Very dirty weather. Went splicing. (?) Heavy seas washing over ship in afternoon and two or three feet of water on Mess Deck. Closed up at gun from 6/30 expected something doing but as usual nothing happened. Very hard day. Had last dog Watch.
December 26th (1)
December 26th 1914
I first thought it was ‘Were experiencing heavy seas washing over ship in…, etc’ but there’s a full stop after the g so the ‘Heavy seas washing over ship in…’ is a full line.
I then thought the first word was ‘Wore’ … but having asked the committee here, the consensus is ‘Were splicing’ as in ‘We’re splicing.’ and the hyphen from we’re is just under the 4 in the date.
However, given time to ruminate on it, I now think its ‘Wire Splicing.’
I’m confused! Hahaha. I don’t see the first photo of the 26th on the site. It’s there now, I just added it, but I wondered how you can see it but I can’t! Anyway, splicing is clear, that’s for sure. As for ‘we’re’ or ‘wire’, it’s hard to say. There is an apostrophe under the 4, as you say but that could be the dot over the i in wire. I’d go with you on wire splicing. Thanks!
I think Frank is a ‘seaman gunner’ so wire and rope splicing would be in his line of work.
Look back to Aug 23rd and the ‘We’ of ‘Went’ and compare it to the Aug 24th and the ‘Wi’ of ‘Willows’. It could be either, couldn’t it?
So you have to think what he’d write to remind himself in his later years: would he write ‘We’re splicing or ‘Wire splicing.’ to recall that day? I think the latter makes more sense.
I agree. I guess part of the point of a diary is to fill the pages with what filled the days. Back then it would have seemed old hat but later on, I think it would be important for Frank and us to know what he did in his ‘routine’. There are some interesting entries coming up between now and the 15th (that’s as far as I’ve gotten so far). Maybe you will be able to explain the significance of the RNVR. There seems to be a distinction, for better or worse, that comes up in a bit.
Happy New Year, Paul, and to all regular readers.