Hot.
Missed Church Parade so took a stroll over that way. - Can. Mail in. - Letter from Cook - Ham got back at noon. - His dad is over here now. - Took a couple of covered chairs + listened to the band all aft. - Tea at Tontine St. Club. - Went to the Congregational church. - Impossible to get a bus out so took the train from the Jct.
Pay parade. Held back 10% - Went over to the Wesleyan for the rest of the morning with Puss + John Harkom.
Aft. - Went over to Dibgate with Ham. - Saw Lowry, Batchelor, Billy Nick, Paul Clarke + Pete Cuttle with C.M.Rs - Went in town + had tea. - Met Bill Saunders. Got a couple of seats for the "Marriage Market" - Came out early.
Aug. Bank Holiday. Pay Parade. - Ham + I visited C.M.R. Camp. Saw L.R.B. Billy Nick. Paul Clarke + Pete Cuttle.
Showery - On Parade all day - Gun drill in morning + preparation for another inspection took up the aft. Til 4P.M. when the Col. decided we needed some foot drill. Then it started to rain. - Had a letter from mother. - Wrote a couple + went in to the show. - It was jake. - Heard that Jimmy Lynch is not dead.
Puss + I didn't bother about going on parade this morning. - Made the round of the clubs + then went over to see Bill Saunders at the R.M. Hospital. Inspection by BonarLaw this aft. - no getting out of it either. + the rain came down in buckets. - Stayed in + went to bed early. Jack Sherman was over.
Found a comfortable place to sleep over Dibgate while the others dug out pits. - Puss went up to Brighton with Hal as an escort to get a man. Tried to go along, but couldn't. - Went over to see Bill with Ham + later down to his dad's place. - Went in town + listened to the band.
Having no one to beat it with, went on parade. - Gun drill but soon got sick of that as "4 eyes" Ryan was acting B.C. - Gun pit digging this aft. Met Kirk Greene in Sea-Brook. - Went in town to meet Tommy McArthur.
Usual cleanup for inspection altho the O.C. has gone to France for a couple of weeks to qualify for his medal. - Stayed in this aft. to write letters + went to sleep. - Did the same thing in the evening.
Went out to Hythe & had lunch with Ed. Penny - Came in about 2.30 + spent the aft. by myself on the Leas. - Went to the Parish Church for a nap. Met Derry Philips, Marshall, Terry Hall.
Battery manoeuvres. With wagons only. - Ryan nosing around all the time. - Stayed in + wrote a couple of letters this eve. - Ham on guard.
Zeppelin around here last night. - Wrote letters at the Wesleyan all morning. Slept over by the Martello Tower all aft. - Went in town about 4P.M. Met Bill Saunders but he had a date. Went down to the pier.
By mid-1915, German Zeppelin airships were making regular bombing runs against towns and military camps across southern and eastern England, the first time in history that civilians and rear-area soldiers alike faced repeated attack from the air. The airship Robertson glimpses near camp tonight was one of dozens of raids that year; it wouldn't be the last time the threat came close to home, see the entry for October 13.
Puss + I were just going to beat it when Bert told us to get ready to go out again. Wagons only. Pretty hot - Stayed in to do C.B. for Bill McLean this eve. He and Ham in town to the K.R.T. dinner. Sammy came back.
Brigade inspected by Steele this A.M. - Muster parade this aft. - S.M. thought it was Friday + made us clean harness. Went in town with Sam. - Hung around the bandstand + met Buck Fyles. Five letters.
Cool. Out with the wagons again. - Very dusty. - More reinforcements expected. - Sam + I stayed in this eve + had a little harmony over in the recreation room. - In bed by 9.30
Deke Green back here. - Gassed
"Deke Green back here. – Gassed." It's Robertson's first direct brush, even secondhand, with one of the war's newest and most feared weapons. Germany had first used chlorine gas on a large scale only four months earlier, at Second Ypres that April, a shockingly novel form of attack at the time. By August 1915, gas had already spread beyond that first attack to become a recurring hazard on the Western Front, and Deke Green's return to camp, presumably to recover, brings its human cost directly into Robertson's own social circle for the first time.
Went sick with a sore throat. - Keough painted it with iodine to make it worse. - Went over + paid a visit to Bill Saunders. - This aft we went in to the show. - "The Pearl Girl" - Punk. - For want of something better Sam + I came out about 6.30 + went to bed.
Battery manoeuvres again out near Monk's Horton.
John Harkom got a job at Sandling [?]
Ran Rifles
Date of Commission
Off all day with Ham + Puss. A.M. on beach. P.M. the bungalow.
Robertson had enlisted as a private soldier, and much of the diary since arriving in England has tracked his effort to secure a commission, encouraging letters from friends, a recommendation slowly coming together. His entire entry for August 19, the date the commission is dated from, reads in full: "Date of Commission." Word of it doesn't reach him until the 23rd, when he reports to the Canadian Engineers Training Depot. The day after, he's packing up, saying goodbye to the men he's trained alongside for months, and heading to London to be fitted for an officer's uniform, three words standing in for a genuinely different life.
Out to Monks Horton with guns + was. all day manoeuvers with inf. - Stayed in all eve.
Getting Ready for another inspection. - Ordered to report to Sandling with Guy Knight.
Practice inspection by Sam Hughes - Ordered out to Sandling. On command.
Took kit + went to Sandling. - Hot. Nothing doing as yet.
Reported Col. Haig at Sandling. On Ross Rifle job.
Fixing up repair shops. Lausky came out with word of commission. - Went in. Reported to C.E.T.D. - Drove in town + had a small party at the Clarendon. Most of the bunch out on manoeuvre.
Last night in Ross Bks. - Alone + lonely
Ordered report C.E.T.D. - Comm. dating from 19th. Reported + got leave.
The paperwork for Robertson's commission moves quickly once it starts, word arrives on the 23rd, and within a day he's packing to report to London to be fitted for an officer's uniform. But his own reaction to the milestone isn't triumphant. That same night, saying goodbye to the men he's served alongside since enlisting in February, he writes simply: "Last night in Ross Bks. – Alone + lonely." After six months sharing barracks, meals, and guard duty with the same group of men, stepping up into the separate world of a commissioned officer meant leaving that world behind, and for one night, at least, that loss outweighs the promotion.
His leave pass, stamped that day (still "Gunner") →The tailor's bill for the new outfit (£27) → Packed up + said goodbye to the boys. Arr'd Ch.X about 2.30 P.M. - Went to tailors' + placed the order.
Left for London 11AM. Ordered outfit.
No 16 G2 P.O Grady. Siege Brigade A+F C/O High Commission for Australia London
No 311 Gr 6 Jacksore. Visited 300
Saw Perry. - Uniform delivered.
In town all day. Met Harry Plants, Eric Reddy + Dave Williams
Perry up to tea. Went in town + had dinner at Maestriani's
Visited Perry at Blackheath
Shopping. - Saw "Tonight's the night" at the Gaiety. Called Pay + Record office