The Wallace High School was last week presented with copies of a recently published First World War diary, “Six to a Loaf”. Jule Woods, a member of the 20th Lancashire Regiment, kept a diary throughout the war years. His grandson Richard Donaldson explained, “I hope that my Grandfather’s Great War diaries will give future generations a glimpse of trench warfare from a world which has largely ceased to exist. “Ordinary” soldiers were strictly forbidden from keeping written records, so this book, “Six to a Loaf” is almost unique.
I would like to pay tribute to my father Ian Donaldson who spend several years sorting through Julius Woods” diaries. I know that Julius” two children, my mother Cathie Donaldson and my Uncle Dr Alex Woods, are particularly pleased to see their father’s work in print some ninety years after it was written and I hope that the pupils and staff of Wallace will enjoy reading about my grandfather’s experiences.”
Year 8 pupil Mathew Donaldson, great grandson of the diarist, read an extract from the book at the afternoon ceremony before his sister, Year 10 pupil Rachel, made the official presentation to Principal Mrs Anne McBride.
Head of History and Politics at Wallace, Dr Carol Fulton, commented, “Wallace is very privileged to have received this book. The insight this book gives into the daily life of an ordinary serving man in the trenches is invaluable. The diary was kept from 1914 until 1918 and is a record of survival. It is clear from reading it that the men in the trenches suffered long stretches of boredom when the focus was on keeping clean and trying to make the best of bad food. This boredom was brutally interrupted by nerve – crunching periods of enemy bombardment, trying desperately to hold your line or attacking. This diary will be an amazing resource for the History Department.”
Head of English Mr Fred Wray concluded, “This book has been very well received and was highly commended by the noted television historian Professor Richard Holmes. All at Wallace are delighted to receive this book and would like to thank the Donaldson family for their generosity.”
Last modified: February 24, 2016
