The Martians Seize London
Absolute #chaos in the streets of #London
Started a breakfast handover.
We station more guides to keep the refugees moving through the tunnels.
Brown has got hold of thousands of Union Jack Flags that would have been used for the Diamond Jubilee. We can use them to indicate safe passages and to wave refugees through.
The Birmingham Illustrated News’ headlines for today: “Martians seize London. Tripods seen in Highgate.”
The Chronicle brings out its last newspaper, a single-sheet display-insert.
With half the government now gathered at Birmingham, the Government orders the military to hold the Martians to the south of the newly established #Gascoyne-Cecil-Line, named after the then PM who drew the line on a map following the GWR’s mainline from London to Bristol.
Recognising the importance of Swindon to the national rail network, the CinC Field Marshal Wolseley moves to reinforce Swindon, Didcot and other towns along ‘the Line’, and orders enormous quantities of high explosives to be prepared to be used in automatic mines across the Midland counties.
From the log of HMS Thunder Child, 09 June 1897 10:40 GMT
Captain Allenby and Lt Commander Carver summoned to meet with C in C Channel Squadron Admiral Sir Walter Kerr on HMS Majestic.
Sir J Dullanty – whose Scottish estate (Rotch Wood) abutted Balmoral, was a chemist, engineer, inventor, and philanthropist. The Dullenty family often visited when the Queen when she was in residence. The Queen in fact serving as the god-mother to his youngest son. Dullanty had a large laboratory and had often communicated with Alfred Nobel before Nobel’s death in 1896.
Sir J Dullanty found himself driven to invent the first gas mask against black dust, as a result of communications from his son. Initially a simple hessian sack with glass goggles, the hood placed over the head and tied at the neck had to be kept wet. Recognising its many failings, a mask with an external box respirator with a built in trickle feed was issued within 17 days (22nd June).
Unfortunately, we have been unable to discover any records detailing the agreement to centralise information facilities at Rotch Wood. Sir J Dullanty was in Scotland on the 6th, but as a close confident of the Queen, and a personal friend of the then Secretary of State for War, it is possible that the decision was one taken between the Queen and the Secretary of State.
Churchill, in his ‘Hidden Histories’ later suggested that it may have due to the fact that #RotchWood was some considerable distance from the Martians, had a private telegraph line, and large laboratory, and abutting Balmoral #RotchWood’s location adjacent to Balmoral gave it easy access to the train network, and the protection of those units of the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards and the Welsh Guards emplaced around Balmoral.
Unfortunately, given the amount of secrecy that subsequently surrounded the #RotchWood establishment it is unlikely we will ever find out.
It is believed that this photograph taken at Glenquoich in 1905 of King Edward VII may be the only photograph we have of the 1st Earl RotchWood. The Earl being the 3rd from the left.
From the personal journal of Hiram Maxim, Inventor:
I have returned from my week’s reconnaissance of the Martian pits and works near Woking. Nothing human lives in that blighted town. It is a forest of blackened walls without roofs. Tangles of red weed run riot in what were once lush green gardens.
My survey confirms that the Martians have driven out all humanity from a three-mile radius around their initial landing site in Woking. No reminder of humanity remains, save for the shadow of a mother embracing her child, permanently etched on a wall by the Heat Ray.
I crept to a point within one hundred yards of the Martian pit on Horsell Common. I could see the tower of adamantine metal, taller even than the tower raised by Monsieur Eiffel in Paris. It crackles with a blueish glow.
I have developed a theory regarding the purpose of the Martian tower at Woking. By the initial pattern of fall of the enemy cylinders, I believe the tower to be broadcasting a powerful wireless beacon used to guide incoming Martian craft for their landings.
As I draw closer to the tower, I feel a most curious effect: which I can describe as the feeling of pins and needles running up and down the length of my body. Was this strange energy being generated by the tower? This cannot be just the beacon; I believe there is more here.
With the first phase of the enemy’s operations concluded, it is clear from the patrolling war machines that the Martians view the tower as critical to their continued success here on Earth. I believe there is a second, yet undiscovered but more important reason behind the tower. I now view the tower’s destruction as critical to the survival of humanity.
One day, I witnessed a group of soldiers plus a few armed civilians, try to storm the Martian pit by surprise. I watched as they crept by me, within a few feet of my own hide, rose to charge the position, and were slaughtered to a man by the Heat Ray. I vowed my own attempt would succeed.