Archive for the ‘1912’ Category

‘The more our young people of today get to know of the nature of that world disaster, the less will they be eager to welcome or take part in any other international conflict’.

Posted: June 25, 2012 in 1912, 1914, World War
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‘The more our young people of today get to know of the nature of that world disaster, the less will they be eager to welcome or take part in any other international conflict’. Hammerton (1936)

The unknown war against Serbia in 1912 that set the scene for 1914. Come 1914 what do we know of the Battles of Shabatz and Jadar?

QQ Why should war have rules? It isn’t a game. The attitude to the wounded, especially towards the enemy, is bizarre, where the desire to kill becomes a wish to save.

Yet atrocities against Serbia were condoned.

By the end of August 1914 300,000 Austro–Hungarians who had crossed the Drina and Save Rivers, not more than 200,000 returned; it was estimated that 324 officers and 41,215 men were taken prisoners, while the casualties in killed and wounded amounted to approximately 60,000 men.

Hammerton, J (1936) World War

 

An arm torn off in the corn crusher – North Eastern Brewery 1912

Posted: July 9, 2011 in 1912, Consett, North Eastern Brewery, Royal Hotel
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I remember the Forman Joiner, Jack Walton, getting his arm torn off in a crusher

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Down the lane from the Royal Hotel there were the stables and the joinery. They had slats of mahogany used for wood storage. They made their own furniture.

Walton was a Cockney – he always had to be right.

This corn crusher had a steel roll and you put the corn in at the top and caught it out the bottom. It was driven by a belt from the pop factory. It got choked and Paddy Rafferty went to fetch Walton. Paddy was an Irish Labourer. He lived at 21 John Street.

Walton got on an empty crate, propped it up to stand on so he could take a look to see what was blocking the crusher and the crate collapsed. His arm went straight through. He was left hanging there by his arm. They had to dismantle the crusher to get him out, the muscles were all torn.

They took him down to the infirmary where they amputated the arm. 

To get some sense of what it was like a hundred years ago I turn to books such as this.


From First World War

The other thing to do is to rent a holiday cottage with no electricity, an outside low and a peat fire.

I found a two room cottage in Donegal that took me back at least 100 years!

Gustav Hamel – Aviator & Aeronaut 1912

Posted: July 9, 2011 in 1912, Gustav Hamel
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In 1912, my Uncle Billy Steel from Penrith took me to see Gustav Hamel giving a flying exhibition at Carlisle Racecourse.

We went over by train from Newcastle and got a bus from Brampton. You paid half a crown to get in. That would be about from £5.50 in today’s money.

Gustav flew a Bleriot Monoplane.

It was fitted with a 50hp Gnome Engine. For six pence you could enter the flying enclosure where the planes were grounded. They were held down with ropes in case they were flipped over by the wind; they were flimsy affairs, just string and paper. More like a kite.

This Monoplane could attain a speed of 65mph. Gustav crossed the Channel eleven times, which didn’t count for much if you weren’t the first, but he was the first over with a lady passenger. He also held the record for flying to a height of 11,500 feet.

I remember him arriving in a chain-driven red two-seater Mercedes sports car.

There was a girl in the front seat waving a hat; that was his youngest sister Annie I believe.

He put his flying gear on, clambered into this Monoplane and went up. He did one circle and down. That was it the first time. There was a near riot. But it the wind was getting up and he understood the risks. It was a couple of hours more before he risked his arm again. This second time he banked the machine, did vol-planes and pan-cake descents which everyone thought was a mistake … it was extremely thrilling.

That’s how Billy and me got the bug.

We bought these model planes as well left and flew them down the bank at the Spa.

They thought he was a spy for the Germans.

He was eventually lost over the North Sea.

Tuesday 24th December, Christmas Eve 1912

Posted: December 24, 1912 in 1912
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Benfieldside

Jack walks down from Consett to Benfieldside with his mate Steve Barron. Its been a busy day as poor weather has delayed some order making it to the various pubs of the Northeastern Brewery.  For much of the morning Jack sat by the phone taking calls and relaying messages to the office. He’s 14 and a half, he’s been at the Royal Hotel since August. He lives at home with his father, the Chauffeur and general factotum to JGMurray at Benfieldside House and his mother and his younger brothers Billy 12, and Spencer 7.

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