Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
unsuccessful, for the girl also wanted me but was under the impression
that I was not available. I need not tell you how it ultimately panned
out alright or how since June, we have been the happiest people in the
world. I am feeling greatly bucked this week - for over the week end I
have been with her in Llandudno and Shrewsbury. Geology did not come
in for much attention!
Although he does not mention her by name, it seems very
likely that this was the girl he married two years later. After the
wedding the couple went to live in Chelsea so Arthur could con-
tinue his research, and exactly three weeks later, on Tuesday 4th
August, war was declared.
In the early hours of the following day 600 Grenadier Guards
took possession of the geology department at Imperial College
(the Royal College of Science had been renamed Imperial
College in 1910) and were billeted in all the rooms and labora-
tories. When Holmes arrived in the morning he had to step over
sleeping soldiers lying in the corridors or propped up on the
floor alongside cabinets and cases. Others were eating their
morning rations using the tops of museum cases as tables.
These cases were fitted with drawers filled with important teach-
ing and research collections of minerals and fossils, all carefully
labelled. Irreverently the soldiers deposited the remains of their
rations into these draws and over time scraps of bread, meat and
cheese gradually accumulated. Inevitably this attracted a large
population of mice who indiscriminately ate the labels from the
specimens along with the scraps. Much information was lost
and the value of the collection as a teaching aid was enormously
reduced, but it was a minor problem in the scale of this terrible
war.
Almost at once the Imperial College authorities issued a
notice that students would be granted leave of absence for the
period of the war. They would be permitted to resume their
studies at the point of interruption, the remaining portion of
their fees being credited to them when they re-attended.
Members of sta¬ were also given leave of absence, their posts
