Wednesday Nov. 1, 1916

Sea getting calmer but wind freshens toward evening.

"Gyp the Blood" joins in the Physical drill. His antics are a scream.

Receive marconigram about the sinking of the Marianna off the coast of Ireland. This causes a little anxiety.

Skey appear on deck for a short while but has to retire again shortly.

I am still feeling fine.

Thursday Nov. 2, 1916

A near-gale blowing from the east and the barometer falling. The waves are coming completely over the bow.

Some fool got excited about 10 P.M. and gave the signal for a night alarm. Everyone beat it to his post and was pretty sore when we found it was a mistake. Couldn't find who caused it.

The 67th Sextette brought up to the music room this evening. They did fine. Sgt McLean made a hit with Lady Greenwood. He seems to be able to lay any piece of music that one names.

Sgt McIntyre has been ill all trip and Sgt Shrun in bad shape but able to get out occasionally. QMS. Lougheed standing it well.

Friday Nov. 3, 1916

Heavy gale blowing.

The cruiser disappear in the storm. Has apparently found it necessary to look after herself.

The first officer told me that this was a real gale.

Half the passengers sick.

In the evening some think they can see lights on Ireland, but are probably mistaken although we are to the north of it.

The phosphorescence in the water tonight is very fine.

Saturday Nov. 4, 1916

Dull stormy day with Rain.

Passing thru the Irish Channel, each transport being accompanied by a destroyer which kept to the front and to a flank. No S7 is accompanying us.

Arrived at the mouth of the Mersey River late at night.

Pass over the scene of a collision the night before. See 26 boats hunting for survivors. Two channel (Irish) passenger boats have collided.

Can see land on each side. One can now feel moderately safe.

Thank goodness I didn't get sick during the voyage.

Sunday Nov. 5, 1916

Very dull rainy day

On awakening found we were in the harbor. Disembarked at 9 A.M. and immediately entrained for Shorncliffe. Arrived there at 7.30 PM and detrained in a heavy rain. Marched to barracks and had some supper. Then went to Risboro Barracks and had to sleep on the floor of the anteroom as no arrangements had been made for our accommodations. Rotten management.

Monday Nov. 6, 1916

Hung around all day getting the papers of the draft fixed up. Saw several of the boys, whom I had not seen for months, also a couple from our McGill Chapter who have returned from France to take out commissions.

Arranged for our 6 day leave to get our kits.

Tuesday Nov. 7, 1916

Dull day

Left for London at 8 23 AM. On arrival went to the Hotel Cecil. Bought most of the necessary equipment. The prices were something fierce.

Had a bad headache so went to bed at 8 PM

Wednesday Nov. 8, 1916

Visited the Pallmall and the Mall. Posted my [half page indecipherable].

Rode around in buses for the rest of the day. In the evening Capt Culham, Irwin, Britton and myself went to the "Alhambra" to see "The Bing Boys". Some show! Had dinner at "Romanos". Went to be at 12 midnight intending to catch the 6 A.M. Scotch Express for Edinburgh the next day.

Cabled to May of our safe arrival

Thursday Nov. 9, 1916

Had a close call catching our train at King's Cross Station. Just made it as the train was pulling out. The trip was very pleasant. The scenery was a complete change to what we are accustomed in Canada. Arrived in Edinburgh at 6 30 and registered at the North British Railway Hotel. After dinner Irwin and I went to the Empire Theatre while Britton hunted up some friends.

Much to our surprise we found the first class accomodation on the Scotch Express much more comfortable than our own trains.

Sunshine in morning but rain in the evening.

Friday Nov. 10, 1916

Rainy day

Irwin and I hired an open carriage in the morning and drove around the City. A most interesting trip as the driver was an old resident named "Sandy" who knew the history of the city both past and present. Hired him again in the afternoon. Visited every point of interest - Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Castle, the old part of the town and the new, Queen Mary of Scotland's bath house. In Edinburgh Castle saw Queen Margarets Chapel built somewhere around 600, an enormous old cannon built in 1400 named "Mons Meg", the room contaning all the old time arms and armour - Queen Mary's bedroom andc andc. It was a mighty interesting day. Edinburgh is most picturesque place and is worth a weeks trip.

Caught the train for London at 10 P.M.

Wrote to May and to Father and Mother.

Saturday Nov. 11, 1916

Dull Day.

Arrived in London at 8 AM and went to Hotel Cecil.

Visited St. Paul Cathedral in the morning and went thru the underground crypts. Saw where the bodies of Lord Nelson, Lord [?], Lord Collingwood (all old admirals around 1800) Lord Wellington and Lord Roberts lay - and other prominent old timers.

Rode around in a bus nearly all afternoon. Landed up at Mortlake where the best beer in England is made. Passed by Hyde Park on this ride.

Had quite a party at the Strand Palace Hotel at supper. A number of Canadians happened to land there at once so a convivial party was had and many girls of easy virtue much in evidence.

Sunday Nov. 12, 1916

Dull day.

Visited the Chrystal palace which has been taken over by the admiralty as the depot for the RNVR and RNAS. Was shown over the place by the naval officer in charge. Most interesting seeing the aeroplanes in various states of construction.

Caught the 7 P.M. train for Shorncliffe. Leave over. Arrived at Folkestone Central station at
10 P.M. and taxied up to Risboro. Found no accommodation for us so had to sleep on the floor.

Monday Nov. 13, 1916

Fine day.

Reported at Ross Barracks and was given the day off to get settled in our rooms. Irwin and I rooming together.

Visited Folkestone in the morning and bought a few articles for the room. Folkestone is a quaint old place but is a very popular [?] the road to [?] and most of the troops [?] at this [?] Folkestone.

Had a hard job trying to get our rooms allotted as no one seemed to take the responsibility. However we eventually got placed.

Tuesday Nov. 14, 1916

Dull day.

Started this morning on our section gun drill. It is being carried on in a sane manner, very different from the methods employed at Kingston. Have to unlearn a lot we were taught at Petawawa.

Hours are from 8.45 to 12 and 1 45 to 4.15. It promises to get monotonous before long though.

Wrote a letter to May this evening.

Wednesday Nov. 15, 1916

Dull day.

Section Gun drill all day. Q.M.S. Instructor Dobson was on a drunk last night so had to go easy today. He varied the work by relating his experiences with the 7th Battery at the front. Apparently one needs to be a clever thief to be a good Q.M.S.

Aeroplanes and dirigibles galour in this district. They are continually hovered over the sea in front of the harbor watching for submarines.

There is a cold raw wind blowing in from the ocean.

Thursday Nov. 16, 1916

Bright day but with a heavy cold wind from the sea.

Section gun drill all day. QMS Dobson on leave and Sgt. Randall instruction. He is also from the 7th Battery. (a New Brunswick battery) He has been wounded twice, once by a bullet thru his hand and once by a piece of H.E. in the leg.

Dirigible and aeroplanes floating around all day and search lights going at night to detect zeppelins.

Sgt McIntyre and McLean around to see us tonight. Both lost their stripes. They are very disappointed in the training so far as nothing but fatigues and pickets is their lot.
Friday Nov. 17, 1916

Cold day with heavy cold winds from the east. Pretty near froze us out at night as our shack has an eastern exposure and the wind whistled thru' the cracks something fierce. The coal exhausted and none to be issued till Tuesday.

Section Gun Drill all day. Using 4 guns and thus acting as a battery.

16 more officers warned for France.

Snow flurries this AM.

Saturday Nov. 18, 1916

Pretty nearly froze last night. Rain and sleet in the morning and rain all afternoon.

Section gun drill in morning and dismissed at 11 A.M.

Taxied to Folkestone in afternoon. Made a few purchases. i.e. "Kapot" sleeping bag at 2/10, oil stove at 25/0. Fixed up sleeping bag in the evening by making a bag of 3 blankets and inserting it inside the sleeping bag. Found it to be a success and was warm as toast all night.

The English system of warming their houses is terrible, provided the methods employed in these barracks are a sample. I haven't been really warm since leaving London except this night in my sleeping bag. "Who wouldn't be a soldier!"

Sunday Nov. 19, 1916

Raining spasmodically all day.

The morning papers say that yesterday was a very bad winters day. If it is the worst we can expect we are well off.

Stayed in our shack all day writing letters. Wrote to May and to Father and Mother.

Monday Nov. 20, 1916

Rain all morning and at intervals in the afternoon.

Had section gun drill in afternoon in the gun sheds as it was too wet to be out in the square. In the morning had lectures inside by the Instructors. Found that when it came to the mathematics of gunnery they didn't know much.

At noon Jake and I moved our belongings into a better room - one in the main part of Risboro Barracks. It is a little smaller than our first one but is much more comfortable and is warmer.

The 25 officers of the Petawawa draft arrived in camp today. There seems to be no great wish on the part of the commandant to have them. In fact they are not wanted at all and he is trying to have them go to some other camp.

Received a letter from May which was addressed to me at Halifax and was dated Oct. 25th.

Tuesday Nov. 21, 1916

Started out like a nice day but in the afternoon it rained heavily.

Section gun drill with 15# gun in A.M. on Front drill ground in the morning. It certainly is an antiquated gun in comparison to the 18#.

In afternoon, section gun drill with 18#. Raining heavily and field a sea of mud. We slipped and slid around in great shape. Later we moved into the gun shed.

Jake Irwin Brigade orderly officer at Risboro today. I am on for duty tomorrow. This lets me out of section gun drill in the mud.

Recommed Q.M.S. Lougheed for job of Q.M.S. with 55th Btty, now at Whitby Camp. Had him around to see us tonight. He is willing to take it on. He tells us the boys are having a pretty rough time. They don't get sufficient food to keep going on. This helps out the delicatessen stores considerably no doubt, but is a poor way of getting work out of the men.

One month ago we left Petawawa.

Wednesday Nov. 22, 1916

Sun shining today.

Was duty officer at Risboro today. Made the rounds in the morning. Found everything in shape. Inspected the guard at 4 P.M. and posted the new guard. Inspected the lines at 6 15 to see that no lights were shining and again at 10:30 to see that all lights were out.

Received a letter from May dated Nov 5 (the day we arrived in England). Wrote May tonight.

Thursday Nov. 23, 1916

Rain all day.

Section gun drill detail in the gun shed in the morning. In the afternoon work on the parade ground.

Hospital Ship Brittania (largest British Built ship) sunk by submarine in the Aegean Sea.

See that Verny of 67th Btty is in line up of new medically unfit for active service or under or over age who are being sent to France to do base duty.

Saw Homer who went over on one of the previous drafts.

Friday Nov. 24, 1916

Rain all day. Peculiar rain as it was more of a dense mist at times.

Section gun detail in gun shed in the morning. In afternoon had gun drill in the shed the officers taking turns in sending down the orders.

Were notified that we were to report to Lt. Baker for riding instruction tomorrow morning at 8:30 This means the end of the gun drill.

Dr. Coutts attached to Risboro. Spent all evening with him and Burrows in Burrow's room which is the second door along.

Saturday Nov. 25, 1916

Rain all day.

Reported to S.M. Baker at the stables. Was allotted our horses and given a short lecture on Saddling andc.

In afternoon we went to Folkestone and made some purchases, magazines tobacco andc. Went up to the Metropole Hotel and had a bath and dinner and a haircut. The bath was a godsend and Jake and I enjoyed it to the limit. The meal was rotten but it cost us 6/6 each. In the evening went down town at bought an Xmas present. at oclee and bons for May i.e. ½ tea knifes and forks (1/12/6) Arranged with them to forward it.

Noticed in the Evening Extras that a few German Destroyers had made a raid on Hargate (a few miles up the coast from here). No damage was done.

Sunday Nov. 26, 1916

Fine day. The first in 2 weeks.

Stuck around our rooms all day reading.

Received a letter from May dated Nov 9th. Wrote her tonight.

Monday Nov. 27, 1916

Fine sunny day.

Started riding this morning. The instruction is good but strenuous, consisting of exercise while on the trot with stripped saddles. The old instructor is a mighty queer duck, most excitable and then very amusing.

Attended stables at 6.15 AM. 1 AM and 4.45 P.M. Put in an hour each time grooming horses.

In evening we had an air-raid scare about 950 All lights ordered to be put out. I was in bed at the time and did not get up as in case of bombs falling, bed is as safe as any other place.

Tuesday Nov. 28, 1916

Very nice day. Quite cold last night causing ice.

Riding again to day. The instructor is funnier as the course goes on. Had jumping this morning and a ride on the commons this afternoon and did some jumping over gullies.

See by the papers that the two zeppelins which we were warned against last night were brought down by the R.F.C. and R.N.A.S. One over England by the R.F.C. and the other forced to land and in the morning was destroyed by the RNAS out over the North sea.

Received a letter from May dated Nov 11th

Wednesday Nov. 29, 1916

Nice day. Milder

Riding in Riding school in morning and open menage' in the afternoon. Had in morning jumping with out stirrups and reins - Some task. It was a pretty strenuous morning and naturally we looked for a let up in the P.M. but instead had it worse than ever - 2 hours stripped saddle with scarcely a let up. It wasn't straight riding either - had to circle right and left and go thru' the exercises all done on the trot. It is a pretty tired bunch tonight.

Eight officers warned for overseas today.

Received a letter from Father dated Nov 14th

Wrote May tonight

Did some repairing to my clothes tonight which had suffered during the ride

Thursday Nov. 30, 1916

A little sun today. No rain.
Riding again today. Much easier than yesterday but increasingly difficult jumps given us. Had to go over two hurdles with bush tops about 3 ft high and spaced 20 feet apart. There was a number of spills but no casualties. So far I've had no falls myself but have come mighty near it several times.

Received a goodbye letter from Pte J. Verney who came over with me on the draft and is being sent back to Canada on account of fallen arches.

McDowell and Laventure called around to see us this evening.

Received a letter from Mother dated Nov 12.