Busy sketching & forget all about Sunday. Enemy shell Poperinghe & Busseboom camp. Pt. Peart is wounded in eye when firing from parapet. My best chum.
A Zeppelin passes overhead making westward with much noise.
Monday 6 March 1916
I go to the store and say goodbye to all. Ada Southam is madly in love with me – we kiss. Miss Kidd gives me a royal send off at the station.
Arr. London at 12:15. To Waterloo to take 1:15 train for Gosport. Arr. at 4:30 PM in a snowstorm. Go straight to Ernests & find both at home. Zepps kill 12 people & 33 injured (5 Children 4 Women).
Wednesday 18 August 1915
Passionate letter from Starking No. 1 by express post. I sent kit bag to Harry my bro.
To Rifle range at 1:30. A march of 10 miles to fire 10 shots. I make good score. No mention of draft departures. A Zeppelin drops bombs on ASHFORD Canterbury Kent where I was stationed 3 weeks . 39 casualties.
*German Airship Raids – The Germans again attempted to bomb London on the 17th and 18th of August, sending four Zeppelins. Two had to turn back due to technical problems, one bombed Ashford, Kent mistaking it for Woolwich. Another reached London but still was unable to bomb London as it mistook the Lea Valley reservoirs for the Thames and dropped its bombs on Walthamstow and Leytonstone, killing 10 and injuring 48 people. The Zeppelin was able to get away but two weeks later the same airship was struck by lightning and caught fire killing the entire crew.
Monday 9 August 1915 – showers and sultry
L/c Vivian does not show up all day
Gave Vancouver papers to Soldier Club
To cinema house in evening by self unaccompanied.
Zeppelin over Shorncliffe and Folkestone.
*German Airship Raids – August 1915 saw a renewed effort in German airship raids on England. On August 9th and 10th four Zeppelins were sent to bomb London, none however were able to reach the intended target and one airship was taken down by British defences.
