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October 1, 1915 (Friday)
Chilly - Practical demonstrations on steel rails + girders - Blew up 15" box girders with 9 slabs. Ride + still working on yesterday's project.
October 1915
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October 2, 1915 (Saturday)
Project in by noon. Loafed around the mess after lunch. - Wheeled into town. Met Mr. + Mrs. J.M. Knowles + had tea at the Pavilion. - Came out but was late for dinner. Went in town again. - Met Phil + heard a very good violin concert at the leas shelter. - Letter from Squib.
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October 3, 1915 (Sunday)
Surprised to find myself orderly officer again today as Ted Smythe is in London. - Darn shame as it was a peach of a day. - Could not go to church as I intended. - Wrote a couple of letters + slept.
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October 4, 1915 (Monday)
Cool - Showers this aft. - On project 16A - Development of Trench from Field warfare. - Mapping + ride this aft. - Went to town after dinner. - Met Vi + Phil + went to a movie show. Wrote Squib.
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October 5, 1915 (Tuesday)
Rain. - Muster Parade - Project 16B. - Continuation of subject. - Ride as usual. - Finished map. - Fooled round the mess after dinner. - To bed about 9.30
No entries recorded: October 6–11, 1915 (6 days)
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October 12, 1915 (Tuesday)
Orderly officer tomorrow
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October 13, 1915 (Wednesday)
Orderly officer. - [?] took over duties in evening so went in to the Leas Pav. with Underhill - Zepp. raid on Otter pool - 14 killed in Howitzer Bgde
Historical Context
The Otterpool Raid
October 13, 1915
The night of October 13, 1915 saw one of the largest and deadliest Zeppelin raids of the war on England. One of the airships bombed the camp at Otterpool, a few miles from Robertson's base at Shorncliffe; his entry that day records "14 killed in Howitzer Bgde." The raid was close enough that it could as easily have struck Shorncliffe itself.
No entries recorded: October 14–16, 1915 (3 days)
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October 17, 1915 (Sunday)
Fellowes took Sgt. McNaughton round and 19 men to France
Cool. - Took Presbyterian Parade. - Wrote a couple of letters. - Ham came over. Went in town with Underhill. Met Stoke + had tea at the Metropole. Went to Parish church.
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October 18, 1915 (Monday)
Showery. - Designing M.G. emplacement. Lecture on administration. Bruce left for the front.
Where Things Stand
The Cohort Starts to Scatter
October 17–18, 1915
Two departures in as many days: "Fellowes took Sgt. McNaughton round and 19 men to France," then "Bruce left for the front." Men Robertson had trained and socialized with for months were starting to leave for a war he had not yet reached himself; his own posting was still two months away.
No entries recorded: October 19–23, 1915 (5 days)
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October 24, 1915 (Sunday)
Cool. Rain in aft. & ev'g.
Took a stroll along the front with stock in the A.M. Rain this fat so stayed in & wrote letters. - Went in town in the evening.
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October 25, 1915 (Monday)
Rain - Cold wind.
Started shaft with cases. - Ride + lecture this aft. - Alford came to the Depot. Another McG. man.
Historical Context
Underground: Mining and Countermining
October 25 – November 9, 1915
Starting a shaft, then a gallery from it: Robertson is training in military tunnelling, a distinct and less familiar side of WWI engineering from the trench-and-wire work seen so far. Mine tunnels were pushed out under No Man's Land to plant explosive charges beneath enemy positions, while the enemy tried to do the same in reverse, and to detect and destroy each other's tunnels first ("countermining"). By November 1st the training has become an explicit exercise in both sides of that contest: "'B' Coy laying mine field + 'A' coy laying countermines." It's a skill set that pays off directly later, by 1917, in the tunnels near Vimy Ridge, Robertson will be doing this work for real.
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October 26, 1915 (Tuesday)
Rain. - Continued new shaft and started gallery from old shaft. - Ride and lecture. Went over to E.M.G.B. lines with Newt. - Played sevens up all evening.
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October 27, 1915 (Wednesday)
Route march and manoeuvres with Field Troops. - O.C. Vanguard - Bunch of mail from Home. - Went in town. - Met J.M.A. Came out early. - Cold.
No entries recorded: October 28–30, 1915 (3 days)
First diary
October 31, 1915 (Sunday)
Rainy + Stormy.
Loafed around the mess all morning. Sutherland on leave from front. - Took a walk with Ted + Newt along the shore from Sandgate to Hythe. - Rough. - Bill Saunders gone back to Canada. - Bill Pennock + 2 other officers arrived with Fortress Co'y.
Second Diary
Rain - Bill Penock arr'd with draft