Alfred George Richardson’s Diary Mar 1915
1915 diary shows Bombardier Gunner (Signalling Dept) A. G. Richardson 4th Section, West Riding Divisional Ammunition Column R.F.A., Norfolk Barracks Sheffield.
Home Address:- Station House, Ben Rhydding near Leeds. Yorks.
Doncaster.
Monday 1st March 1915: Reveille 6 am. Packed Kits & left for Doncaster 9-45. Arrived 10.30. Gun Drill in afternoon under Sergt Maj. Cotton. Went to “Palace” at night.
Tuesday 2nd March 1915: Stables 6.30. Breakfast 8 am. Exercising horses in morning & Gun Drill in afternoon. Grand Theatre at night “Tommy Atkins”.
Wednesday 3rd March 1915: Stables 6.30. Gun Drill in Gun Park in morning. Stables 11.30. Afternoon holiday. Had a rest in billets. Out with Arnold at night.
Thursday 4th March 1915: Gun Drill both morning & afternoon. Stables 6.30, 11.30 4.30.
Friday 5th March 1915: Gun Drill both morning & afternoon. Went down to Rly Docks & practiced entraining horses & guns. Hard work. 11th Batt beat 10th by 7 mins.
Saturday 6th March 1915: Gun Drill in morning. Had my photo (together with Arnold) taken in town. Stables 3.15. Picture House Café at night with AGR, Arthur. King, Watkinson, Stockdale, Roberts & Ralph.
Sunday 7th March 1915: Stables 7 am. Church Parade 9.30 am. Afternoon spent reading & writing. Out in town at night with Arnold.
Monday 8th March 1915: Gun Drill morning & afternoon. Out with Arnold at night. Picture House Café.
Tuesday 9th March 1915: Gun Drill morning & afternoon. Arnold goes home on 4 days leave. Lucky Beggar!! Out on night manoeuvres from 6-12 pm. Trenching.
Wednesday 10th March 1915: Gun Drill morning & afternoon. Out with Tommy Butler at night.
Thursday 11th March 1915: Stables 7 am. Gun Drill morning & afternoon. Stayed in at night because was “stony broke”.
Friday 12th March 1915: Stables 6.30. Rifle Drill in morning & afternoon under Sergt Barker. Went to “Grand” Theatre.
Saturday 13th March 1915: Stables 6.30 pm. Rifle Drill in morning. Out in afternoon with Corp Wilf Dawson & at Picture House at night. Arnold returned Sat midnight after ripping 4 days at home.
Sheffield.
Sunday 14th March 1915: Church Parade 9.30 am at Wheatly Church. Resting during rest of day. Out with Arnold.
Monday 15th March 1915: Rifle Drill all morning and afternoon. Out at night with Tommy Butler.
Tuesday 16th March 1915: Rifle Drill under Sergt Spence. Out on night manoeuvres from 7 – 12 pm, digging trenches round guns.
Wednesday 17th March 1915: Left Doncaster at 9.56 am for Sheffield where we arrived 11 am. On Gate Guard 2pm – 6 pm. Stables Picket at 6 pm.
Thursday 18th March 1915: Stable Picket at Glossop Rd. Monotonous job. Rose at 4.20 am & had stables thoroughly cleaned by 6.15. Nothing special happened.
Friday 19th March 1915: Gate Guard. Rose at 5.20 am. Reveille 6. Baths in morning 9.10. Received large parcel from home.
Saturday 20th March 1915: Stable Picket. Rose at 4.55 am. Received pcl from Miss Whitaker. Gate Picket at night.
Sunday 21st March 1915: Gate Picket. Boy Scouts meeting in Barracks. 1st night off since leaving Doncaster.
Monday 22nd March 1915: G.O.C. R.A. inspects Column, Billets & Stables. Exercising horses in afternoon. Stable Picket at 6.
Tuesday 23rd March 1915: Stable Picket. Whitewashed stables. Took all day. Dead tired. Gate Picket at 6 pm.
Wednesday 24th March 1915: Gate Picket. Nothing happened out of ordinary. Night off at last!!!! Cinema House Café with T.O.B. & Groth.
Thursday 25th March 1915: Exercising horses. Rifle shooting at Mid. Rly. Sheff. Club. Stable Picket at night.
Friday 26th March 1915: Exercising horses in morning. X Under arrest & brought before Lieut Fairburn. Let off. Lecture on Map reading 5 – 7.30.
Saturday 27th March 1915: Exercising horses in morning. Lecture 12 – 1. Stables 3.45 – 5. Gate Picket 6 pm.
X N.B. Sergt Maj. Cavanagh & Sergt Hird reported me for supposed “neglect of duty” viz: – Not giving reveille till 6.10 am on Thurs morning. Absolute lie. Hence verdict & 4days leave.
Ben Rhydding – Scarboro.
Sunday 28th March 1915: Gate Picket with Forster, Butler & Lupton. Reading all day with Billy Groth, who has returned from Hospital.
Monday 29th March 1915: Stable Picket relieving Br. Smith in morning. Rifle Range in afternoon. Passed 1st & 2nd tests. Came home on 4 days leave. Left Sheff 7.5 Ben R 10.26 pm.
Tuesday 30th March 1915: Went to I.G.S. & saw G****. Sang School Holiday Hymn & was given 3 cheers by scholars. Pleasant morning. Played golf with Dad & Miss Whitaker.
Wednesday 31st March 1915: Went to Scarboro’ for the day. Left Ben R 7.38 arrived Scarboro’ 11.14. Saw Grandma & Auntie. Saw effects of German Bombardment of Dec 16 1914. Rough Sea. Ripping day. Left 5.55. Home 9 PM.
The Bay Museum & Research Facility 