Monday 12 November 2018

30 October 2018

Louis and all three of his brothers survived the war. A WW1 commemorative plaque that used to hang in Broughty Ferry Church includes all four brothers:
Louis's medal roll card and medals are shown below:
The three medals are the standard campaign medals. Above from left to right Victory medal, 1914/15 star and British War medal.

Louis also received the following medal whose inscription is clear:

Although Louis and his brothers survived, a number of his friends , also tea planters in Ceylon, were killed. In 1912 Louis spent Xmas eve with Footner, Huntly, Cooper, Morland and Brown. As recorded in Louis's diaries, Footner, Morland and Brown all died. Separately as noted in his diaries, Louis wrote dozens of letters to Beath during his years of service. Beath signed up in 1917, surviving the war but later being killed on service in India in 1919 during the 3rd Anglo Afghan war; his name remains inscribed on the Delhi India Gate.

Louis lived permanently in Ceylon as a planter for the rest of his life. He spent most leave periods (furloughs) in the UK visiting the family in Broughty Ferry-and playing golf at Carnoustie. He settled with a Ceylonese lady and they had a number of children who themselves settled in Ceylon, Australia and the UK where his many grandchildren now reside today.

Raymond kept the nursery at Broughty Ferry until he died in 1949. Louis, Walter and Norman all died within a few years of each other about 12 years later. Norman lived in England while Walter retired to England having himself been a planter in Ceylon. They continued to write to each other frequently throughout their lives- none but the very latest letters survive.

Louis died in Ceylon in 1962.

Louis's wife



Louis in later years


Louis shortly before he died, with two of his children and five of his grandchildren.

Sunday 11 November 2018

11 November 1918
On 11 November 1918 Louis, having been back in Ceylon for over a year,  records the signing of the armistice. Louis probably only heard on 19 November.

Tuesday 30 October 2018

10 May 1917
L'Pool St 11.25 to Royal Albert Docks. Embarked P&O (BI) Karagola at Royal Albert Dock for Bombay and sailed at 2pm. Walter saw me off.

So after 2 1/2 years Louis leaves the UK bound for Ceylon. His war experiences do not end here though.

On 12 May as the ship was leaving Torbay Louis recorded that he saw a lifeboat passing going to or coming from a ship that had been sunk close to them .This was most likely The Galicia that was torpedoed off Teignmouth on that day. There were no casualties.

Louis continued his journey and his diary entries throughout the voyage as the ship passed by Gibraltar, Marseilles and then down the coast of Italy to Malta.

Amazingly the history of the Karagola records that on 19 May as the ship was 240 miles out of Gibraltar she drove off U47 with her stern gun. Louis has no record of this is his diary!

A fortnight later between Malta and Port Said , she sighted another periscope 'from which she quickly distanced herself without having to open fire.

Whether Louis saw the periscope or not is uncertain. However Louis does record the event - and comments that it put 'the wind up'!

After Port Said the ship sailed through the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea stopping at Aden, before reaching Bombay on 16 June.

Louis finally reached Colombo on 21 June 1917.    
6-9 May 1917
Had tea at Guilds.
Called on Chick ( Marshall)
Dentist
Left Dundee 7.19 for London & Colombo.
Arrived London 8.30.??Called on H&C. Saw Croll and Thompson.Met Walter and Jas Kemp.
Spent evening with Merry.

Another visit to the dentist ahead of the trip to London and the on to Colombo.

29 April-5 May 1917
Spent day in house-chill.
Sent off baggage 26/- Insurance £2/15. saw Florence Smithson at Kings.
D with Bell in City.
P. Perth Road.
Sent extra £2/4- to P&O insurance.
Had tooth stopped-black. dentist.
Heard Medina sunk.
Met Hollingsworth in Dundee. At dentist again.
P McIntosh.
P Perth Road quills(?)
Went to Carnoustie afternoon.
Brown died of wounds. 

The Medina was built in Scotland 1911 as an ocean going liner. However it was commissioned into The Royal Navy as the Royal Yacht to take King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911. Following a refit in 1912 after this voyage she was delivered to P&O.  She was torpedoed off the Devon Coast on 28 April 1917. Given Louis was at this time clearly planning his return voyage to Ceylon with P&O he was understandably interested in this news.

Louis also records the death of Brown- another of the asst. managers who worked at Sapumalkande in 1914.
22-28 April 1917
Wrote P&O.
Went to Kings alone
Met Nina Pearson
Perth Road
Car with Ellis
Met Bell evening
With Bell in City.
21 April 1917
Perth Rd (Jessie 9 ???
With Bell.
Read:
The House of Quiet -AC Benson

Not one of Louis's usual book choices. AC Benson was a poet, essayist and academic. He wrote the words to the hymn Land of Hope and Glory. He was the son of the first Headmaster of Wellington College and became Master of Magdalene College Cambridg . The House of Quiet is an autobiography.