Diary of Samuel Hedley Hemming Hawkins, 1917-1918 - Part 3

THURSDAY 13.12.17. Quite warm 
today. Appeared before
Com. Officer today and my
Court Martial case was dismissed. 
Bombing in afternoon.
FRIDAY 14.12.17 On coal fatigue.
Have to load six waggons per
day which in all would not
take more than half an hour.
Have charge of eight men.
Work alongside German
prisoners. Weather warmer.
Good concert in Regimental
Institute by Pioneer Concert
Party who travel around the 
hospitals.
SATURDAY 15.12.17 On coal
in morning & so miss
hated route march.
Writing in afternoon &
night. Weather much warmer.
REMARKS ON WEEK
Tuesday 11.12.17 brings me the 
right to vote on Conscription
for first time in life. Voted Yes.
Thursday sees me free again
after a hard fight
Weather much warmer thro week
SUNDAY 16.12.17 Heavy rain from
midnight till 9 am. Rain followed 
by a steady flow of snow till midday.
Weather exceptionally cold. Attend
C of E Service which was very good.
MONDAY 17.12.17 Snow fell through
night to a depth of three inches.
Heavy wind blew unceasingly.
Coal fatigue in morning but came
a gutser in afternoon and
went on musketry (prone position)
Sun not strong enough to melt snow
TUESDAY 18.12.17 Very cold night with
a little frost but no snow. Musketry
in morning from which I did a
missle & went to U.A.B hut for feed.
Shooting on miniature range in 
afternoon. A Night stunt this
evening with gas masks & respirator
Did not go on this stunt, but went
down to Sutton Veny and had a 
feed of tongue, bread & butter.
WEDNESDAY 19.12.17 Sundays
snow still on ground.
Sick Parade in Morning.
Parade in afternoon, full
marching order & stand for
1¾ hours whilst all are inspected.

WEDNESDAY 19.12.17 After
inspection have bombing
competition in which I took
part our team being second.
THURSDAY 20.12.17 All taps
frozen. unable to wash.
Swung the lead this morning
but went on parade in
afternoon.
FRIDAY 21.12.17  Doctors parade
No drill. Go to Warminster
in evening and draw
money from Bank:
SATURDAY 22.12.17 Dick & I
go sick & miss route
march. Prepare for leave
SUNDAY 23.12.17 Reveille 4.30
Breakfast 5:00 Left for Warminster
about 6.00 and had to wait
till 9.15 for train. Arrived Bristol
10.15, where we had lunch & a
walk around the fine city
Leave Bristol 2 pm passing through
Gloucester, Cheltenham, Birmingham
& Derby in a crowded train.
Arrive Stockport 9.30. Take train
for Heaton Moor arriving at
M^r  Gibsons 10 pm. Great reception.
MONDAY 24.12.17. Rise 10.15 a m. Bath
& breakfast at 11.30. Took a stroll  to
Grocers and made heroes of ourselves
by buying 1½ lbs of butter & 2
pints of milk. The first they have
had for a month. All the
Gibbies & selves go to “the Babes
in the woods” in the afternoon
which was very fine, at the
Palace Theatre Manchester. Dine
at the Queens, Arrive home 9.15
and have tea 9.30. Bed 1.30 am.
TUESDAY 25.12.17 Christmas Day!
A fine day & plenty sunshine.
Up 11 am. Spend the day very
pleasantly at home. No trams
as conductors refuse to work
on Xmas day. Glorious Christmas 
dinner Turkey, plum,
pudding & etceteras. The girls
give us each a present in the 
form of a diary. Bed 1.am
WEDNESDAY Rise 11 am Breakfast 
12.00 Take the girls to
pictures in afternoon.
Sing song at night & also
a sort of spiritualistic
evening. Bed 1.30 am

THURSDAY 27.12.17 Rise 12.00.
Day very dull & misty. Had
games in the house all day
and in evening. some more
spirits in which all the family
except Audrey are great
Believers. After most enjoyable
night The girls & dad take us 
to the station & we catch the
midnight train to Bristol,
where we arrive 6 a.m. Catch
train to Warminster arriving
in camp 9.am. No drill
in mo
FRIDAY 28.12.17 No drill in
morning. Medical exam in
afternoon. Dick joins
bombing school. Receive
hero parcels from M^rs Warren
SATURDAY 29.12.17 Route
march in morning which
was very fine. Do a little
washing in afternoon.
Hear of Geo. Richards death 
about 3p.m. WRITE HOME
REMARKS on WEEK
Leave showed me that England
is a fine place in peace time
Remarks on Week.
M^r Gibson has a beautiful 
residence and gave us a glorious
time. Had better food here
than previously in England.
Fine wife, two very fine looking
daughters and a chatterbox
of a son. He has a great
belief in spiritualism which
caused some great sport.
Went through the old Christmas 
in the greatest of style &
throughout we lived like cocks.
SUNDAY 30.12.17 Church Parade
MONDAY 31.12.17 Leave for
Tidworth. Spend hour
in Salisbury & arrive 
7 pm Tidworth. Greatly
surprised at fine
barracks & most of
all at excellent dinner
which awaited us.
TUESDAY 1.1.18 Lectures
WEDNESDAY    HALF HOLIDAY
THURSDAY        Lectures
FRIDAY                    "
SATURDAY 5.1.18    "

Remarks on Week
Tidworth is a fine school.
I attend Candahar which
is an officers school.
All students are on one
level & are termed cadets.
Food is excellent & one
fells quite at home again
at sight of tablecloths,
cruits, sugar & butter
galore, tumblers & the
very best of food again.
As we are being trained
for officers we do no
drill but have leictures
all day on administration
etiquette, scouting,
map reading etc.
Take notes on leictures
& write up exercises
at night.
Fine Theatre at Tidworth
and all shops are in
one enclosure.
Have a batman who
does all our barrack
work

Weather much warmer
most likely- because we
always have fires in
the leicture rooms '  
barracks.
A. Fine home
SUNDAY 6.1.18 Attend Church
Parade. Service in garrison
church which is a very fine
building. Receive large
batch of letters from
home.
MONDAY 7. 1. 18 Lectures:
TUESDAY 8. 1. 18         "
WEDNESDAY 9. 1. 18  "   Half Holiday
THURSDAY 10. 1. 18 Lectures Guest night
FRIDAY 11. 1. 18             "
SATURDAY 12. 1. 18.     "         Theatre.
Study till late each night.
Thursday was guest day,
Dinner lasts from 7.30 till
8.45. Anyone can have a 
guest. All must drink
Kings- Health.
Theatre saturday night
"Under two flags"
Has been a repitition of snow
& rain all the week. & Mud
Glad we do no drill

SUNDAY 13 .1.18    Church Parade
MONDAY 14. 1. 18   Lectures 
TUESDAY 15. 1. 18         "
WEDNESDAY 16. 1. 18  "     Half Holiday
THURSDAY 17. 1. 18       "   
FRIDAY 18. 1. 18              "
SATURDAY 19. 1. 18        "     Theatre.
Remarks on Week.
Still plenty work. Weather
has been very blowy & rainy.
Theatre Saturday night Nah
Poo. During week Dick
goes to Lyndhurst for
Bombing. A great number
of Englands last hope.
(Volunteer officers over 60 yrs
have come to study.)

All are most enthusiastic
& make some fine sport.
for us.
SUNDAY 20. 1. 18. Church Parade.
MONDAY 21. 1. 18    Lectures
TUESDAY 22. 1. 18          "
WEDNESDAY 23. 1. 18   "    Half Holiday
THURSDAY 24. 1. 18       "
FRIDAY 25. 1. 18              "
SATURDAY 26. 1. 18       "     Theatre.
Remarks on Week.
Weather magnificent during
week. On Tuesday have
Guest night. Go to Theatre
Wednesday night "Glad eye".
Thursday afternoon lecture
with moving pictures by
Com. Tank Corps. Theatre
Sat evening "Whose the Lady".
On Thursday night the Pioneers
burn Bloodhouse to ground
SUNDAY 27. 1. 18 Church Service
Accompanied by band, strings
& organ. Music beautiful.
MONDAY           28. 1. 18      Lectures
TUESDAY           29. 1. 18             "
WEDNESDAY   30. 1. 18             "
THURSDAY        31. 1. 18             "
FRIDAY                  1. 1. 18            "   
SATURDAY           2. 2. 18.          "
SUNDAY     3 .2. 18 Church Parade
Concert in evening by Band 
MONDAY 4. 2. 18   Exam all day.
Go to Taming of the Shrew in 
the evening.
TUESDAY 5. 2. 18  Go through
Gas which made me cry
eloquently & stinks like the
Wazza

WEDNESDAY 6. 2. 18  Go through all
civilian houses around Tidworth
& draw up billeting scheme.
The civilians are far from
friendly on these stunts.
In afternoon walk over to
Park House military camp.
THURSDAY 7. 2. 18  Inspect all farms
in district and draw up
outpost positions. The farmers
here had the laugh, as the ground
was all newly ploughed & earth
was well soaked by rains.
Carried half Tidworth under
our feet.
FRIDAY 8 .2. 18 Erect Barbed wire
entanglements during morning.
In afternoon have fine
Lecture (departing) by Lt. Col.
May the commandand  &
also by Major Inglis.
Have good feed & leave 3 p m
for Station.
Every man very sorry to
leave. From the Commandant
down all officers were Mons
men & in every sense of the
word gentlemen. They treated
us excellently and every man
came away with a new opinion
of the English officer.

Arrived Winchester 6.10 pm & was
met by Mary & Elsie. Whent to
Flossies and slept there.
SATURDAY. 9.2.18. Went for a 
walk around Winchester &
struck an Australian
Major named Stephens.
Together we had a very fine
time.  Take Else & her mate 
to the pictures. Leave Flossies
about 9 pm & accompanied
by Mary go to Riddledon.
SUNDAY 10. 2. 18 . Sarah receives
word from Jim who expects
to come home this week.
She went as nearly mad 
as ever I have seen a
person. Accompany Sarah
& Mary to church in afternoon
& was walked up to the
top seat. This done they
left me on my own. This
mad me half mad, sitting
in front & having no one to
talk to.

SUNDAY  10. 2. 18. The stop with
Sarah very pleasant & very
short. Return to Floss's
accompanied by Else 9 pm.
Took a couple of hours to get 
home so Else & I were sent
to bed.
MONDAY 11. 2. 18. Out sight seeing
with Bob. went through,
Elect Light, Flour Mill,
Winchester College & St Cross
Hospital. Spent a very fine
day & feel deeply indebted 
to Bob who has spent much
valuable time with me.
Had four teeth fixed up at
dentist here who is very good.
Had a good time with
Else tonight.
TUESDAY 12. 2. 18. Walk through
Winchester in morning.
All, Floss, Else, Hedly, Sarah, 
& Marg & Self go to Southhampton.
There I leave at 6pm. for
camp, to my great sorrow.
Spent a very pleasant day
but lost my head.
WEDNESDAY 13. 2. 18. Do no duties
Camp rather improved since I
left but nearly all my reinforcement
are in France.
THURSDAY 14. 2. 18. Being fully
trained do no duties.
Receive letter from Phillis
Hawkins (Florida). Corporal
of coal guard. On Draft for France.
FRIDAY 15. 2. 18: No duties.
Go to Bath Arms in evening
& have a good feed.
SATURDAY 16. 2. 18 At my
wits end to dodge route
march. Meet Reg Fuller
near Heytesbury & then
meet Reg Brown. We are the
three who through a row
determined to leave the 
Pay Office. Dick, Reg F, Reg B.
& Self go to Bath Arms, & have
a fine feed to celebrate the occasion.
SUNDAY 17. 2. 18. Very cold after
long spell of good weather.
Dick & I go for long walk 
to get warm instead of freezing
in church. Corporal of 
Coal Guard in evening.

MONDAY 18. 2.18 Beautiful spring
day. Do no duties.
TUESDAY 19. 2.18. Go over to No 1
command & go through
gas which does not appear
to be hurtful but respirators
are awkward.
WEDNESDAY.  20.2.18 Very cold
& windy. No duties.
THUSDAY
THURSDAY 21.2.18. Receive
large batch of letters from
Australia & spend all
day in answering.
FRIDAY 22.2.18 Very windy
March winds are not
looked forward to
SATURDAY 23.2.18 Prisoner
who escaped from me
some three months ago
captured & brought 
back to camp. He is 
remanded for Court
Martial & consequently
I am taken off the
draft. Reg Brow Fuller,
J M^cLennan, H Dawson
Pryke & self go to
Warminster in afternoon
and have our photos
taken. Spend a very
pleasant evening.
SUNDAY 24.2.18 Spend
morning by very pleasant 
walk.  Have fine tea
in Sutton Veny at 
night.
MONDAY 25.2.18. Very cold
winds. No duties
TUESDAY 26.2.18. Cold Easterly
winds. Eighteen of us
WED absent from morning 
parade.
WEDNESDAY 27.2.18. All absent
from yesterdays parade
crimed and fined 2 days pay 
& awarded 3 days  Confined 
to Camp (Chasing Bugle.)
Upon making complaint 
2 days pay was knocked 
off & Bromley & I were sent
Scott free: Reg Brown 
comes over at night & we 
all go to a fine concert
THURSDAY 28.2.18. Job on 
Rifle Butts but relieved. 
Fine warm day . after

Crawford
Seccomb
Brown P. B
O'Day P
Browning H q
Stapleton
Ball
Bromley
Rudd

28. 2. 18
a little snow
Mates in Battalion
H. Pryke      H. Dann
A. Leeds     P. Hayes
B. Duncan   C. Leeson
F. Rudd         G Gosden 
J. Bromley    N. Stoddart
[[^.x.]] G. Gosden  transferred
artillery
 

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