The last journal entry was on May 6th, 1915. I wondered what occurred to alter Fred’s routine of recording his daily experiences; perhaps the answer might be among his numerous military documents. They may contain bits of information necessary for reassembling the century old puzzle.
After May 6th, the first recorded event impacting Fred was his field promotion to 2nd Lieutenant, which took place on August 21st, 1915. Although significant, it does not reveal what happened during the three months between his last entry and his promotion; questions without answers remain.
Within the box of documents, I found and opened Fred’s “Officer’s Record of Services – Army book 439”. Studying its contents, I found a notation on the pages titled, “Service”, stating he left France on September 1, 1915 and returned to England. Under the column marked “At Home”, he had written, (AA[1] Drilling), September 2, 1915 to November 27, 1917. (Figure 10)[2] This notation disclosed complexities within his simple statement “AA drilling”, which were previously undiscerned. Reviewing other military communiqués, I discovered that the Royal Field Artillery sent Fred to the Mersey Defence District on May 13, 1916. He was to perform inspections on the Anti-Aircraft Gun Detachments in Liverpool. (Figure 11[3])
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