Tommy Williams (Tom Williams)
Fellow soldier / acquaintance
Mentioned: 1916, 1917
Comrades in the field First named "Tommy Williams" in May 1916, seen twice on casual social visits. A "Williams" then accompanies Robertson through the hospital system for three days that July (sent in together, transferred together, sent to base together), plausibly the same man given the short gap and no contradicting detail, though not confirmed by name at the time. Resurfaces explicitly as "Tommy Williams" in February 1917, glimpsed at a distance ("saw... today, but not to speak to"): a different footing entirely from the officer newly billeted alongside Robertson that same month (see Williams, 2nd Entrenching Battalion), whom he was working with daily rather than merely sighting from afar.
Appears in the diary · 6 entries
1916
- 25 May 1916Cool – Showery. Breakfast at 1 P.M. – Tommy Williams & Galway were in. – Went up to 3rd Co’y this aft. – Haigh had a birthday. Joe took the bo …
- 27 May 1916… ave Co’y duties to look after – Makes me feel like a loafer. – Took a run down to Ouderdom on Dolly this aft. – Saw Tom Williams & Pete Corneil – Sent a note to Ted & made out a prov. schedule for my leave. – Very few …
- 23 July 1916… M.C. – Sorry Pete drew nothing. – Returned to #2 F.A. – Sent to #10 C.C.S. – Met El. Black. – Settled for night. – Williams & several other chaps from II DIV sent in – Parcel from Squib.
- 24 July 1916… st & was examined by the M.O. + booked for 10 dys. In Hazebrouck – Shipped down in a Hospital Train during the aft. Williams & I were unloaded at H. – The rest went on to the base. – This is an awful hole (#2 C.C.S …
- 25 July 1916Fine. – Hopelessly fed up with this place. – Sneath of #4 co’y here – Went to base this morning. So did Williams. – Boney passed thro here a few days ago. – Am having a job to keep up the rep of the sap …
1917
- 15 February 1917… – Last night’s strafes turned out to be nothing more than strafes. – Fritz never even attempted to come over. – Saw Tommy Williams today, but not to speak to C.R.E. – Fether came up. – Fosse II people are after that anvi …