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The wounded soldiers and patients to the number of 16 and the staff at the Berwick Barracks Hospital were entertained to tea and a musical programme on Saturday last by Mrs Roper, Castle Terrace, through the kind permission of Major Steele. Accompanying Mrs Roper were Miss Roper, the Misses Forbes, and Lieut.-Colonel Hunter of the Welsh Cyclists.
After an enjoyable tea an excellent musical programme was gone through and in the course of which refreshments were dispensed. At the close Private Mutter proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mrs Roper for her kindness in entertaining them and this the men responded to by cheering lustily. The tea was prepared by Private Corstorphine, with the assistance of the Misses Forbes, while the following members of the staff also gave their assistance:-Sergeant Thos. Mutter, Private R Mutter, and Private W.F. King.
Treating a wounded soldier in hosptial. Credit: Wellcome Library, London, ref: L0009336, CC by 4.0
BERWICK FREEMAN’S EXPERIENCES AT THE FRONT
Capt. J Cairns, a Berwick freeman, who was Executive Engineer of Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway, resigned immediately war was declared and came home to join his regiment. He was attached to the 1st Battalion East Yorks., which, after six weeks in the trenches, was relieved by another regiment, at which time there were only 30 yards between them and the front German trench. The men of his company (in the pauses of grenade throwing) pitched biscuits and bully beef tins at the Germans. A few days before Christmas, Capt. Cairns was brought home by the War Office, but malarial fever from the muddy trenches developed and for a fortnight he was seriously ill. Now on his recovery he has been posted to Royal Engineers and appointed for special work to the staff at the War Office.
Advert from the Berwick Advertiser, 29th January 1915
Writing from the front to a friend in Berwick; Sergeant. T. Young, Army Cycling Corps, 7th Division, says: -“We sailed from Southampton for ———– on Christmas Eve and I can tell you we were fairly miserable to see the lights of the Old Country fade away and thinking of our friends at home. We arrived at a rest camp at ——— about 3.00 p.m. on Christmas Day, tired, hungry and very cold.
Three miserable days were spent then we departed for the front by train, the journey taking 30 hours. We arrived at a place called Railhead and then had an hour’s cycle run to our billet,-a deserted farmhouse about one and a half miles in the rear of the trenches. We have been on patrol work ever since arriving- looking for snipers, spies, shirkers etc; in ruined buildings just at the rear of the fighting line.
We get a “little” excitement as every day the Germans are sending us shrapnel and “Jack Johnsons” Excepting for the artillery matters are very quiet in our division. Yesterday (9th January) we had a good deal of shrapnel dropped around us,  some struck the billet but did no great damage. We went out to look for souvenirs but we soon had to double back to the billet as more shrapnel started to come.
The Northern Cyclist Battalion, with a number from other Battalions are with this Company as reinforcements to a regular Company which lost heavily in a recent battle. Our lads have settled down wonderfully and the surprising thing to me is how quietly they all take the shell-fire. We have good regular officers, especially the C.S.M. and C.Q.M.S. we are all very cheerful, fit and happy and have been served with good clothing, which comprises corduroy breeches, jacket, British warm, and fur jacket.
The food is very good and there are plenty of free “smokes”, a tot of rum nightly and a good billet. No one can speak too highly of the work of the Regulars, but at the same time there is quite a lot of Territorials out here doing the same work as the Regulars and doing it well. It seems to me this is a sort of siege warfare and if a man has the stamina and guts to stick the rough life and can handle a rifle quickly it is nearly all that is required.  I don’t wish to appear too wise but from what I have heard I don’t think Cyclist Battalions will ever get out here as complete Battalions. If any more men are called from this Corps you can tell them to come out here. They will serve under officers with fighting experience and alongside comrades who have been through it and you know much that is worth.”
The Berwick Company of the Northern Cyclist Batallion which was raised in Berwick removed to Bamburgh on Monday. It is intended to billet 300 of this Battalion in Bamburgh Castle and Armstrong Cottages.
Advert from The Berwick Advertiser 22nd January 1915
A PLACE FOR DUCKS
In a letter to his aunt in Berwick :Lieut Eric Land, RAMC writes :
“The trenches are very wet and muddy just now in some places nearly four feet deep in water, and it is naturally very trying for the men to have no chance of getting dry for several weeks. It is extraordinary how cheerful and well they keep, in the circumstances and they don’t mind the Germans as long as they have plenty to eat and smoke – and so far they have had no cause for complaint in that respect. We are settling down for the winter here and I don’t suppose much will happen this side until spring comes. We shall soon have webbed feet if we live much longer in this country”.
One of the aims of our project is to look at previously uncatalogued collections for content relating to the War. One of the unlisted collections that we have looked at is papers of the Sample family, agents to the Duke of Portland and other Northumbrian landowning families (Ref: NRO 2637). In Box 3 of the unlisted papers are some records relating to the Military Tribunals held at Ashington. One of our project volunteers, Jean Wilkinson, has examined the papers and has written this short article outlining some of their content. We hope to catalogue the papers in detail within our project.
An Agriculture Census for England and Wales in 1916 gives an enlightening glimpse of farming life in Ashington. Eight of the biggest farms were owned by Ashington Coal Company whilst Ashington Co-Operative Society owned a couple of Market Gardens. The remaining farms were privately owned.
The Farm Manager for all eight of the Ashington Coal Company farms, one Geo. P. Graham was also responsible for 1115 horses & ponies. He was a widower aged 41. With so much responsibility he would have had little free time.
The farms too were involved in asking Tribunals to exempt their workers, but unless there were health reasons for complete exemption, they only managed to get a few months deferment. Women were employed in quite heavy farm work although some worked in the Dairy or as house servants.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Jean Wilkinson in supplying this article for the Northumberland At War Project.
