This Week in World War One

This Week in World War One, 20 August 1915

by

Berwick Advertiser title 1915

 

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 20 AUGUST 1915

 

PECULIAR CAPTURE OF A ROACH IN THE TWEED

 

A correspondent, writing in the “Northern Echo” on the paragraph which recently appeared in our columns regarding a roach jumping out of the river into a salmon fisher’s cobble near Horncliffe House, points out- The spot where the roach was thus “caught” unawares is quite an ideal one for that fish. The waters are still and deep, with an abundance of weeds, trees and bushes on the edge of the river. The tidal water will contain very little, if any, salt in it at Horncliffe,as the Tweed does not flow much above there, and it may only be a little brackish at the top of the tide, and will soon run out when the tide sets in. Besides, the writer has had some of his best creels of yellow freshwater trout at

The Roach by Eleazar Albin 1690-1742 - English naturalist and watercolourist illustrator.
The Roach by Eleazar Albin 1690-1742 – English naturalist and watercolourist illustrator.

Horncliffe, and a mile below at the Union Chain Suspension Bridge at Scotch New Water Ford. Free trout fishing may be indulged in on the Tweed as far as two miles below the Chain Bridge at West Ord ford. So if trout can live so far down in the tidal waters why not roach. Indeed, I have seen large yellow trout caught in the nets as far down as Berwick Bridge, about a mile from the sea. Large numbers of roach have been netted in recent years at Twizel, near the mouth of the Till, where it enters the Tweed. The roach is a poor mean fish so far as eating goes, but he is handsome and strong, also he will afford the angler capital sport when he rises at the fly which he commonly does about the months of August and September, both boldly and freely. Roach are very prolific. In the ovarium of an ordinary sized roach were counted no less than 25,000 eggs. Fishery Boards are waging a strong crusade against the roach, for wherever they take up their abode trout fishing suffers and the streams are depleted to an alarming extent. Therefore during the summer months, on the Tweed, thousands have been destroyed. The Tees also has been netted regularly during recent years by the water bailiffs for the destruction of roach, dace, chub, and many other useless “coarse” fish.

 

SCREMERSTON

 SUNDAY SCHOOL EXCURSION

 

Though public excursions of pleasure seem generally out of place in face of the cares and anxieties of the time it is no less generally felt that where possible the usual arrangements for the pleasure of the little ones should be carried through. It was, therefore, resolved that the children attending the Scremerston Church Sunday School should have their usual summer trip, and this was held on Saturday last. A thunderstorm and heavy rain delayed the starting of the trip for three-quarters of an hour, during which time the children took shelter in the Church, but soon after a start was made the rain cleared off and for the rest of the day the weather conditions were all that could be desired. The party travelled in carts kindly lent by Messrs T. and J. Jobling, and the Scremerston Coal Company,

The sand dunes on Goswick Beach where the children from Scremerston went on their Sunday School trip - Stuart Meek - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
The sand dunes on Goswick Beach where the children from Scremerston went on their Sunday School trip –
Stuart Meek – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

to Goswick fishery kindly place at their disposal by Mr M.C. Robertson, who had also erected swings for the pleasure of the youngsters. Various games were indulged in until tea time when an abundant supply of cakes and tea formed an important feature in the afternoon’s proceedings. After tea a small memento of the occasion was presented to each child by two young ladies in national costumes, Miss E. M. Lightfoot, whose white dress was trimmed with red roses, and draped with a Union Jack representing England; while Miss A. M. Stokes wore the actual fete day costume of a French fisher girl. On the call of the Vicar, hearty cheers for the Allied Nations were raised by the interested children. Before starting for home Mr Thompson, who has for some years taken an active part in the work of the Sunday school, called upon the children to express in the usual way their thanks to the Vicar and Mrs Lightfoot for so successfully arranging and carrying through the day’s enjoyment, to the representatives of the Allied Nations for distributing the toys and otherwise assisting at the treat, to Mrs Thompson and Miss E. Mowitt for the preparation of the tea, and to Mr and Mrs Robertson for their permission to visit the Fishery and their general interest and help in the afternoon’s proceedings. A packet of sweets for consumption on the journey between Scremerston and Goswick was most kindly presented to each child by Mr and Mrs W.J. Blackett. After an afternoon of very general enjoyment the children reached home safely and happily a little after eight o’clock.

 

Berwick Advertiser 20 August 1915. Birds Custard Advert
Berwick Advertiser 20 August 1915. Birds Custard Advert

 

NATIONAL REGISTRATION IN BERWICK

Influx of Visitors Complicate Matters

The task of numbering the people in the Borough of Berwick under the National Registration Act was carried out on Sunday last, and already a considerable quantity of the forms have been duly collected by the band of ladies and gentlemen who so willingly devoted their services gratuitously to the task. It was expected that the whole of the papers in the Borough would be collected by Wednesday. The arrangements made under the superintendence of Mr James Gibson, acting Town Clerk, have worked smoothly and well. The enumerators in a number of cases had difficulties to overcome in securing a proper and intelligently filled up form, and in several instances had to lend personal assistance to obtain the various details. During the week-end, too, there was a large influx of visitors into the town, and this had the effect of complicating and rendering more arduous the duties of the enumerators. The second and no less important duty of classifying and arranging the details of the Register has yet to be undertaken, but already Mr Gibson has set about the bare preliminaries of this. The enumerators who have distributed and collected the forms will take part in the work, and Mr Gibson is waiting to see what other ladies and gentlemen will come forward to lend a hand in the duties. The forms have to be arranged into 46 occupational groups for males and 30  for females, while there are also nine age groups, each sub-divided, stating whether the lady is unmarried, married, or a widow.With the completion of the collections of the forms the first step will be to separate visitors from a distance who were resident in the Borough last Sunday, and dispatch the forms to the various districts where the visitors have their permanent residences. With the completion of the details each registered person receives a certificate certifying that he or she has been duly registered, along with their code number. Special buff forms have to be filled up for those males or females who are skilled workers. These are retained until instructions are received as to how they are to be dealt with. A pink coloured form has also to be prepared of those males whose ages are from 18 to 40, and have not completed their 41st birthday, these being for the special use of recruiting authorities.

Mr Gibson will deal with the preliminary work in the Town Clerk’s Office, but when the more strenuous and important part comes to be undertaken he will have his staff accommodated in the ante room at the entrance to the Town hall, where more adequate room will be found. The Registrar General expresses the hope that the whole of the details will be completed by Saturday, 4th September.

 

This Week in World War One, 13 August 1915

by

Berwick Advertiser title 1915

 

 

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 13 AUGUST 1915

 

DEAD HERO’S LETTER

Life in the Trenches.

 

The following is a copy of a letter by Lance-Corporal J. Frater, 4th K.O.S.B., Ayton, who was killed at the Dardanelles on 12th July. It was written on the 28th June:-

            Dear Father, – We have just got back to the rest camp after being five days in the firing line. Everything in the firing line is different from what I expected it to be. In the first place I always thought the trenches would be at least eighty yards apart, and that half of that distance would be covered with wire entanglement, but the trench that we were in was originally a Turkish fire trench, and when they retired they just moved into the communication trench, therefore their trench actually ran into ours. The end was blocked up with sandbags, but still they creep up and throw in hand grenades. Of course, our boys can deal with them the same way. Well, to give you an idea of life in the trenches, I will give you an ordinary day in the first line. Whenever it gets dark every man stands to and fixes his bayonet, and after a while if nothing brisk is going on every second man can rest (nobody is allowed to rest), but, of course, they take turn about, one hour on and one off. If anything is noticed they send up a star shell. It lights up the whole place, but it shows your position to the enemy just the same as you see their’s, (sic) so everybody has to keep out of sight.

WW1 trench in Gommecourt, France - Source UBC Library
WW1 trench in Gommecourt, France – Source UBC Library

Of course, some of the sentries can have a shot if there is anything to be seen. Well, just after dawn everybody has to be on the look out, and after it is daylight bayonets are unfixed and one man in six is on sentry. The rest can sleep, but there is food, water and ammunition to be brought in, and as you have all your cooking to do, you don’t get much rest. Of course, that is on a quiet day. You might have to be firing both day and night. The second night we were in our tanks advanced a little, and thinking we were going to do the same the Turks kept up a rapid fire the whole night. We went into the trenches as if it was an everyday occurrence. Nobody was excited when we were fired on for the first time. You would have thought that everybody wanted to fire, but still I never saw anybody fire unless he had something to fire at. The enemy’s snipers were a bit troublesome at times, and got some of our chaps, but a good many snipers were sent to the happy hunting grounds. The casualties in our Platoon, No. 3, Bob Wilson of Coldingham was wounded, and Lance-Corporal Ford (Sergt. Ford’s brother was killed. John Mack was wounded by a shell the second day we were here. All the Ayton chaps are all right so far. I will have to close now. When replying, enclose a sheet of writing paper and an envelope, and please write soon.

                        I remain,

                                    Your loving son,

                                                J. FRATER.

LOCAL NEWS

 

Saved by Motor Boat – On Monday evening a small boy, four years old, named Warnach, and residing in Palace Street, Berwick, while playing near the edge of the Quay fell into the Tweed.

Spowart ferry landing and Spittal - Berwick Record Office BRO 1887-2-4
Spowart ferry landing and Spittal – Berwick Record Office BRO 1887-2-4

After being in the water for some time he was observed by Mr Phillip Spowart, owner of the Berwick and Spittal motor boat ferry service who, with one of his boats, immediately went to the boy’s assistance and pulled him out of the river in an exhausted condition. After receiving treatment the boy proceeded to his home little the worse for his immersion.

Propaganda Poster
Propaganda Poster

 

Suspicion as to Lady Spy –

On Wednesday an English lady, presently on holiday at Wooler, aroused the suspicions of the authorities by taking sketches of the old bridge from the Tweedmouth side of the river. It is understood that at the same time she stupidly indulged in making some enquiries as to the military dispositions of the troops and this had the effect of strengthening the suspicions of the police. On being taken to the police station the lady was able to give a satisfactory explanation of her movements, as well as regarding her personality, and she was not detained for any lengthened period. The incident however, should not be without its warning to others to be careful, and not attempt to take drawings in prohibited areas, especially in the vicinity of harbours close to the east coast.

 

FOULDEN

 

The inhabitants of Foulden were very pleased to have a visit of two Belgian soldiers straight from the front, a few days ago, one of them having spent some time in Foulden House hospital, and this being the other’s first trip to bonnie Scotland. He has had nine months in the trenches without receiving a scratch. The other one, since leaving Foulden, had got a bayonet wound in the wrist but is now quite better. They are both in perfect health, and in no way cast down. It is very gratifying to think any little kindness shown them while in hospital has been fully appreciated in their hurried trip to see old friends again. They got a most hearty welcome, and what with motor trips and cycle runs, tea and dinner parties, they more than enjoyed it, and will carry back with them sweet memories of their recent visit. They came on the 27th July and left on the 31st, with the promise of coming back again at some future date.

This Week in World War One, 30 July 1915

by

Berwick Advertiser title 1915

 

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 30 JULY 1915

 

HARBOUR REVENUE AND THE WAR

INADVISABILITY OF PUBLIC DISCUSSION

 

The restriction on East Coast shipping are being more forcibly impressed upon the ratepayers of our own immediate district by the short discussion which occurred at the Berwick Town Council meeting on Tuesday evening. The inability of the local Harbour Commissioners to meet the interest on a by no means large bond is sufficient testimony to the decline in shipping during the past year at the port of Berwick. It was a state of matters which no one contemplated this time last year, and it is satisfactory to learn, despite the intense difficulties placed on shipping and fishing, the trade at the harbour shows a tendancy to revive these last few weeks. There is no doubt whatever that with the advent of normal times activities at the harbour will resume their natural condition, and that the interest, temporarily advanced by the Town Council as guarantors to the bond, will be duly refunded. In the unusual circumstances the Town Council had no alternative but to meet the payment of the interest, and there is no reason why there should be any feeling in the community over what is only a very small item emanating out of the war. The appeal made by Alderman Short to regard the discussion as private might very well have seriously occurred to the Council earlier. Had the Council been unanimous in Committee, as they were to all extents and purposes in public, the whole matter could have been quite easily adjusted. In these strenuous days when every encouraging little item is faithfully served up to the reading public of the enemy on the other side of the  North Sea, the less said about decadent sea ports on the east Coast the better. It is a line of action which would have undoubtedly met with the approval of the naval and military authorities who keep a very strict censor on items of such a nature. It may occur to the Council of Borough on the East Coast that there are other things quite as essential to safeguard as bright lights. A spoken word, and an admission on the part of a responsible body such as a Town Council that one of the ports is in a temporary insolvent condition is a grave enough concession indeed, and, garnished and magnified by Tuetonic ingenuity, it can be translated into language out of all proportion to the actual facts. But there is no use lamenting over spilt milk, though it may, and certainly ought to be, a warning to responsible authorities to exercise every degree of care and caution in these eventful days.

 

Berwick Advertiser 30 July 1915. J Smith Advert
Berwick Advertiser 30 July 1915. J Smith Advert

 

 

LOCAL NEWS

 

Belford Church – the church has been enriched by the placing of two finely executed stained glass windows. They are, what is known in architecture, as the early English period, and are lancet in shape. In one window is an illustration of “Charity,” which is depicted by a large figure under richly-coloured canopy work, and standing on an ornamental base, with the following inscription: – “Erected

Belford Church © Copyright Peter Taylor - Creative Commons Licence.
Belford Church © Copyright Peter Taylor – Creative Commons Licence.

 

by her brother-in-law, the Vicar of Belford, in loving memory of Racheal Smale McLeish, a devoted church worker, who died on December 14th, 1914; aged 58 years.” In the other window is a figure of St. Cecilia in the act of playing an organ, being patron of music, with the following inscription:-“Erected by her father, the Vicar of Belford, in loving memory of his beloved daughter Helen Katharine Ogilvie Robertson, who died on January 11th, 1914, aged 37 years.” The windows were designed and executed by Messrs G. J. Bagnley and Son, artists in stained glass, Newcastle.

 

 

CROSS-COUNTRY

Splendid Military Run at Berwick

Thirty-Three Regiments Represented

 

The military cross-country race at Berwick on Saturday proved an eminently successful gathering, and the commontion and stir it occasioned in the ancient Borough will be an event to be remembered as an outstanding incident in the annals of the Great War. The weather was showery, and, though the ground was heavy underfoot, a more ideal summer afternoon could not have been desired. The thousands of spectators who lined the fine vantage ground on the overlooking Walls, as well as on the more expansive meadow where the race started and finished, were enabled to witness the ceremony under most comfortable atmospheric conditions. A sharp shower fell at the conclusion of the subsequent recruiting meeting, but it was short in duration, and it did not interfere with the pleasure of the spectators in witnessing the completion of a most interesting and finely contested race. No one could but be impressed with the sight of so many hundreds of fine specimens of young

WW1 Gymanastics at Aldershot.
WW1 Gymnastics wearing their competitors costume at Aldershot.

fellows in the perfect bloom of physical strength and manhood, all too, trained in the use of arms, and ready and willing to do their bit whenever the opportunity came. As they marched in gymnastic costume, in perfect swing and unison of step to the captivating strains of the pipe music to take up their allotted positions at the starting point it was a singularly charming spectacle. Not a few of the competitors felt the inspiration of the familiar Highland reels, and gave vent to their itch of foot by indulging in brief spells of a dance. To the thinking spectator there came a pang of intense regret to know of a certainty that so many splendid specimens of athletic manhood would ere many weeks were over have to face the terrible scenes of havoc and bloodshed which are being enacted on the plains of Flanders. The arrangements of the committee in charge were admirable. There was ample convenience for so many competitors dressing and preparing for the race, several large tents having been erected, while the course was well mapped out with flags. The start was given by Colonel Peterkin, and though at the finish there was great excitement and some crushing ample room was allowed to the runners to reach the goal.

The presentation of prizes by Colonel Peterkin in the evening in the Corn Exchange along with tea to the competitors was a scene of much enthusiasm and good hearted fellowship. The memory of the great race, and the stir and bustle it created in the streets will be pleasantly remembered by all the citizens, and the only feeling of regret is that so poor a response was made to the recruiting efforts at so imposing a military display.

 

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