Walter Draycott’s Great War Chronicle
North Vancouver Museum & Archives
Rain all morning. No work
I leave early for Burnaby & arrive at Ruth’s at 12 noon. At 12:25 noon to Wagstaffe’s. Mrs Wagstaffe is ill with grippe. I to Mrs Wagstaffe’s with Mabel & to theatre also. Back home at 6 pm.
No change in the position of the Germans.
Stayed all night at Wagstaffe’s
*Grippe – Influenza
Heavy rain all day
No work
Our men are fighting in rainstorms & in trenches half full of water. The Germans are still holding our Allies at bay. I send $4.50 to Sir [Hiram’s] Laboratory.
To a meeting of the North Vancouver Home Guard at Larson’s] Pavilion. I spoke twice regarding Lynn Valley Company. I get my family tree from Ruth & bring it home to Lynn Valley.
*possibly Sir Hiram Maxim, inventor of the Maxim gun.
Raining all day
No work
Germans have retreated to the Vosges Mountains & their front extends 150 miles
They have over 1 ½ million men in the field. Their losses have been enormous. Our total losses are 15,000 killed, wounded & missing
At work on Keith Road School.
Sir Henniker-Heaton dies in Switzerland “Father of Penny Post”
British Troops in France push back the Germans 25 miles
60,000 Indian Native troops arrive in France.
I go to Ratepayers meeting at 8:15 pm.
Have confidential chat with John Neat till 10:45 pm
*Sir Henniker-Heaton – A journalist as well as a reformer for the Australian and British empires postal system. He campaigned for cheaper postal and telegram charges. Heaton felt that cheaper postage would help keep the empire together as he felt nationalism in Australia was threatening to sever ties with Britain.
*The Indian Expeditionary Force A – Under the command of General Sir James Willcocks, Infantry and Calvary from India were sent into France during September 1914 to fight on the western front. They were ill equipped and not properly trained with their weapons. Due to this they relied on support from other corps while fighting on the front lines.
Charles goes to North Vancouver 1 pm. Back at 5 pm
I have had attack of hay fever.
The German advance is halted & forced to retire 10 miles. The Austrians are being very badly beaten. Their losses are enormous.
The Germans are 30 miles from Paris.
Charles & me go to Vancouver Exhibition, at 2:50 pm & stay till 7 pm. Well worth seeing & many varieties.
Working on Keith Road School in morning.
*The Battle of the Marne- Beginning on Sept 5th 1914 the German army was stopped just outside of Paris by French and British forces. The German troops were unable to continue their push into Paris and both sides started to dig in, leading into drawn out trench warfare on the western front.
Working on Keith Road School. Receive letter from Mrs. Graham.
British troops are now engaged fighting the Germans at Namur Belgium & have heavy losses. The French also lose heavily. The Austrians lose 15,000 killed & 30,000 wounded in one battle.
At Neat’s during the evening.
At work on Keith Rd. School
Germans pile up their dead in stacks of 30 at Liege (Belgium) then set fire to them.
Germans lose a submarine, sunk by the English Battleship, Birmingham
Also a destroyer sunk by their own mine.
Raining heavily
Write letters to Mr. George Draycott of Leicester & Harry my Brother.
50,000 British troops land on Belgian and French soil to fight the Germans who are attacking Liege (Belgium)
Battle of Liege
* Battle of Liège – The first battle of WWI and the start of the German invasion into Belgium; the battle lasted until the 16th of August.
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