellion in South Africa. A part of the Boer army has declared for Germany. General Botha is taking decisive steps to put down the rebels, but this news on the top of the fall of Antwerp is very depressing. The Germans have now practically the whole of Belgium. The government having had to flee from Ostend to Havre. D & I went into Launceston in car on the way to Tolapit, & heard that Ostend had been taken. We had with us Mrs Smith & 3 of the children as there was a small party in honour of...
More sorry accounts of Antwerp. The Germans, however, have not got all the Belgian army about half of it has escaped. On the allies front, the fighting has been fierce, but nowhere have we given way. In the morning we had a wedding here. Annie Johns was married to a young man called Palmer. There were quite a number of people present, but a wedding here is not a very cheerful concern. The crowd, that stands at the gates to see the departure of the happy pair, does not show any demonstrations of joy, a certain amount of rice throwing,...
Terrible & heartrending accounts in the paper of the fall of Antwerp. The people fled by thousands. On Saturday 3000 came in 1 boat to Folkestone. The ease with which the Germans took the town shows the utter uselessness of forts, they are only death traps to the defenders. It appears that 3 of our naval brigades were there helping, but could not do much. In the morning. Mrs Smith brought me a paper to read in which was an account of Mrs Stobbart’s Hospital, written by Dr Florence Stoney, describing how shells burst into the hospital & they had...
Lovely day. Father went to Marystowe to take the duty. We had a very long service with 2 sermons from the Minister. The 1st one was about Evensong daily & complaining that no one comes to it. Continuations of Harvest Festival, it is a wonderful year of fruits of all sorts, every bush is laden with berries. The holly is lovely. Evening service also long, for after a sermon from Father (not short) we had another one from the Minister on the same subject as the morning. It was very wearisome. Change coming wind backed to S.E. during the day
Antwerp in flames. Such was the news in the paper. The inhabitants are fleeing from the town in thousands, and amongst others Mrs Stobarts’ Hospital has had to be closed. In the W. M. News was to say that Dr Mabel Ramsay had left with the hospital & gone to Ostend. Dorothea & I went to Lanson in the morning, to meet Joan at the Tamar Club & receive from her a parcel of flannel for our people to make into shirts. We sat there about an hour & talked, and this was one of the tales she told us....
