Thursday, 15 April
Zeppelin raid on east coast of England last night (Tyneside). One man slightly hurt. Scottish steamer torpedoed by the pirates.46 11 drowned.
Friday, 16 April
Ruglen’s MP has been killed at the front.47
Saturday, 17 April
I went to the library in the afternoon. We went to the Majestic first house at night.
Sunday, 18 April
I went to church today. Communion.48
* * *
Religion and belief
Thomas was a Presbyterian from a religious background in the north of Ireland. Whichever church his father belonged to in Ireland had no exact equivalent in Scotland and various members of his family joined different ‘reformed’ groups. Thomas himself joined the United Free Church of Scotland, but all the organisations patronised by members of his family have one thing in common: they derived from the reformed Church of Scotland established by John Knox after the Scottish Reformation in 1650.
At the Scottish Reformation, Knox and his supporters declared that the new reformed church should not celebrate the religious festivals of the Catholic Church, such as Christmas, Easter and Whitsun (or Pentecost). Thomas sounds lukewarm about all of these days, and has little time for the elders and other church representatives who came to his door seeking donations. Thomas and his family also visit other churches, perhaps because the style of worship is closer to what they would have experienced if the family had remained in the north of Ireland. Thomas was the only one of his siblings to have been born in Scotland, and perhaps the kirk did not provide the family with the Presbyterian punch they may have enjoyed in Lurgan.
The spirit of the Scottish Reformation was still strong in some communities. The author J. J. Bell, who was brought up in the west end of Glasgow in the closing years of the nineteenth century, recalled:
Christmas meant nothing to the working people, unless as a reminder of the approach of the New Year. To many middle-class people it was still a matter almost for resentment, since they regarded it as just one more Anglified innovation. There were middle-class homes like my own, in which, as Christmas drew near, the house became – amiably withal – divided against itself. My father’s people, with their old-fashioned ideas and prejudices, did not ‘hold with’ Christmas; my mother’s people, with their new notions and prepossessions, were all for it.
J. J. Bell, I Remember
(Edinburgh: Porpoise Press, 1932).
Thomas found a spiritual home in the United Free Church of Scotland, and he was a member of its branch in the centre of Glasgow, the United Free Tron Church, at 76 Dundas Street, north of Cathedral Street (the site now vanished beneath the Buchanan Galleries shopping centre). The U.F. Church was a Scottish Presbyterian organisation formed in 1900 from the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (founded in 1847) and the majority of ministers and parishioners of the Free Church of Scotland (founded in 1843). The U.F. Church, which was the second-largest Presbyterian denomination in Scotland, united with the larger Church of Scotland in 1929. The religious orientation of the U.F. Church was Presbyterian, Evangelical and Calvinist, although it accepted the findings of modern science and so-called ‘higher criticism’ of the Bible.
Thomas was careful to attend church on the four Sundays a year that communion is celebrated. These dates varied across the country, but Thomas went on the second Sunday of January, April, July and October of each year. On other days, however, he found a walk through Queen’s Park to be a suitable substitute for collective worship. His celebration of Easter, surely the most important festival in the Christian calendar, was limited to eating a hot cross bun on Easter Friday and having two eggs for breakfast on Easter Sunday. Like most Scots Presbyterians, he barely acknowledged Christmas and, like most of his contemporaries, was at work from 8 a.m. to about 1 p.m. on the day itself. He had two days off for New Year, reflecting the greater cultural importance that was attached to that festival in Scotland.
Politically, Thomas was against Socialism and Communism, and attended a Labour meeting just before the general election in 1918. He was willing to listen to the anti-government and anti-war speeches made in Jail Square, even though he disagreed strongly with them. He was also a voracious reader, and surely was open-minded enough to read books that did not accord closely with his own beliefs. He was a strong supporter of the war and of punishing Germany for its ‘piracy’ on the North Sea and elsewhere, but he has some doubts about serving his country. Perhaps for the sake of his wife and child, he was reluctant to join up, though when he did volunteer he was proud to wear the armband that showed he had done so. As the war progressed, and he was again found unfit by the army medical examiners, the diaries betray no sign that Thomas faced any hostility in his family, at work or on the street as a seemingly able-bodied man who was not yet in uniform. Some conscientious objectors were sent white feathers or bullets in the post, and faced obloquy in public.
Thomas’ social religious background would suggest that he was a supporter of the temperance movement, which campaigned to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed by society, and whose followers were either total abstainers (who pledged to drink no alcohol, except as medicine) or believers in temperance, who drank beer and wine but not spirits. Thomas rarely mentions alcohol, except when he visits a hotel and has ‘a glass of milk’. Like Thomas’ mention of the ‘religious literature’ that he habitually borrows from the library, this reference is likely tongue in cheek, and he was probably drinking something stronger. He also occasionally buys a bottle of whisky to treat colds that have resisted olive oil and other folk remedies, an indulgence that could perhaps be justified as a medicine. Thomas was godly, but not, one suspects, as godly as he makes out in his diary.
It seems that Paterson and Baxter were going through hard times in early 1933 and Thomas’ salary decreased to £1 a week. This affected where he sat in church. In his entry for 22 April 1933, Thomas quotes ‘Agnes went to the kirk at night and booked three sittings for the next six months. We have changed over to a cheaper seat as we are no longer wealthy’.
* * *
Thursday, 22 April
I rang up Eddie Campbell in the forenoon and arranged a meeting with him and Agnes for the afternoon. She saw him all right and met me at 5.30 and we all went home together.49
Saturday, 24 April
German success in Flanders. They use bombs with poisonous fumes, and Allies are forced back.50 British lose four big guns.
Sunday, 25 April
Germans driven back again in Flanders. The Canadians save the day, and recapture our lost guns.
Monday, 26 April
Fine day, but a little colder. We have put Tommy on Scott’s Emulsion.
Tuesday, 27 April
We had the man who sweeps lums in, and he did his duty for 1/6. Fierce fighting in Flanders. British hold back German onslaught.
Wednesday, 28 April
Tommy got a very bad cough. Will likely be the whooping cough. We are also looking at the mumps. British take the offensive in Belgium. Land fighting has started in the Dardanelles.
Thursday, 29 April
We got word from the ‘busy’ one that we would be whitewashed at 6.30 a.m. [tomorrow].51 We removed our all to the room and lit a fire there, and slept there. We got to bed tomorrow morning.
Friday, 30 April
The ‘busy’ man came at 7.45 a.m. and was away at 8.15 a.m. Prodigious. We got off for 24 pennies. Agnes spent the rest of the day flitting back to the kitchen and washing up. I cleaned the clock at night, and hung it up.
Saturday, 1 May
Was out at Ruglen in afternoon and got a bath.52
Monday, 3 May
Agnes washing blankets etc. in the washing house today. Agnes ironing all night. German aeroplane over Dover. It gets chased.
Wednesday, 5 May
Agnes put up the curtains over the bed in the morning. We went to the painters in the afternoon to see about our new wallpaper. Ge
rman submarine sinks nine British trawlers. The pirates are very busy now. They have threatened to sink the Lusitania. She is on her way over from America. We shall see.
Thursday, 6 May
Germans by the aid of poisonous bombs gain a foothold on ‘Hill 60’.53
Friday, 7 May
Very warm, dull day. We dismantled the room at night, getting ready for the men who stick wallpaper up. Bills stuck up all over the town telling us what to do when the ‘Huns’ drop bombs on us.
Saturday, 8 May
Germany’s most accursed act committed yesterday. The Lusitania, the world’s finest steamer, torpedoed and sunk without warning off the south coast of Ireland. 751 saved. 1,208 lives lost.54
Sunday, 9 May
Very bright, sunny day, but cold, windy and dusty. I went to Queen’s Park before breakfast and took a walk into town after dinner. Came home in the car and a female conductor punched my ticket. Agnes very ill all day. The cursed spring cleaning has done her no good and I’m getting worried about her health. Great joy in Germany about the Lusitania. America trying to feel angry, as there were American citizens on board.
Tuesday, 11 May
Pouring wet day. We dismantled the room entirely tonight. Agnes a little better. A friend of Agnes from Edinburgh, Sarah Miller, here today. Riots in Canada over the Lusitania murder. Germans shoot British prisoners.
Wednesday, 12 May
Bitter cold day. Poor Wee Tommy sick and vomiting all day. The room ceiling whitewashed today. Bread 4d, butter 1/6 now. Great anti-German riots all over the country. The Germans have now threatened to sink the Cunard liner Transylvania, which left New York last Saturday.
Thursday, 13 May
Very cold day. Painters in today and varnished the room. Tommy very ill today, so got the doctor at night. His temperature is 101°. Doctor does not know yet what ails him and leaves us with gloomy forebodings.
Friday, 14 May
Tommy still very ill. Doctor up again. His temperature the same. Doctor can’t tell us anything yet. Poor wee man. The house is so quiet now. Got rid of the painters. They stuck on the wallpaper and went away. Government throws out some hints about ‘conscription’.
Saturday, 15 May
Very nice day. Doctor up again. Tommy’s heat down to 99°. Doctor thinks there is nothing wrong with him. I went to Govanhill Library in afternoon. Allies doing well in the west.
Sunday, 16 May
The medical man up again. Says Tommy is all right now. Just to keep him in bed for a day or two and feed him on milk. Tommy at the very cross stage. I was at Queen’s Park and Pollok Estate in afternoon admiring all the girls. Revolution in Portugal. Murder! Police!! Au succours [sic]!!!55
Monday, 17 May
Tommy keeping better now. He got a little bread to eat today. I cut up rhubarb at night. We are going to make a little jam. Great British victory north of La Bassée.56 German lines broken. The Transylvania arrived safely in port. The King in Glasgow today (incognito) speeding the workers.
Tuesday, 18 May
Kitchener wants another Army of 300,000.57 King reviews soldiers in Glasgow Green today.
Saturday, 22 May
Terrible train smash at Gretna. Three trains smashed up, one of them a troop train. The most awful disaster that has ever happened in Britain. 169 lives lost, mostly soldiers.
Sunday, 23 May
Italy declares war on Austria and thus on Germany. We have now at war: Britain, France, Russia, Belgium, Italy, Serbia and Montenegro against Germany, Austria and Turkey. When was there such a war?
* * *
The Quintinshill rail crash near Gretna on 22 May killed at least 227 people and injured 246, most of them soldiers. The tragedy occurred when a signalman allowed a local train onto the main southbound line, where it was struck by a troop train carrying 500 soldiers of the 7th Battalion of the Royal Scots to the Western Front. This led to a four-train collision also involving two coal trains sitting in sidings on either side of the main tracks. An express train to Glasgow ploughed into the wreckage shortly after. The disaster was compounded when the gas lighting in the trains set the wooden carriages and the coal wagons on fire. It was impossible to record the precise number of fatalities because the roll of the regiment was destroyed in the fire. The disaster remains the worst loss of life in any railway accident in the United Kingdom.
* * *
Monday, 24 May
Heat wave continues. Agnes took Tommy to see the doctor today. He is to be put on malt.58 Daisy and Hetty here. I took Daisy out at night the length of Burnside. We spoke to Ian Lamont and we saw a monoplane up above us. It was a fine spectacle. We saw them away by 10.10 from the Cross.59
Wednesday, 26 May
Much cooler. Hetty here in the afternoon, so Agnes, Hetty and boy out at the auction sale in West Nile Street to see the ‘picture’.60 The pirates have sunk an American steamer.
Thursday, 27 May
Agnes got toothache all day, and threatens suicide. Tommy gurgling with the cold. King of Italy takes command of his army.
Friday, 28 May
Fine day. We went out at night and beat the carpet.
Tuesday, 1 June
Very wet forenoon. Took the office boy over Cathkin at night.61 We looked for aeroplanes and saw none. Zeppelin raid on London, six killed.
Wednesday, 2 June
The price of bread is being reduced in Berlin and is going up in Glasgow. How’s this?
Friday, 4 June
Nice warm day. My birthday so I bought a straw hat. Cut up rhubarb at night.
Tuesday, 8 June
Fine day. Father here. I saw him home at night. Prime Minister says there is to be no conscription. Total British casualties to end of May: quarter of a million.
Wednesday, 9 June
Nice day. Went to the library at night and listened for a little while to band in the wee park. Austrian air raid in Venice. Great progress in the Dardanelles. America and Germany getting pretty near war.
Thursday, 10 June
On this date five years ago I got spliced. Agnes washed her head tonight. Indeed she did. Another Zeppelin destroyed by British airmen. More French successes.
Sunday, 13 June
Very windy day. Took a walk to the docks and was pleased to see that the Germans had left us a few boats.
Thursday, 17 June
My holidays begin now. Cold, dull morning. Went out in the morning and engaged a cab to take us to the Broomielaw.62 We met Hetty at the corner of Jamaica Street then we boarded the Eagle 111. Sailed at 11 a.m. We had tea on board and arrived at Rothesay 2.15 p.m. Very nice weather at evening.
Friday, 18 June
Fine weather today. Took Tommy out in forenoon. We dig sand and sail his wee boat. After dinner we go by Ardbeg and at night through the Meadows.63 British submarine sinks three transports and three gunboats in the Dardanelles.
Monday, 21 June
Another perfect day. Tommy got a new pail from Hetty. We all went to Ettrick Bay today.64
Friday, 25 June
Shetland fishing fleet of 17 boats sunk by German submarines.65 We want shells and machine guns.
Monday, 28 June
After tea I went to the band performance and Agnes and Tommy went to Port Bannatyne. I met them afterwards on the Esplanade. We had ‘chips’ at night. Very nice weather today. British navy to be increased to 300,000 men.
Tuesday, 29 June
Lovely day, so we hied us to Ettrick Bay and basked in the sunshine. Tommy got a ride on a ‘cuddy’. We went to the ‘pictures’ at night.66
Wednesday, 30 June
After dinner we boarded the good ship Isle of Arran, 2.30 p.m. bound for Glasgow. Cold, wet voyage. We arrived [in] Broomielaw, but couldn’t get a cab, so we left a bag in the left luggage and took car home like ordinary people. Got home 7.15 p.m. I went out at night for the bag. And so ends our holiday. Amen.
Thursday, 1 July
Very nice day. Started my work today just as usual. An
drew gets married tomorrow so we had a little ‘affair’ at 6 p.m.
Friday, 2 July
Very warm day and showery. Took Tommy to Queen’s Park at night. British destroyer Lightning damaged on east coast by mine or torpedo.67 One man killed and 14 missing. Pirates very busy just now sinking ships.
Saturday, 3 July
Warm day. We all went to Pollok Estate in the afternoon, and let on we were at Rothesay.68 Sea fighting in the Baltic. German mine layer sunk.
Sunday 4 July
Brilliant day. I went to church in the forenoon.69 We went to Queen’s Park in the afternoon. Maxwell here at night. He is a ‘sojer’ now. I saw him off. German battleship sunk by British submarine in the Baltic.
Tommy's War: A First World War Diary 1913-1918 Page 9