December 31st 1914 - End of Year Update........ So 1914 closes, war is not over as many suspected it would. Over one million men are now in training at camps all over Great Britain – Kitcheners army. There is no conscription, if you dont want to fight you dont have too, but you face the hazard of snaggardly old women handing you a feather. The Empire is mobilised, every corner has sent men to fight. Politicians believe that Germany cannot now possibly win, it is already stretched beyond capacity and food is getting scarce. Great Britain is still the land of plenty, and supplies are coming from all over the globe, our Navy has largely secured most of the main transport routes although submarines are a growing threat. The rich still buy luxury goods, but their world is changing fast, shares are down, dividends unpaid, many, like Lady Maud, are living on their reserves. It is still possible to go abroad for your holidays, and that includes, unbelievably, the south of France. Entrepreneurs have started tours of the front line, you can buy a ticket for forty guineas, it is a circuitous route but possible. Many of the rich send servants for their boys and rent apartments in Paris for relaxation when out of the line. For the working class things have changed as well, wages are high, they have to be to attract the workers that remain. Already men from Ireland are once again taking advantage, many of the mines have large Irish contingents. Belgians are also working there in large numbers. The womans suffragette movement has ceased hostilities for the duration, much to the relief of the Police and the Politicians. The war has given them what they want anyway, sorters at the mines now earn more than the men did before the war, they are more skilful. Women are also manning trams, as we know if you have been following the story, and they are also enlisted in the municipal Fire Brigades, Police, Post Office and in heavy industry. Older ladies have formed societies to knit, make bandages and ferry the wounded, as you will learn in the next month; Buxom Mrs German, despite her unfortunate name, is a key part of this. Life on the farms is the hardest, there is simply not enough labour, the government is about to wake up to this problem and will pass a bill in the next few days- read on to find out about the solution. War in the east is terrible, far worse than that facing the western allies, Austria, Hungary and Germany face a tenacious Russia through one of the coldest winters possible. The weather defeated Napoleon and it looks like the Kaiser is going to suffer the same – it is a lesson Germany should learn because it will make the same mistake once more before the end of the century. In Normanton le Heath, Fanny is still teaching, her weekly updates awaited by the children, as they do the marvellous maps in the grocers window in Heather. George Dakin is getting on with his tractor much better now and has just taken the first load of muck to the orchard (see book one). Molly tearfully said goodbye to Arthur who is now back with his battalion at Sawbridgeworth. The miners of the village are still working although some of them are about to enlist for a specialised brigade, more on this shortly. Edward Rawdon Hastings has joined the Black Watch regiment leaving Elizabeth at Netley Military Hospital. It will be some time before he is in her arms again. Paulyn Rawdon Hastings is in Sawbridgeworth preparing a course for a challenge set the officers, he is happy in his work, he seems suited to the life of an officer and is respected by the men as being fair and forthright. This is tomorrows story. Colin, Dirk and Dick of the Royal Navy Special Service are in London, their war will begin again soon. Colin and Maggies relationship is still fraught, distance not a good friend to them. Life at Measham Hall carries on much as it has done for years, no one has left for the war just yet and will not for the foreseeable future, it is sufficiently far away for the men to avoid the feathers, provided they stay close. The first battalion is out of the line still, it is close but has not been in the trenches for nearly a month. The second battalion is also out of the line and only just recovering, men from England will leave the Midland Bus Station on coaches (near the Cathedral) on the 2nd January, enough to rebuild the battalion. Their Indian companions have been devastated by their first months of fighting. Wounded men first arriving at Brightons Royal Pavilion and now many are in Leicesters hospitals. The Indian army will recover and be back fighting in the spring. The Leicester yeomanry have said goodbye to their horses, they are in stables along with over five thousand other cavalry mounts, waiting for the spring. The men on the other hand are today marching north towards Givenchy and a tour of duty on the line. Lets hope 1915 is a better year..... Happy New Year - Author. .
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 10:01:45 +0000