TCD MS 10247/12/47 folio 5
Augt 7th 1914 Friday
Nice day. Mabel expected but wired at the last moment that she was prostrated by headache & could not come. Mrs Bayly looked in (in the victoria) in the morning, very unhappy about Charlie whose whereabouts she did not know but thought he would probably join his Enniskillen Fusiliers at Dover. She said that the mail boat was escorted by a torpedo boat. In the evening there was a letter from F.L.A.D. saying that Richard had joined H.M.S. Ocean which was to guard the trade routes but where not known. She also said she had seen Grey Alderson who was O.T.C. camping near Aldershot when on Monday they were all disbanded & the 1000s of boys left to find their way home. Grey arrived in London with 6d in his pocket but managed somehow to get home (to Yorkshire) where he arrived at 10 p.m. starving having had no money to buy food. In the evening V. & I went to see the Neales, Mrs N. much excited by seeing two policemen chasing a supposed German spy in the morning. Bank rate down to 6. Sad loss of the ‘Amphion’ owing to a mine. Eagar commenting to W.F.W. on the splendid Belgian stand said “were’nt they a great little nation, but it was only what was handed down by scripture” (presumably the text about the “battle” not always being “to the strong”) etc. Lord Kitchener appointed Secretary for War demands 500000 more men for Army.