Tommy’s War: A First World War Diary 1913–1918

Stormy day. Some rain. Tommy’s cold much worse. Agnes in the depths of despair. All German attacks repulsed in Flanders.

Saturday, 5 December

Bitter cold day. Tommy a little better and Agnes is thusly in a better frame of mind. German trenches captured.

Sunday, 6 December

The ‘lum’ went on fire while breakfast was being made, which delayed the breakfast somewhat. We took it in the dining room, and then I cleaned all the flues, which seemed badly needing it.

Wednesday, 9 December

Hetty here tonight, which pleased us greatly. We are always glad to see her. Nellie arrived about 9 p.m. with some pictures from John for us.

(#litres_trial_promo) Allies progressing in Flanders.

Monday, 14 December

Agnes and Tommy went in the afternoon to Tollcross to see an old girl of mine (Mrs Robertson) and I went straight from my work.

Wednesday, 16 December

My father and Isa here at tea time. German raid on east coast of England – Hartlepool, Scarborough, Redcar and Whitby shelled by the devils, and then they ran back to their kennel. 130 people killed and 300 wounded.

Thursday, 17 December

We arranged the pictures in the room at night.

(#litres_trial_promo) I wrote to the factor about our lum, as it has struck work.

Sunday, 20 December

The ground white with frost today. Took a big walk before dinner. Through Queen’s Park to Shawlands Cross, then car to Pollokshaws West and walked along Cowglen Road and down past Crookston Castle and on to Half Way House and car home. Agnes very ill at night, and I had to apply hot flannels to her.

Thursday, 24 December

Tommy got his first Xmas present of the season, a book of boats from Hetty and we got cards. Nannie and Ella here at night, and they gave Tommy a motor car. I sent off a few hundred Xmas cards tonight.

(#litres_trial_promo) German airplane drops a bomb on Dover. No damage done.

Friday, 25 December

Got away today at 12.30. We got a few more cards and Tommy got a teddy bear from his uncle John, and a wee card like a horse from Jenny Roxburgh. Agnes not in good form. She has a sore head, so we did not go out at all. Big Russian victory.

(#litres_trial_promo)

Saturday, 26 December

Took a walk to Paisley and car back. German aeroplane off Sheerness but it got chased. Rumours of great naval activity by Germans getting ready for ‘Der Tag’.

(#litres_trial_promo)

Monday, 28 December

Mr Crozier sent Tommy a big wooden horse today. Cuxhaven, the German naval base, bombarded by seven British waterplanes, assisted by the cruisers Dauntless and Arethusa, and submarines and destroyers. These were attacked by two German Zeppelins and some aeroplanes, but were easily driven off. The first fight of its kind in the world’s history.

Wednesday, 30 December

My niece Lily here at night. Bought a new hat for my Ne’erday.

Thursday, 31 December

After dinner we went into the town and bought Tommy a new coat (15/-) and cap (1/6). Not out again. We will now sit up and watch the New Year come in.

1 (#ulink_a0850015-03e5-5e9b-a95f-68f1344d7cd8) Thomas’ father, Joseph Livingstone, lived at 3 Greenlodge Terrace, Bridgeton.

2 (#ulink_a0850015-03e5-5e9b-a95f-68f1344d7cd8) Lily was Thomas’ sister, married to John White.

3 (#ulink_f359349d-7907-5d93-ab2a-95e83e0c24d2) Lum is a Scottish word for chimney.

4 (#ulink_e646fb7a-f4a8-5619-8b6d-dcd11de91c7d) Duncan was Thomas’ brother, who lived between Belfast and Glasgow.

5 (#ulink_0cf5f191-581e-5302-8cd9-861fb9dc2346) Castor oil was used to ease constipation and induce vomiting. ‘So help me bob’ is a bowdlerisation of the Christian oath ‘So help me God.’ Usually rendered in Scotland as ‘Help ma boab.’

6 (#ulink_4b52a541-6570-52a9-af5d-a0867e09627d) ‘Going for the messages’ is a Glasgow expression for going out for grocery shopping.

7 (#ulink_c23cbb0d-b070-518d-98ef-546c732db02d) The equivalent temperature in Celsius is 38°.

8 (#ulink_40e44294-e904-540d-971f-17f4a2dff732) Mrs Carmichael was a neighbour in the same tenement as the Livingstones.

9 (#ulink_a2fdf99f-48a6-5362-8f26-3f2401b88345) Tommy usually walks his visitors to their tram or train, often travelling long distances. In this case, he and Hetty presumably walked from Govanhill to Central Station, in the centre of town, so that she could catch her train home. Hetty was Agnes’ cousin.

10 (#ulink_e3cdc534-39dd-509c-aff2-7a5534e10ea3) Nell Ruth was probably the wife of Frank Ruth who lived at 20 Morgan Street.

11 (#ulink_3379f037-707b-5a62-aad4-1cb912136e22) Andrew Hamilton was a former office boy in Paterson and Baxter, where Thomas worked. John and Margaret Carmichael lived at 14 Morgan Street and were neighbours and good friends of the Livingstones. Mrs Brown was likely to be Catherine or Charlesina Brown who lived at 14 Morgan Street. John McCort was the son of the painter, Daniel McCort (see 23 January, 1913).

12 (#ulink_e78802e7-766d-5115-b1ed-97666de7c305) Nannie Gordon.

13 (#ulink_e78802e7-766d-5115-b1ed-97666de7c305) Josephine was Thomas’ older sister.

14 (#ulink_241e13af-90d9-5959-b010-5d2c4b16fdf3) ‘Thanks be to God’.

15 (#ulink_5cdc0532-170e-5848-b1ce-81ce4464b8c3) The Hundred Acre Hill, also known as the Hundred Acre Dyke, was a hill in Cathcart, now part of King’s Park.

16 (#ulink_1233b744-2a06-5815-a867-72d4153ba8d3) The scullery was a small area off the kitchen generally used for washing and storing dishes and kitchen equipment.

17 (#ulink_58b0017c-ddf0-5b03-8c00-2c853427f241) The wash-house was a stone or brick structure at the rear of a tenement, used by all of the tenants in rotation. It contained a boiler, a number of sinks and a wringer or mangle.

18 (#ulink_53b668e8-80db-56bd-846c-61cd1f150de0) Jenny Roxburgh was a family friend who lived in Clydebank and worked as a nursing sister in Maryhill.