Harrogate Herald - 28th March 1917
W H Breare letter
This morning a very smart young fellow called in. he
was dressed in a sort of naval uniform, which I had not noticed
before. On his cap was the letter "M", and on his
shoulders a gold waved line. He turned out to be Wireless
Operator C Potts, son of Mr & Mrs H Potts, of
Mayfield Grove. You will remember him perhaps, when I tell you that
he worked before the war for Mr J R Ogden. He has been in London
making himself efficient as a Marconi operator. He was on three
days' leave, after which he has a fortnight in London, and then he
is off to sea. He is quite enthusiastic about his Marconi work,
which he finds most engrossing. I sincerely hope good luck will
attend him, on the briny particularly. He is in good spirits, and
looking forward to his life on the ocean wave with much pleasurable
anticipation.
Harrogate Herald - 18th April 1917
Letters
C Potts writes from the YMCA, Tottenham Court
Road : I am in the pink except for a bit of headache, but what else
can one expect when you are pondering over diagrams, books, buzzers,
telephones, and about a dozen more things for 9.5 hours a day. In my
last letter I told you that I expected being sent to sea, but
unfortunately it has been cancelled, and we have to go in for
another exam called the 1st Class Postmaster General's Certificate,
so that means about another eight weeks' training. I call it jolly
hard lines because I wanted to be on the briny chasing "old
Fritz" and his submarines. Never mind, my chance will come some
day before this war is over. A week last Wednesday I was standing
outside the YM, when I saw a medium-sized fellow coming out. I said
to myself, "I seem to know that fellow somehow", so I went
up to him and spoke, and it turned out to be D Smith, 2nd air
mechanic in the RFC, stationed at the Polytechnic in Regent Street,
and is down here for seven weeks. We had a good old chat about the
"best place in the world" (you know - Harrogate). Before
he enlisted he was with Snow and Ashworth's, the jewellers on
Cambridge Crescent. [1916 Street Directory shows it as Robert
Ashworth & Co Ltd, goldsmiths (managing director R Ashworth :
Residence - 16 Carlton Road)] I have no jokes this time, but I had
an argument with a fellow about which was the best place for a
holiday. Of course I said Harrogate, and he admitted it was a fine
place, so in the end he was like the fellow who fell out of the
balloon - he wasn't in it. Wishing your paper every success.
Harrogate Herald - 14th November 1917
W H Breare letter
I have not seen Wireless Officer C Potts, son
of Mr & Mrs H Potts, since Easter. He looked in on
Saturday whilst home on only three days leave. He has been at sea
all the time and in perfect health. He is immensely pleased with his
work, and his bearing is that of a man of geniality, good humour and
determination. He has been on long voyages, and on one occasion
whilst in Canada met a Harrogate lady named Mrs Fred Smith, deriving
much pleasure from the meeting. It brought him so near home. He had
missed his Herald very much, but then he was unable to give me an
address, so we could not follow him. We hope to be in better touch
with him in the future.
Harrogate Herald - 12th December 1917
W H Breare letter
I have spoken to you of Wireless Operator Cecil
Potts, who came in to see me not so very long ago. I do not
think I have told you that he is at home now suffering from shell
shock. After he called to see me he went to sea again, was
torpedoed, and lost all his belongings. I saw him the other day, and
was glad to find that he is recovering.
Harrogate Herald - 16th January 1918
War Notes
Wireless Officer C Potts, whose ship, it will be
remembered, was torpedoed, has gone to sea again, but opines that if
their cargo is the same as he anticipates there will be no
torpedoing this time.
