Becoming T. Branson Notes

Thank you all for so many words of encouragement on the stories I have written. I am adding a notes page to this story to answer the many historical questions. This is one of my most heavily researched stories and many of the points are there for a reason. Hope you enjoy and can't wait for next season of DA.

Chapter One

Out here in the real world, editors of smaller papers and magazines are always looking for new story ideas and new writers. Professional writers cite their work, or include a separate sheet with all sources to the editor of a publication. It is part of due process. All professional publications have submission guidelines.

Trading work for goods was not uncommon in 1915. There was a labor shortage at the time and mechanics would have been in high demand. The military was in the early stages of mechanization and would have taken any able-bodied man they could find with prior knowledge to service the military vehicles.

Chapter Two

The Corona 3 was produced in the United States and sold for fifty dollars US when it was introduced in 1912. It weighed six and three quarter pounds. The carriage folded in making the machine lightweight, portable and relatively inexpensive. The machine was the preferred typewriter for most correspondents until well into the 1940's. Many of the journalists who attended the Nuremburg Trials would have used a Corona 3 to submit their stories.

Suet cakes are scones made with grated beef tallow rather than shortening. They are an old fashioned English food and definitely were something consumed in Yorkshire. I don't know about the rest of the country. The way I have had them was with gravy or with a stew. They are super rich.

Prejudice is mentioned in this piece, as there was a great deal of anti Irish sentiment in Great Britain at the time. There were also lots of people who didn't buy into it. There are all kinds of academic articles available on the topic.

The type of publications I am describing in his early work would have paid a very nominal fee for the stories. This is typical for anyone entering journalism and building a portfolio.

Chapter 3

Large estates especially in the early days of power had their own generator plants. The stationary engineer was one of the most respected positions on an estate and paid really, really well and usually came with a nice house and a car. There was no public power in those days. It was generate your own or do without. If the stationary engineers were out of commission it follows you would need someone with mechanical aptitude to do the job. If you have ever worked on a large generator it is a heavy, greasy job.

On many estates chauffeurs were supplied an inexpensive car for errands and were free to use it for personal trips. In DA they don't have that perk but saving the day with the electricity, which also means the power to run the running water pumps and a host of other things would have been massively appreciated. The pay would have been high for an engineer so stepping in would get you a massive bonus.

A sailor on shore leave bringing home a can of maple syrup would have been a massive treat and occasion for a small party.

Chapter 4

Food was in short supply in the UK during WWI and a basket of apples would have been a normal Christmas gift at the time, if you could get ahold of them. Estates had large orchards and staff was often allowed to pick fruit for their own use.

Conscientious objectors were sent to prison and often beaten and dehumanized. There is very good section on this in the Masterpiece Drama Foyle's War set in WWII.

The battle of the Somme did in fact wipe out entire villages. In the Great War men were kept together with others from their hometowns as it was felt it built greater camaraderie among the troops. There was a great deal of ineptitude among the officers as they often bought their commissions or were granted authority by birthright rather than on knowledge or merit. The results were a redefinition of how things were run in the military post WWI.

Chapter 5

In early WWI many of the troops were issued obsolete rifles that misfired or were difficult to load. There are many historical documents on this.

Chapter 6

Fuel was in fact strictly rationed and more would have been done on each trip into town. The chauffeur who was also a chief errand boy of sorts would have had a lot do on each trip.

The plight of merchant sailors not receiving compensation and working in deplorable conditions is true. There are many books on the subject and a great deal of historical information. In Canada the merchant sailors who served during the world wars were not recognized as veterans until recently.