Sunday, 14 June
Took a walk in the morning to the pier. After dinner we went by Ardbeg and met John and Lily Duncan and the two Jones girls.39 We took them all up for their tea. Beautiful day.
Monday, 15 June
After breakfast went myself to Bogany and back by Skippers Wood.40 We hired a pram for 4/- and after dinner we all went to Bogany Point. After tea I paid my twopence and listened to the band. Tommy got a pair of sandshoes (1/11). Weather perfect.
Tuesday, 16 June
We are all getting tanned. Weather perfect.
Monday, 29 June
Started my work today.
Saturday, 4 July
Their Royal Holinesses the King and Queen are coming to Glasgow next week, so Tommy got a flag.41
Sunday, 5 July
I was at church in the forenoon.42
Tuesday, 7 July
Lovely day. Got away from my work at 10 a.m. as we have a royal visit today. Agnes met me with the boy so we hied us to Parliamentary Road and saw the King and Queen and the Princess Mary. We took off our hat and went on our way duly elevated. After tea I went myself to Cathkin Braes and saw a glorious sunset. Met an old school mate (Tom Davidson) there and we came down to Ruglen together. Home 10.30.
Thursday, 9 July
‘There is many a married-looking man who is only worried.’
Monday, 13 July
Agnes and Tommy away to Lamlash today, so I met them at Central Station and put them on the 12.40 train to Ardrossan.43
Thursday, 16 July
Got a P. C. from my spouse letting me know when she would be home. The ‘Society’ man here at night. He took some of my hard-earned money with him.44
* * *
In late July 1914, a severe diplomatic dispute between Serbia and Austro-Hungary was threatening to boil over into war. Austro-Hungary was demanding that Serbia hand over the leaders of the Black Hand Gang, who had killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand in June 1914. On 28 July the two countries went to war. The conflict rapidly escalated, with Russia agreeing to defend Serbia if it was attacked by Austria, and Germany in turn threatening to attack Russia if it intervened in Austria.
* * *
Sunday, 26 July
Gun running in Dublin today. Mob knocked up against the military (KOSB). Three killed, about 80 injured.45
Monday, 27 July
War clouds in Europe.
Tuesday, 28 July
Austria and Servia at war now.46 Things looking bad.
Wednesday, 29 July
Belgrade, capital of Servia, bombarded by the Austrians. Things getting worse and worse.
Thursday, 30 July
Agnes made jam and put it in jars. Russia mobilising. Things very grave indeed in Europe.
Friday, 31 July
Tommy got a bath tonight. All the stock exchanges closed now. Bank rate up to 8%. Germany in a state of war. All Europe mobilising. Things are very bad.
Saturday, 1 August
Fine day. We went to Queen’s Park in the afternoon and at night we went round by the boating pond, Aitken Head Collieries, and Mount Florida and took the car home. Bank rate up to 10% today. Germany has sent an ultimatum to Russia and France.
Sunday, 2 August
Very wet forenoon. Very heavy rain. Took a walk into town in the afternoon to see the latest war news.47 Germany has declared war on Russia. Russia has crossed into Austria. Germany has crossed the French frontier. Our government considering today whether to fight or not. Royal Naval Reserves mobilised. The war of the world. We wonder what tomorrow will bring forth.
Monday, 3 August
I went to Sam’s shop at night and brought home half a stone of flour at 1/-. We are doing a bit of speculation in the provision way owing to the war. Agnes got a stone of sugar at two and a half pence per pound. Sugar selling today at 4d. Unprecedented scenes. Bank holiday extended three days extra. Germany, France, Austria, Russia, Servia all at war. British army and fleet mobilised. Germany warned by Britain. The climax is approaching.
Tuesday, 4 August
Provisions getting dearer every day. Serious times ahead. Germany declares war on Belgium. Official declaration of war with France and Germany. Britain sends ultimatum to Germany. The King has called out the Territorials. Government has taken over the railways. Germany has appealed to Italy. Every paper is now a ‘war speshull’.48
Wednesday, 5 August
Town full of Territorials. Getting ready for our country’s defence. Britain declared war on Germany last night at 11 p.m. Now fighting: Britain, Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Servia and Russia. The biggest war in the world’s history.
Thursday, 6 August
Took a run into Sam’s shop at night to talk over the ‘war news’. All sorts of rumours are going about. The soldiers are lifting horses all over the town.49
Friday, 7 August
Germans have lost 25,000 men at Liège and have asked for a 24 hours armistice. Wild rumours going about. Seems to be a great naval battle in the North Sea. Austria and Russia formally at war now. We indeed live in stirring times. A month ago I would have said impossible.
Saturday, 8 August
Went to the Stirling’s Library in the afternoon for a book. Liège still holds out against Germans. Armistice refused. French have invaded Alsace-Lorraine. Britain has taken two German colonies. No fight yet in the North Sea. Portugal and Montenegro are reported at war with Germany. Italy still neutral. A nightmare of a war.
Sunday, 9 August
Tommy three years old today. Went into town in forenoon and got a war paper. After dinner we all went to Queen’s Park and heard the band playing where the Territorials are quartered in Coplaw Street.50 After tea we all went into town and got another paper. Wild fighting in Alsace-Lorraine. Germans routed.
Tuesday, 11 August
Greenlodge mobilised their forces and invaded us tonight. They went away about 10.15. Germans still getting killed in Belgium. I’m beginning to forget all who are fighting.
* * *
The United Kingdom parliament passed the Defence of the Realm Act on 8 August 1914, days after declaring war. This gave the government powers it believed it needed on the home front, such as the right to censor all communications and to requisition buildings or land. The Act also banned the public from flying kites or lighting bonfires (which might attract Zeppelins), buying binoculars (which could be used for spying), feeding bread to wild animals (which wasted food), discussing naval and military matters (which could benefit spies) or buying alcohol on public transport (which wasted resources). The Act also gave us British Summer Time, which was intended to boost wartime production. Pub opening hours in Scotland were restricted to from 12 noon to 2.30 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and all alcoholic drinks were produced at a lower strength, both to conserve food stocks and to reduce alcohol consumption.
* * *
Thursday, 13 August
Beautiful day. Very warm. We all went to Queen’s Park at night and heard the band. Britain declares war on Austria. Germans getting slaughtered in Belgium. Brilliant Belgian victory. Britannia still ruling the waves.
Friday, 14 August
All sorts of rumours about British soldiers killed and wounded. Food prices getting easier. The scare is over in that respect.
Sunday, 16 August
Brilliant summer day. Took a walk into town before dinner to get a ‘war special’. After, we all went to Queen’s Park and admired the scenery from the flag pole. After tea we all went to town and got another special. Some French and Belgian successes reported. The Big Battle is coming on. A few million men to fight extending 250 miles.51
Tuesday, 18 August
Beautiful day. Agnes staying in the wash-house in the forenoon. I helped her to fold some articles at night, then she washed the marble staircase.52 The British army has landed in France. Magnificent welcome.
Thursday, 20 August
Nice day. Very warm. Agnes and Tommy out at Ruglen in
the afternoon. Lily not well. Getting no news from Belgium. War Office very reticent. Russian successes in Russia and Germany. We all went to the pictures at night.
Friday, 21 August
I did some joiner work to the kitchen table at night. I am putting an extra leaf on it. Brussels is taken by the heathen Germans.53 The Allies have some little game on, I think. Looks like a trap for Germany.
Thursday, 27 August
Nice day. Agnes bought a fancy pair of (the last part of this message is censored).54 Bloody fighting in Belgium.55 Enormous German losses.
Friday, 28 August
Dirty wet day. Germany seems top dog this week, but at a fearful cost. It is reported that they have 200,000 killed.
Sunday, 30 August
Up early this morning (7.20 a.m.), walked into the town in pouring rain to see the latest sad reading. British army badly cut up bearing the brunt of the fighting. Took a walk to Ruglen to see Lily. Disagreed with John’s socialistic views of the war. Father here at night. Agnes not well at all.
Thursday, 3 September
The new recruiting office in Cathcart Road seems to be doing business. About 10,000 men have enlisted in Glasgow for the war.
Friday, 4 September
Went out to the shop at night to see Sam and then we went to a recruiting office. Sam taking down figures and I watched the recruits having their eyes tested. Germans about 20 miles from Paris. Glasgow has enlisted 15,000 for ‘Kitchener’s Army’.56
Monday, 7 September
A naval action in the North Sea last week. We sunk nine destroyers and damaged seven. This is private information. It has never been published yet, and very few, in fact, nobody, about here knows.57
Wednesday, 9 September
Brilliant successes all along the Allied Line, about 180 miles in extent.58 Things are looking more hopeful.
Friday, 11 September
Nice bright day. Wholesale arrests of Germans in Scotland.
Saturday, 12 September
Hetty here in the afternoon. We all went out and saw Fancy Dress Parade in aid of War Fund.59
* * *
People were quick to volunteer for Army service. By late September 1914, some 2.25 million men had enlisted and 1.5 million were classified as being in reserved occupations. However, almost 40 per cent of all volunteers were found to be unfit for military service because of poor health.
* * *
Sunday, 13 September
Very cold, showery, windy day. Took my usual walk into town before breakfast.60
Monday, 14 September
Not feeling well at night. Bathed my feet and took something ‘hot’ and so to bed.
Tuesday, 15 September
Stayed in bed all day. Dead to the world. Not worth even half a German.
Tuesday, 22 September
Agnes doing some baking at night. Tommy still got a bad cough. Disaster in North Sea. Three British cruisers sunk by German submarines: HMS Aboukir, HMS Hogue, HMS Cressy.61
Wednesday, 23 September
Agnes out seeing Lily at night. I stayed in and watched the child. About 200 wounded British soldiers arrived at Stobhill Hospital last Monday.62 Some British aviators flew over Cologne and fried a Zeppelin shed.
Thursday, 24 September
Nice day. All the Cormacks (and the lodger) up at night. We had a musical evening.
Saturday, 26 September
Wee Lily here in the evening and went away about nine. Agnes not well at all. She fainted at night. Tommy got new shoes (4/6). Some more German colonies going under.
Sunday, 27 September
Very windy day. I was not out except for war specials. Typhus broken out among the Germans at Brussels.
Tuesday, 29 September
Beautiful day. Agnes and Tommy over at Greenlodge seeing Lily (who is staying there to be nursed) in the afternoon. Cholera has broken out among the Austrians at Vienna.
Wednesday, 30 September
Allies pressing the Germans strongly in the Big Battle.63
Saturday, 3 October
Big Battle still raging. German attacks shattered the London Scottish at the front. The first Territorial regiment to be in action. Antwerp besieged. Vienna preparing for a siege. All of us in town in afternoon. This is Belgian Flag Day, so we donned our flags.64
* * *
The two great battles of 1914, the First Battle of the Marne and the First Battle of Ypres, were both successes for the Allies. At the beginning of the war a German force advanced through Belgium on its way to France, with the intention of capturing Paris. It was halted after crossing the River Marne, and in September the battle named for that river forced its retreat to the River Aisne. This joint French-British victory, one of the most decisive of the entire war, saved Paris and showed the Germans that they were not an unstoppable force. The Battle of Ypres followed in October and November as the Germans moved towards the French ports in the north of the country. Fierce fighting by the British forces around Ypres saved Calais and other ports from being occupied by the Germans.
* * *
Thursday, 8 October
Another 100 wounded arrive at Stobhill. 1,500 Glasgow tramwaymen with the colours.65
Monday, 12 October
Agnes went to Greenlodge at night to see Lily. Andrew came up to keep me company.
Wednesday, 14 October
Agnes says Tommy is growing too quick, so we got him another bottle of emulsion.66
Thursday, 15 October
Agnes and Tommy over at Greenlodge in the afternoon to see Lily, whose condition is very grave. Hopeless, I think, but can only hope for the best. Fleet of liners arrives in England from Canada. Hunt for German submarines on Scottish coast. We sunk one. 3,000 Belgian refugees are coming to Glasgow.
Friday, 16 October
Fine day but nippy, foggy morning. Saw crowds of the Belgian refugees today, a moving sight. I take my hat off to them.67
Sunday, 18 October
Beautiful day. Agnes at communion today. After dinner we all went to the Sighthill graveyard.68
Thursday, 22 October
Wholesale arrests of Germans all over Britain.
Saturday, 24 October
Most bloody fighting on the Belgian coast, by earth, air, water and under the water.
Wednesday, 28 October
Got a telephone message from John today that Lily was sinking rapidly and that the end was expected any moment. I went out before dinner to see her. She was breathing and no more. Agnes went out in the afternoon and I went at 6 p.m. but the end had already come. My father had been telegraphed to come home and Agnes and Nellie met him at the station.69
Friday, 30 October
Took the day off my work. Nannie Gordon came here in the forenoon and took Wee Tommy away to Ibrox, and then we went to Greenlodge. The funeral left after 3 p.m. and in Rutherglen Cemetery we finally laid poor Lily to rest. It was a cold, wet day, a fit end to this tragedy, for the more I think of it, the more I realise the bitter tragedy of it all. Agnes went down to Ibrox at night for Tommy, and I went home with father. I was more than pleased to see my wee man again. I missed the little rascal more than I could have thought. He seems more precious than ever now.
Sunday, 1 November
Very dull day. None of us out at all. I’m afraid our thoughts were gloomy, and the day lasted a hundred years. Agnes not feeling well at all. Everything is wrong.
Monday, 2 November
Wee Isa here in afternoon and evening.70 Sam, Nellie and John came at night. Poor John. A sad, weary figure. He has got to plough his lonely furrow now. Great bayonet charge by the London Scottish, the first Territorial regiment in action.71 Bavarians routed.
Wednesday, 4 November
Father off to Edinburgh today for a little before he settles down in Greenlodge. The Elder’s wife, Mrs McCracken, here today, to see if we needed any charity owing to the war.72 So far, we don’t. The factor called today and robbed us of some money.
Sunday, 8 November
Tommy very sick today. We find at night that he has got the
chicken pox.
Friday, 13 November
Tommy's War: A First World War Diary 1913-1918 Page 6