George Kellett's World war One Diary: August 1918

Throughout 2014 we will be tweeting entries from a World War 1 soldier’s 1918 diary. You can follow George Kellett’s diary entries on Twitter @WW1_Diary.

We will also post the full month’s diary entries on this blog.

For George Kellett's June diary entries please see our previous blog: July 1918

 

 

1 August 1918

Out to work at 2am. Inspection at 3pm . Went to range at 4pm did not get back to camp until 8pm

2 August 1918

Had a days rest today. Were told to clean up for the CO to inspect us in full marching order at 3pm but he did not turn up. Sent 5 franc note for Dorothys birthday which is on the 7^th.

3 August 1918

Out to work at 3am.  Finished with the stretcher bearers job had to start again making LG Post  Douchy Avenue. Inspection at 6pm

4 August 1918

Work at 3am laying beachwood track in Adinfer wood got back to camp about  9:30am.  Inspection at 3pm

5 August 1918

Days rest today.  Went down to the range after dinner  but it rained and we had to come away without firing.  Inspection at 10am

6 August 1918

Work at 3:15am in Adinfer Wood.  Back in camp again at 8:30am. Inspection at 4pm. Our man in Y coy goes on leave tomorrow.  Received a letter from Ada saying Willie is in the infirmary but progressing favourably

7 August 1918

Put on as permanent stretcher bearer. Out at 3am digging new trench in Purple line. No inspection today Clean up for tomorrow Dorothy four years old today

8 August 1918

Days rest today.  Inspection at 11am

9 August 1918

Work at 3am Purple line, deepening trench to 8’6” and cutting fire steps. Baths at 3pm. Inspection at 6pm

10 August 1918

Work at 3am.  Inspection at 6pm

11 August 1918

Work at 3am.   Went to Headquarters to pull against the tug of war team and selected to train with the team.

12 August 1918

Took my kit to Headquarters to go into training for tug of war team.  Day off today scrubbed equipment 

13 August 1918

Did 2 hrs work on the tracks had a bath before dinner. Had two pulls on the rope dinner and two more after tea.

14 August 1918

Did 1 ½ hrs work on the tracks and had a bath before dinner.  Had one hours pulling and football in the afternoon.

15 August 1918

Did 1 hours work on the tracks. Had a bath before dinner, afterwards we held on the rope for 10 minutes and had half an hours football

16 August 1918

Did not turn out at all today, I did not feel very well and Sergt Reid said I had better stay in for the a day.

17 August 1918

Went on the tracks for an hour and had a bath.  After dinner fell in Battle orders as Jerry has actioned on our front  but we were dismissed again with the order to stand to.

18 August 1918

On the tracks for a couple of hours and a bath before dinner.

19 August 1918

Besides gas [?] training we had fatigues to do today.  Did not get to bed until 11:45pm

20 August 1918

No work on the tracks today.  Had a good walk and [?] before breakfast.  PT after breakfast and a couple of pulls on the rope and another pull at 12:15pm

21 August 1918

Big push started on our front bombardment started about 5am. our Division on the attack y coy went over after the first wave.

22 August 1918

Had to stand to all day at Headquarters had to load pack mules and GS waggons case of an attack.

23 August 1918

Came up to Quesnoy farm to act as [?] all the tug of war team left together our division went over again this morning. Done very well. [?] battalion went in the line at 5:30am

24 August 1918

On [?]  from 11am to 1pm

25 August 1918

On [?] from 3am to 5am and from 7pm to 9pm

26 August 1918

On [?] from 11am to 1pm. Went up to the company  after tea.  They have no [?]  at all to sleep on.  Sleeping in open trench.

27 August 1918

Took the boys a few ciggs up tonight as they had not got a smoke.

28 August 1918

Left Quesnoy farm for Abbeville. Where we arrived at 3pm.  Made a bivy for the team.

29 August 1918

Washing [?] this evening

30 August 1918

Went out getting salvage this morning.  Had a pull on the rope after tea.

31 August 1918

Had 1 hour on the rope before we went out for salvage.  Had another hour after tea.

Two exciting new Food History talks - Wakefield and Castleford

 Wakefield Museum

This lively and entertaining talk by Dr Annie Gray (recently seen as an expert on Great British Bake Off!) will take us through the sometimes strange world of historical alcohol!  Booking is essential as places are limited.

Castleford Museum

Influential food historian and writer, Ivan Day will present an illustrated talk depicting some of the more elaborate foodstuffs from late medieval and early modern Europe.  A feast for the eyes! Booking essential as places are limited.

Guest Blog: Jerry Hutchinson sees his parents on film at Castleford Museum

A visitor to Castleford Museum got in touch with us recently after viewing some films on display. He had spotted his parents; his mother featured on the film - this being the only film he had ever seen of her. 

The films are held by  Yorkshire Film Archive , but can be seen in full at Castleford Museum.

In this guest blog Jerry Hutchinson talks about the films and his parents:

On a recent visit to Castleford, my wife Sharon and I visited the excellent new museum and spotted the display on Castleford Borough Council.

We noted that there were a couple of films about Castleford becoming a Borough. I was keen to have a look at these as my dad, Ernest Hutchinson was Town Clerk af Castleford for the whole of the time that it was a Borough from the granting of the Charter in 1955 until Local Government Reorganisation in 1974.

I was also hoping that there might be a bit of film of my mum, as she died in 1984, just before camcorders really caught on, so I have no film of her.

When we watched the films, it was very emotional for me to see both of my parents. Dad was on both films, firstly the one with the Princess Royal being introduced to the Mayor, Ezra Taylor, his daughter and Consort, Olive Stokes and the rest of the Civic Party, and secondly he's the man in the wig and gown on the film about the first Council meeting.

My mum is in the lineup to meet the Princess Royal and the bit of film shows her being introduced. It's the only bit of film of her that I'm aware of and she doesn't look totally happy, I understand that she wasn't feeling too well that day, which is my fault as she was expecting me at the time, so this is my first public appearance too!

Mr & Mrs Hutchinson meeting the Princess Royal.  Screen still from the film on display at Castleford Museum

Dad's background is that he was originally from Middlesbrough and went into local government in 1927, working for Middlesbrough Corporation until he volunteered for the Royal Artillery in 1940. He saw action on the guns at Dover in the Battle of Britain and worked his way through the ranks ending the war as a Captain. After the War he qualified as a solicitor and after getting a Town Clerk's job in Bacup in 1952, he came back to Yorkshire as Clerk to Castleford UDC in1954. One of his first tasks was to seek Borough status including working with the College of Heralds on what is now Castleford's Coat of Arms. He also went with Ezra Taylor on the first visit to Herne, which started links which still remain.

Mum and Dad married in 1942 and had three children, my sister Sandra whose ashes are  interred at Castleford Parish Church, my older brother Roger and myself. We both went to CGS and in my case Castleford High when Comprehensive Education came in. Mum was a teacher, and taught at Welbeck Street School for many years.

The family left Castleford in 1974 when the Borough ceased to exist, but at the age of 63 Dad got the job of Chief Executive of North Wolds Council, based on Bridlington until retiring in 1977, when he took on running the Bridlington Priory Restoration Appeal, raising over £1 million, in acknowledgement of which his face, complete with glasses appears as a gargoyle at Bridlington Priory!

Sadly, Mum died in 1984, and Dad in 2001.

Roger and I followed Dad into both the law and local government,  Roger becoming Deputy Town Clerk of Burnley, whilst I have been Chief Executive of North Warwickshire (a former mining area which only lost its last deep mine at Daw Mill 12 months ago) for the last 19 years.

Castleford has never left our blood though, and myself and my wife and children, all born in Nottingham remain keen Tigers fans, three of us long standing season ticket holders. 

Jerry Hutchinson

18 August 2014

Seaside in the City

Wakefield hosts 'Seaside in the City' this weekend.  Visit the city centre for family beach fun. 

There will be donkey rides, Punch & Judy, music, deck chairs and much more...

For full details of the event see: Seaside in the City

To get in the mood here are a selection of seaside themed objects from our collections....

Photograph of the Gluck family
The Gluck family lived in Tanshelf.  This holiday snap was taken by David Gluck between 1920 and 1940.  The Gluck family orginated from Germany, Mr & Mrs George Gluck came from Heidelberg in the 1850s.  George carved the stone animals on Pontefract Market Hall.  

A spade
This medieval spade found at Sandal Castle was most probably NOT used on the beach!

Sandals
Jelly shoes are back in fashion, this green pair is from the 1970s. 

And this leather sandal was owned by a Roman based in Lagentium (or Castleford to me and you)

Donkeys
What would the neighbours think if your front step wasn't shiny and clean.  Use a Donkey stone to scrub those steps clean...

Bus Trips
This photo from the 1950s, shows a group of Fryston residents on a trip to the seaside.  3 of the 10 buses used that day are in view!  It was taken by Jack Hulme, an ex-miner who turned to photography after his wife bought him a camera.

Beachwear
Look super stylish in this 1950's bathing costume...

And probably not so stylish in this knitted costume...

A Day in the Life

Welcome to our first 'Day in the Life' blog.  A lot goes into making our museums wonderful places to visits and caring for our collections.  This series of blogs invites staff at Wakefield Museums to tell you about their day.  First up is Alison Creasey:

Alison Creasey

Learning Officer

The day begins and ends with the setting out of chairs.

It’s a special day today, because the puppets are coming out to play. All manner of puppets: gorillas and orang-utans and iguanas and a turtle and a butterfly and a BABY SLOTH! and a crocodile and a frog – and even a little fluffy anteater, with an ickle bickle ant getting eaten on his tongue!

They’re coming out today because it is RAINFOREST DAY. And a class of special educational needs pupils are coming to play with them. Everybody is a little giddy with excitement, because this is a new venture, and hence could always go hideously wrong. But it doesn’t – it is brilliant because the kids are just as fab as the puppets.

Then I come over all First World War for a couple of hours. A lot of things are coming over First World War these days, but it’s only Wakefield Council who has George Kellet as their man in the trenches. You should look him up. He’s ace. He’s also on twitter.

I have some timetabling to do now. Scheduling with schools when I can do their sessions on the Victorian Schoolroom or Roman Castleford or Medieval Bones or the suchlike. I don’t know which is my favourite: I get to shout at children when I'm their Victorian teacher, which is always a laugh, and makes their real teachers jealous…. but then Medieval Bones has taught me more about scurvy and tooth decay and rickets than I ever imagined I would know.

I have just enough time to pop down to Sandal Castle with my box full of bug pots and magnifying glasses. Sandal Castle is a great place to find all sorts of creepy-crawlies like spiders and centipedes and toads, and I have a school coming there tomorrow to do just that – so out come the chairs for the pre-bug-hunt briefing. Last time, we found a pink grasshopper. Like, BRIGHT pink. Barbie pink, if you will. Google it – it’s an actual thing. This time, I’m hoping for a bumper crop of frogs. They’re lovely to hold (but just for a few seconds, and only if your hands are damp), and they’re great for black death anecdotes.

The Great War: 100 Years Commemorations

Pickled plums help commemorate 100 Years since the Outbreak of the Great War

The 4 August will mark 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War.  Wakefield Museums have been commemorating the Great War throughout the year. 

Wakefield Museum has just opened a Great War trail, where a selection of First World War objects have been scattered around the permanent collections illustrating how war affected all areas of life in the district. These objects include a painted ostrich egg, weapons used in the trenches, letters home, and a jar of plums.  The plums have a label upon which is written

“Plums, bottled on the first day of the Great War, 1914- 18”

A painted ostrich egg, brought home by a soldier based in Africa.

A trench club

There is also an exhibition at Pontefract Museum ‘The Great War Inspires’ where community groups contributed to an artwork inspired by First World War objects from the museum’s collection.

The Great War Inspires exhibition.  Photo by Faceless Arts.

Plus Tweets from George Kellett’s 1918 diary.  The tweets provide a fascinating insight into the daily life of a WW1 solider. Follow at @WW1_Diary.

George Kellett - Follow his 1918 diary on twitter @WW1_Diary

George Kellett's World War One Diary: July 1918

Throughout 2014 we will be tweeting entries from a World War 1 soldier’s 1918 diary. You can follow George Kellett’s diary entries on Twitter @WW1_Diary.

We will also post the full month’s diary entries on this blog.

For George Kellett's June diary entries please see our previous blog: June 1918

1 July 1918
Parade at 8:30 work at 9:45pm on aerodrome switch

2 July 1918
Arrived in camp about 6am had breakfast then got into bed until 3pm had dinner then had another two hours.  Inspection at 7:15pm Parade for work at 10:15pm.  Received parcel from home.

 3 July 1918
Went to the rifle range this afternoon.  Our night in tonight, no parade.  Cleaning up for probable CO inspection tomorrow.

4 July 1918
Inspection at 4:30pm parade for work at 5:30pm on aerodrome switch left work at 11:30pm

5 July 1918
Got back to camp at 2am had breakfast and got down to kip until tea time.  Inspection at 7:15.  Mr Squires went into hospital today.

 6 July 1918
Out to work at 3:30 am digging sump holes in 10^th avenue communication trench.  Range after dinner

7 July 1918
Rest today, Church Parade at 2pm.  Inspection at 6pm

8 July 1918
Working near Hameau farm digging trench for cables which RE are laying.  Breakfast 1am work 2am
Inspection at 8:45pm

9 July 1918
Working on the same trench nearer to Adinfer village
Inspection at 8:40pm.  Received a parcel from Pam

10 July 1918
Days rest today went to the range. I got a washout with the SBR on

11 July 1918
Working on the right of Adinfer, been warned to take on SB job tomorrow.

14 July 1918
Went out to work at midnight

15 July 1918
Arrived in camp at 7:15am. Wet through and covered with clay
Out again at 7:30pm no inspection

16 July 1918
Back from work at 6:30am.  Digging new CT from front line to support, connecting with windmill switch.  No inspection today.  Received a parcel from home and a letter from Harry.

17 July 1918
Out to work at 2am in Douchy Avenue laying cable.  I was
Out at 8:50pm connecting up from windmill switch

18 July 1918
Got back to camp at 8am
Inspection at 7pm out to work at 8:30

21 July 1918
Inspection at 6pm Pay at 6:30pm.  Parade for work at 8:30pm.  Had one casualty going up the line

22 July 1918
Got into camp at 4am
Inspection at 7pm parade for work at 7:45pm.
Willie went to Leeds Infirmary to undergo an operation

23 July 1918
Our party made a raid this morning put a good straff over for jerry
We were just coming home at the time .  Got into camp at 1am.  Inspection at 6:30pm.  Parade for work at 8pm

24 July 1918
Arrived in camp at 2:30am
Inspection at 6:30pm work at 8:30 in Douchy Avenue

25 July 1918
Arrived in camp about 3am.  Not out again until morning.  Inspection at 4pm

26 July 1918
Work at 4am got back to camp at 12noon.  Inspection at 4pm

27 July 1918
Out to work at 3:30am in Douchy Avenue where there was an ?-age of one foot of water. Got into camp about 11:30am no inspection.

28 July 1918
Day in camp to repair bivywacks Went to Old windmill to scrounge sheet iron.  Found entrance to underground passage leading to trenches behind.  Inspection at 12noon.  Pay parade 4pm made ours into a very good bivy

29 July 1918
Out to work at 2am in Douchy  Avenue arrived in camp about 10:30am.  Baths at 2:30pm.  Inspection at 7pm

30 July 1918
Out to work at 2am.  Arrived in camp at 9am.  Inspection at 3pm.  Wrote a letter to Pam in green [?]

31 July 1918
Work at 2am in Douchy Avenue.  Inspection at 3pm