DECEMBER 1914
As it was the festive season the Hamilton Hippodrome were running the Panto 'Goodie Two Shoes' starring some local 'mirth provokers' and the wounded Belgians soldiers housed in the area were taken to the cinema by the Provost's wife, Mrs Moffat. Collections were being made for the children of the men who are on active duty over the Christmas season and to put into some kind of perspective the numbers of men who were fighting abroad, the Burnbank Parish Church roll of honour already contained over 300 names. The volunteer home guard Hamilton Citizen Force had over 100 members and nationwide the number of these was said to be one million. Yet a military strategy expert poured scorn on the idea that Britain could be invaded as the Germans would have difficulty in transporting the number of men to mount an assault and even more trouble keeping them supplied with food and ammunition.
Across the country at Dover, German warships bombed the area for two hours, destroying houses, a church and a school, with estimates that 100 were killed and 450 were injured. This explained why a man who was caught signalling Morse code from a mountaintop to a passing ship in Wales was put on £600 bail, which would be around £15,000 in today’s money. Another was given eight weeks in prison for 'spreading a report likely to cause harm among the civil population'. The ex-consul from Germany had his conviction of high treason quashed, saving him from the death penalty. In international news, a toddler girl from New Zealand donated her pet lamb to be auctioned off to raise funds for the war effort. Bidding reached £36 for the little animal and the winning bidder quickly returned the animal back to its kind owner. The self-governing dominions had already sent over 250,000 men to fight for the allies.
Around the rest of the world, rivers had frozen in the harsh Russian winter, cutting off water supplies to Petrograd, the rebellion in South Africa which was funded by the Germans against the British had been squashed and two brave Indian soldiers had been awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military honour in the British Army.
Fierce Naval battles had resulted in four German warships being sunk off the Falklands by the British fleet, but the Germans responded with submarine attacks and sunk six vessels off the Dover coast. Reports from the front said that the British were faring well at Ypres and that the Russians had captured 7,000 Austrian soldiers. In one darkly humorous story a man who was wounded at the front arrived home to convalesce and found a letter telling his family that he has been killed in action!
For a morale boost the King visited HQ in France and met his men as well as the Belgian King. In a speech to his men he would say that 'the British troops have not only upheld the tradition of the British Army but have added a fresh lustre to its history'. Another brief break from bloodshed was that a twelve hour armistice for Christmas was proposed, with the Germans seemingly agreeable to this. This truce is what allowed the famous football game to be played between allies and axis troops - the only Christmas that such a thing would take place.
Much effort was still being put into recruiting men to go to war. Many stories with an obviously jingoistic tone were published, such as that German officers in the army had reportedly stopped saying 'hello' and 'goodbye' to each other, instead they were now saying 'Lord punish Britain' and replying 'May he do so'. A letter was also published in the paper from six men of the Highland Light Infantry 'for the benefit of our friends and chums we wish to state that we are all well and enjoying soldiering, which is all right under the circumstances, and would like to advise all men to join and stick to it; the more the merrier' which with hindsight does sound at odds with reality. A more realistic tack was to encourage able men to do their moral duty for the land, which was again reiterated by Lord Rosebery, who in a speech in Glasgow told crowds that 'there is an awful responsibility resting on every able, healthy and competent man of due age to give his best service to his country. What we need, we must do in order to get a prompt and satisfactory peace, and therefore we must put many more men on the front'.
In an extended piece titled 'Shirkers', The Jungle Book author, Rudyard Kipling, said, "It is vile that so many unmarried young men who are not likely to be affected by the Government allowances [reserved occupations] should be so shy about sharing their life. They discuss these young men and their womenfolk by name, and imagine rude punishments for them, suited to their own character. They stare hard…at white collared bowler-hatted young men who, by the way are just learning to drop their eye under the gaze. In third class railway carriages they hint that they would like explanations from the casual 'nut' and explain to him wherein his explanations are unconvincing. There is a gulf already opening between those who have joined and those who have not but we shall not know the width and depth of that gulf till the war is over. The wise youth is the one who jumps in now and is safely among the trained and armed men".
Yet the true nature of war was also evident in other articles, and letters home such as this, titled 'Glasgow Highlanders in the Firing Line – A Hamiltonian’s Experience' from A Rankin to his father J D Rankin of Rockburn in Hamilton.
I have had my baptism of fire and must admit it was rather exciting. 'A' and 'B' Companies were in the firing line and 'C' and 'D' in the supports and the remainder of the Battalion were held in reserve at the rear. We were under heavy shell fire, shrapnel and rifle fire. These big shells ('Jack Johnsons' or 'coal boxes' they call them) are terrible brutes. It took about four or five hours to get our position and on our way their several large shells were dropped over the road from us, just by way of giving us a good reception no doubt. We worked our way forward and gradually we could hear rifles cracking overhead. Our supports dropped into their trenches as we passed them but still our lot when on till we reached the firing trenches. I did not quite realize that we were there although the bullets had been whistling over our heads for a while.
The trenches were narrow 'dug-outs' and I dropped into one with Bugler Graham (age 16). Its size wouldn't be more than 4ft 6in long by 2ft broad. There we were incarcerated for 48 hours. The Germans were about 300 yards in front of us. It was a queer experience. During the night an order would come down the line for every man to be on alert or fix bayonets and stand to their arms. This mingled with the whistle of the bullets and a very long fusillade to the right of our position and also the occasional shells dropping behind us, served to keep up the excitement the first night.
Next morning at dawn I was surprised to hear hens cackling behind me, and sure enough when I looked round there were some hens quite unconcernedly picking on the edge of the trench. Then some pigs came along and paid us a visit. The country behind us was fairly flat and presented a pathetic spectacle, farm steadings in ruins and homeless cattle and pigs etc wandering around. On the march too we passed through villages in ruin. The Germans had a lot to answer for.
During our second experience we were treated to a real display of fireworks. A great many 'coal boxes' were dropped behind us - some say there were about fifty and some of them came uncomfortably near us but the object seemed to be to destroy the ruined buildings. The shells could be heard whistling along and then there was a great bang and we saw a cloud of black smoke and debris blow sky high. We also had one or two bursts of shrapnel over us, but not many. They gave no warning of approach, there is simply an explosion and a rattle of hail.
Our time in the trenches was spend sniping at the enemy when we saw any moving about and also improving our little home. Bugler and I got tired of looking at one another so we cut our way through to the next dug out and got a little more company. Our relief came up on the third night and I am sure we were not sorry to see them. They dropped in and we 'hopped it' as soon as possible.
We were fortunate in having no casualties in the firing line, but a stray bullet imbedded itself in one of our officers and now he is in hospital. It was very hard lines for him. He was away in the rear and there we were moving about in the firing line and not one was hit. The regiment acquitted itself exceedingly well, and our officers were splendid. We got back to our billets today (28 November) and we shall rest for a day or two. I hope so, for I am tired.
All the while the wider world was firmly on the side of the allies. The President of Harvard University in America stated that the war was the 'inevitable result of a lust of empire, autocratic government, sudden wealth and the religion of valour'. With the New York Times adding that 'Germany is doomed to defeat, the world cannot and will not let Germany win the war. If she was to dominate Europe, peace and security would vanish from Earth'.
From Poets Corner published in The Hamilton Advertiser, December 1914.
Think of Our Soldiers by Adam Watson
When hand holds hand in tender clasp, And heart meets heart with loving thought, Think of our soldiers at the front, Oh do not say that we forgot,
Bravely fight for hearth and home, How hard this Christmas is their lot Think of our soldiers at the front, Oh do not say that we forgot,
The smallest gift remembrance shows, From palace, mansion, house or cot, Think of our soldiers at the front, Oh do not say that we forgot,
Your little gift good cheer will bring, When Christmas joy seems so remote, Think of our soldiers at the front, Oh do not say that we forgot,
To dare, to do and even die, A greater love, I say there’s not, Think of our soldiers at the front, Oh do not say that we forgot,
Pray god to shield defend and keep On land and see, mid shell and shot Think of our soldiers at the front, Oh do not say that we forgot,
That as they wage a war for right They soon may sound a victor’s right Think of our soldiers at the front, Oh do not say that we forgot.
Our Patriots by EKFL
Fathers, brothers, husbands and sons Our will beloved and distant ones, All at this country call they came Eager and willing to play the game No thought of what they left behind Each full of purpose and doubtless of mind To do their best with right good will So Britain might be victor still
Moving forth at their chiefs command Onward they go, a fearless band Fighting for King and country too As loyal British subjects do Adding honor and fame and glory Thus repeating the sad old story Of Britain’s luck o’er she be In front line or on the sea