Thomas James Richards, Diaries, Transcript Vol. 3, 26 January to 8 November 1916 - Part 27

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I once plant a packet of cress and got up a whole lot of
pansy plants; but still their tomato and other vegetable
seeds showed up some good quality eatables, a boom in a
place like North Queensland.
I believe the Thames is still following by our
side, if so it has come down a whole lot as it is merely
a small stream.
Lunch on the dining car was excellent and served
up very well by the women attendants, even if I did have
to ask for my bottle of beer three times. Lunch 3/-.
I notice that the trees throughout are not of
much commercial value by their size or bulk of timber, while
in Flanders there are rows of 6 to 12 in nearly everybody's
yard, trees 60 to 90 ft. high and about 3 ft. thick at the
base.
The journey continued, one of great prettiness and
rural beauty, right into Bristol (3-15), so different to
Flanders, different to Picardy, different in fact to all
else in the world. Bushy trees and hedges of untrained
as well as trained trees, the former making splendid shelter
and protection for pheasants and rabbits.
Bristol arrived at 3.15 p.m., 118 miles in 2 hours
10 minutes. I taxied to the Press office, left my haversack
and went up the Bishops Road Horfield by 4 o'clock. Met
A.P.S. and came back to the Grand Hotel, booked a room and
paid £1 on it, had dinner and walked around chatting, and
back to Horfield coming home by the last motor bus at
12 o'clock. I dropped in on H. Comer who was pleased to
see me and I also to see him and have supper with his wife
and daughters upstairs. To bed at 1 o'clock.
October 4th. Wednesday.
I found again that sleeping inside a room most
depressing and woke early. Bath, breakfast and shaved by
9.30. During the morning wandering about town I met a whole
lot of good people. Had lunch at the Liberal Club with
 

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Archie Powell, Mr. Pearce, Mr. Gans, and Mr. Lawler, we
chatted for an hour afterwards. Then I motored out to
Bishopston to alter an appointment for the evening, and
back to town, and on to the Bishops Knoll Hospital with
Mr. Powell, Mr. Wiltshire and another we picked up Mrs.
Powell on the way.
Bishops Knoll is entirely an Australian institution
run mostly by Mr. Bush a retired W.A. farmer at his own
mansion which is a dear place overlooking as it does the
Avon Valley with its own peculiar grandeur.
Mr. Wiltshire played several selections on the
silver toned organ. He brought forth delicate yet clear
sounding harmony that could brighten a soul of wood. I
never was so wrapped round by a band of music and gripped
in its folds so intensely, so overcome. Music is a
subject which I could not write a classical essay on, but
at the same time I could write my own experiences under
a heading - "My Evolution In Music", as I have been a most
obstinate and peculiar student of music as I learn to know
it, and have since found it. But the sweetness, floating,
fleeting sounds produced by that organ were a joy to my
spirit and elevated my whole frame. Mind military brass
bands and canned music has been my only acquaintance with
music of any kind for a long long time. In London the
different orchestras I heard were all right, but they did
not touch the chord that thrills and grips one as did that
small pipe organ in the Banqueting Room in Mr. Bush's
mansion at Bishops Knoll.
I met some of the patients around, and chatted a
moment with Mrs. Bush, leaving with Mr. Wiltshire and the
Powells for home about 8 o'clock.
I went out to Horfield and spent the evening with
A.P.S. Returning to the City I was afraid to leave the
tram rails for fear that on following the footpath I might
go right on while the tram line slipped around a corner and
lost me in the darkness.
 

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October 5th. Thursday.
I slept last night with a chair to keep the door
open to give me a chance to breathe a bit.
Up before 8 o'clock, breakfast and a shave at the
barber's on the corner overlooking the old Dutch House.
A very fine shave he always gave me, for which I paid 6d.
Percy Down came in for the day. I called for
Archie Powell and after a lot of trouble looking for Sir
George White I arranged to see Mr. Tucker at 11.30 to see
about a trip in an aeroplane. Sir George could not be
found, but it was arranged for me to meet Mr. Keith Davis
at the aerodrome at 3o'clock. I then saw about getting
some 18 dozen views done up from French negatives.
Met Johnnie Thomas and had a cocktail, another one
with two old born Exchange men who drank to the Colonies.
The cocktail was mostly gin and vermouth. I had lunch at
the Exchange Hotel with Thomas and Down, and away out to
Filton we ran by tram car. Disappointment, however, followed
as after waiting until 4 p.m. Keith Davis was sorry but he
would be unable to fly to-day. The hour I spent with the
mechanics toning up the 8 cylinder engine to 1400 revolutions
and watching the testing of wings etc., as well as the putting
together of all other parts was decidedly interesting and did
me a whole lot of good. To sit in the front seat of the
machine with the propeller doing (with the engine at top speed)
something equal to 90 miles an hour. Anyhow, Down and I
returned to Bristol much dejected yet wiser men.
A wash and a brush up and it was 6.30, dinner time
at Dunlop's where I was to meet a few of the old boys. Sure
enough they were there, good cheery Jimmy Oats and genial
Norman Moore, splendid chaps. Spoors, Down, Mr. Lawler, Powell,
Thomas, Mr. Pearce (the gentleman secretary) and Bostock-Smith
at the head of the table. I was, during the meal, asked to
speak to Mr. Conrade Fry and I enjoyed a few minutes chat
with him. I stopped also with Mr. Vaurn for a few minutes,
 

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and was then introduced to Mrs. Bostock-Smith and a party
having dinner nearby also. I told them my stock Jew story
of Africa, and went on with an enjoyable dinner. After
wards all went up to the Liberal Club until 10 o'clock.
A very enjoyable evening was spent.
Before going back to the Hotel I dropped into
Comer's and had a lovely little time with Mrs. and the
girls.
I wired Maggie before going to bed and thereby
ending up a very busy day.
October 6th. Friday.
I was out at Filton by 10 a.m. to meet Keith Davis
as arranged. On my way I met Reg Shipton coming along the
road, and he was as glad as I to meet so suddenly and in
such a strange place.
At Filton I waited expectantly until 12 o'clock,
meddling about amongst the machines and learning a whole lot
about them, but alas Keith Davis condemned the machine that
he intended testing for pace and altitude. It would have
to be dismantled, so there was another chance for me gone
to the clouds. The weather was very windy but Davis said
that would not matter if the machine was all right. I met
Jack Spoors at Fry's door and also Mr. Hollaway their
Australian traveller; he at once brought me a big box of
chocolates and I came away up and had a very nice dinner
with Spoors.
I got a taxi car in the afternoon and with the two
Comer girls, Maggie and Babs, went out to the Beaufort
Hospital and found my comrade, Carl Johnstone, wounded at
the Somme. The girls got out a whole lot of cigarettes
and some 6/- worth of fruit that I bought, and with a little
bother I got Carl permission to come for a drive. We ran
out to Clifton Down over the Suspension Bridge and into a
tea shop before returning to the Hospital at 6 o'clock.
 

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The afternoon was not good as rain fell at intervals and
blinded our view which was, even under the misty condition,
very beautiful. The car cost 23/6.
I met Mr. Bostock-Smith at 6.30 and motored out
some miles through Clifton to his home. En route there
were long lines of big field guns going towards Avonmouth
Docks to be shipped across to France. A very pleasing
sight to me as I love the artillery and the big shells to
be all on our side.
I gave Mrs. Bostock-Smith an album of 24 views
which I am sure she appreciated. There were two women
and three men at the table and the dinner was pleasantly
got through, after which we discussed a variety of subjects,
mostly military, until 12 o'clock when I motored back to
the Grand Hotel.
October 7th. Saturday.
I paid £1.11. 8 for photos and gave Archie Powell
a complete set of them.
It is a fairly nice morning and after a lot of
mind changing I decided not to chance going out to the
Filton aerodrome; but I will probably return on Monday for
a flight, so off I went by the 2 p.m. train for Bristol.
I cashed the £l0 wire from Wabs which makes £33 I have drawn
for the trip.
In London, 40 minutes late, I went to Queen Anne
Street and found that Rupert Elvy had not received my wire
so was not there. I went to the Imperial Hotel, signed up
another form for a room, and after a bath had dinner. At
the table was an elderly man from Sunderland who had some
sons at the war and was anxious to see the Somme battle
pictures which are supposed to be very good. So we floundered
away up to the Seala in the dark, and got balcony seats at
3/- each. The pictures were certainly good. Those showing
the two Zepplins brought down recently in London were very
entertaining, as well as the pictures taken in Serbia and
 

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Mesopotamia. Then came the Somme film and there is no
doubt about it the operator took a whole lot of risk in
getting it as he was right up against the big shell fire
and shows some splendid explosions. My only objection
to the picture was the showing of so many wounded and dead,
mostly German dead mangled, burnt and twisted, an awful sight
it must have been to those who have lost those near and dear
to them. A Colonel sat next to me and I soon drew him into
conversation, and learnt that he was an American subject and
joined up with 5 full battalions of men from America now
fighting with the Canadians.
After the show we went back to the Hotel, the North
country man went inside, I went forth in search of adventure.
There were a whole lot of Australians about but all quiet
and well behaved. I had a rather unsavory but a wonderful
experience of a kind which I cannot detail herein.
October 8th. Sunday.
I woke up at 9.40 with a surprise to think I had
slept so long and soundly. I rushed through breakfast and
underground to Golders Green where a motor bus with a nice
little girl conductor took me to Hendon, and being misdirected 

went 1½ miles past the aerodrome. These people
are very obliging right enough, but they either misunderstood
me or didn't know any better. We have always found that the
Tommy both in France, Gallipoli or Egypt is an impossible
being to get any information out of. I have often asked
motor drivers for a town not 1 mile away from the route they
have been following for months and they cannot tell you, or
give any direction at all. Well I came back and found that
the aerodrome was not 300 yards from where the men I had
previously enquired from were leaning.
In the ground I was told that it would be very
doubtful as to whether I would get a flight at 1 p.m. on
Sunday. In the afternoon it was easy, but as I had an
appointment in the afternoon I was going to fight jolly hard
 

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right there. I went into the ground and in putting the
word on a Sergeant Major I soon found the manager Mr. Liddle
was by his side. I deplored him to arrange it at once.
He said there was hardly likely to be a pilot about at this
time and we set out to find one. Mr. Liddle spoke to a
fellow putting on his coat, calling him Winter, and asking
if he was agreeable to go up before dinner. I immediately
hopped in and told him that it was a very urgent matter and
that I know what it was to be jammed against the wall of a
trench waiting to be buried by the displacement of earth
from a German shell and to look up and all our airmen free
and unconcerned floating about in the blue sky, and now I
wanted to know just how the airman actually does feel and
what he thinks of the man down under.
In 15 minutes we were seated in a Graham White
machine with the engine hindermost. Mr. Winter was in
the front seat and I behind. We set off at a slowly
increasing rate of speed until we rose easily from the
ground. In fact I would not have known that we had left
the ground at all but for looking down and watching the
wheels. Even as we rose I did not feel any expected thrills
as the 'plane went away circling with a strong wind blowing
and there was not a rock or a roll worth mentioning. Around
and around we flew, gradually increasing our height until
4,000 ft. or so was reached, then he cut off his engine,
dipped the nose and vol-planed down to earth, alighting
without the slightest sign of a bump. I was disappointed,
I expected that the airmen would have to fight the elements
good and hard to maintain a balance, but such was not the
case at all. The machine had the air entirely beaten; the
machine fell and wavered but very little. I was astounded
to find that the wind and weather currents were so thoroughly
overcome and defeated. To me it was like winning a football
by a tall score after expecting a close and hard game.
 

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Before going up I had to sign away all claim upon
the Company should anything happen in the form of an accident.
I then paid up my £3. 3. 0 and pocketed my souvenir card,
which the aviator signed after the flight.
I had a hurried lunch at the grounds and then set
off at a rush to keep my appointment with Bill Drummond at
the Anzac Buffet for 3 p.m. Bus from Hendon to Golders
Green, underground then to Charing Cross. In the noisy
train a splendid looking woman landed over her paper to me
so charmingly. I engaged her in conversation for a few
minutes only. She was a lady and it was jolly nice of her
to break through the conventional in this pretty manner.
Before the war it would have been impossible.
At Charing Cross I got a taxi and ran down Victoria
Street to the Anzac Buffet, where I met Drummond, Wilby and
Yeadon, and we had tea and cake, and when I put my hand into
my pocket for money I got blown up, the lady said prettily
"Oh, you men!! You are at home now, just let us treat you
for once; this is your home free for you to come and to go
with gladness and freedom."
We went into Hyde Park and saw the streams of people
moving about, boating on the lake or Serpentine. Crowds
were gathered around the different stump speakers. We stayed
and listened to one woman appealing for support to force the
Imperial Authorities to invite Mr. W. M. Hughes to England to
take part in Peace Negotations which she declared were then
being discussed in London and she was afraid that the British
politicians could not be trusted to hold out or fight on until
Germany was humbled and brought to account. "We cannot
tolerate a peace without a standing and lasting assurance that
it will mean perpetual peace with victory complete, and not
half and half arrangement with our enemy. We are frightened
of the strength of our politicians to hold out for what we
want and must get therefore Mr. W. M. Hughes who is very
urgently needed to fight for the people of the Empire and
their rights."
 

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She went on for half an hour in this strain and as
we left send around a card for signatures calling for the
recall to England of Mr. W. M. Hughes.
We went into Park Lane looking for No. 17, Herald
Fink Private Hospital, and found Bob Miller (1 star turn)
there with his leg off above the knee but cheerful and
bright. From here the three of us went down to Westminster
Abbey, had tea nearby where we struck up with two girls and
went to Church in the Abbey. The service commences at
7 o'clock and from where we sat it was, owing to the rumbling
and echoing of the voice, impossible to hear the lesson;
although the organ did sound well and good. I was surprised
at nothearing the boys choir sing.
As Drummond and Wilby had to get the 8 o'clock train
back to the Hospital at Epsom we could not stay until the end
of the service. When the train left I walked back with the
two shop girls to the House of Commons which looked delightfully 

interesting with the moonlight moving through deep
shadows and striking first upon the building and then upon
the bridge and the river. A thrilling picture but spoiled
to some extent by the memories of gossip and useless discussion
that has haunted me and discouraged the whole British Army
during the past two years. Talk and continue talking on
useless topics while there was a bitter war to win!!!!
Supper, and away we went along the Embankment down
the Strand to the Royal Exchange where the girls got on a bus
and home. I found it very hard to talk to and interest those
girls but on seeing Jupiter shining fitfully over the tops of
the buildings and pointing it out to them they seemed interested
enough for me to tell them a few little stories about the gods
of old, and was well paid for my labour by their enthusiasm
and attention paid me.
Back down the Strand alone I saw a penny in the slot
show and throwing as well as shooting galleries in a building
 

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going full steam ahead on Sunday in London mind you, and yet
the Englishmen look at you in horror if you mention playing
football on Sunday, and their hotels all open too.
On the Strand I saw dozens and dozens of night girls
wandering about.
October 9th. Monday.
In town by 10 a.m. Lunch at Frascates' Oxford Street.
Lunch 4/6; Wine S.A. 2/-, Coffee 6d, waiter 1/-, total 8/-.
I just walked into the place with the air and confidence of
an old habitue. The cleanliness and glitter of the place
nearly overcame me, but on I went looking around at the
elaborate ground floor with all its pomp and exclusiveness
and up the stairs to the balcony, more exclusive. Nobody
took much notice of me outside of the people sitting around
at the tables and they gazed at me in curious wonderment as
I strolled along, head erect, hat in hand, proud and reserved
even if threadbare and torn. At last a waiter offered me a
seat in one of the two large recesses at a table with two
seats. I gave my hat and coat (a long light cape that looked
like a bull-fighter's cloak). I sat down under the idle
gaze of many, and to assure them that I was right and invited
no interruption I got up and turned the opposite empty chair
about.
I chose "Table d' Hote" menu and away we got, starting
with fresh oysters. On looking over the wine card I saw
South Australian Port and at once ordered a small bottle, and
as 'South Australia' was written in big letters I kept turning
the label around so that any who wished could read the class of
wine I chose out of more than 110 different brands. It was a
great meal and the memory of which will keep good and long.
I next went down to Waterloo station and out to
Hampton Court, fare 1/1. As I was getting out of the train
I met an old gentleman who said he was coming around by the
bridge over the Thames and would be pleased to show me the