RE vocabulary
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Now I need google translate to understand what kind of material those RE-men use to do their job: gable end, trusses, fascines, trestles, purlins, joists .... I feel like Bob the Builder 😉 But I can't find what Chalk Shoot is.
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ral104
moderator, scientist
Erik, this is a bit of a guess, I'm afraid, but judging by the context I would say it's a grade of chalk particle, i.e. a particular size suitable for laying down as a rough road surface.
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cyngast
moderator
This is just a guess, but I think there was a chute, rather than a "shoot," between the quarry and the road that ran for 45 feet and was covered or lined with chalk so the horses could keep their footing.
Nice handwriting this fellow has.
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ral104
moderator, scientist
And a good guess it is! I like his handwriting too. Copperplate, isn't it?
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cyngast
moderator
Is it copperplate? I thought copperplate had more curlicues and flourishes than this. It's hard to find anything on the web that isn't about the modern hobby of copperplate calligraphy, but I did find this http://www.niarchive.org/directory/uploads/8872c70b-e26a-47d5-8d9d-7c1180106d61/Copperplate_Victorian Handwriting.pdf It's aimed at children but a few pages down there are examples of copperplate. The handwriting on the postcard looks remarkably like that in any number of diaries I've tagged!
The handwriting on this diary page looks a lot like the way I was taught to write, with the exception of the uppercase letters. Funny though, he made his uppercase W the way I do now, but it's not the way I was taught!
Whatever type of script it is, it's neat and easy to read!
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ral104
moderator, scientist
Actually, the reason I thought it was copperplate is because it's also the way I was taught to write (which didn't take, btw - I can barely read my own handwriting!) and I was always told that was copperplate. But that was in south africa, so perhaps copperplate is a different thing there.
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Here are some example images of Beautiful Copperplate handwriting:
One image shows the different nibs for the fountain pens. PS The Romanian inventor Petrache Poenaru received a French patent on May 25, 1827 for the invention of the first fountain pen with a barrel made from a large swan quill.
PS. As you probably know: The first patent on a ballpoint pen was issued on October 30, 1888, to John J Loud. In 1938, László BÃró, a Hungarian newspaper editor, with the help of his brother George, a chemist, began to work on designing new types of pens including one with a tiny ball in its tip that was free to turn in a socket. Same link.
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Its a pleasure reading this diary (I hope it stays this way). The author must have been someone very meticulous, he even used a ruler to strikethrough "Intelligence summary" on top of each page.
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cyngast
moderator
in response to erik.schaubroeckscarlet.be's comment.
It's better he be meticulous with his writing than with his grid references! I've tagged a couple of engineer company diaries that included a grid reference for every spot where every section or team was working. Much worse even than artillery or machine gun diaries.
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cyngast
moderator
This what I thought copperplate looked like, when used by average people for practical reasons rather than hobbyists: Image AWD0003lcm Note the uppercase R in the heading above the chart and the P in the column heading about waiting for Parts. Or the D in the heading Returned to Duty.
These reports on the state of the vehicles of the supply column are written by either the OC Workshops, Capt. Osler, or possibly the Lt. & QM Woolhams. Unfortunately, the author of the main diary pages, who I think is the CO Major Murphy, does not have such beautiful handwriting.
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