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Date: June 1919
Diary

[transcription provided by collection donor]

Jun 7, 1919
Went to Staines with Lft. Coolan & he was a handful: half shot to begin with & wanted to talk to any girl no matter who she was with. Nearly upset the canoe every minute. I managed to get him home without trouble. Never again.

I certainly like it very much in this camp. The walks are great through Windsor Park & the rhododendrons are a sight worth seeing alone. And the birds are singing morning, noon & night.

Jun 12, 1919
Received orders to report to Witley. On my way I reported to A.D.M.S. London to find out what they wanted me to do at Witley. Was informed that I must report to A.D.M.S. & here I found them quite upset that I hadn’t reported to them sooner. I am booked for Canada and must leave the next day by the Aquitania from Southampton. This meant that I only had the afternoon to straighten out my affairs. Kit at one place, clothes at Ascot, bank account to be checked, here I found a forgery against me. No time to get L.P.C. Cancelled my weekend engagement, which I had been counting on very much with Miss E. Hardy. She had a mighty catching way about her & was very attractive. I suppose this move has saved my hide here.

Jun 13, 1919
Went to Southampton with Major Tytler, Capt. Campbell & four n/sisters. Women seem as helpless as a bunch of sheep when it comes to moving. We got on board the Aquitania late in the afternoon. I looked after the luggage – it took eight men to get it all on board for us. I acted as chief/boss, that is I told them where to take the baggage, smoked cigarettes & did all the cussing. Didn’t lose a piece of baggage & the nurses seemed to have about enough to furnish a house.

Jun 14, 1919
Embarked properly, that is I handed in my papers. We have 5,000 returning men on board. There seems to be a lot of civilians. I don’t like this – the boys should have first consideration in my estimation & to hell with the civilians until all the boys are home. We left Southampton at 8:30pm. There was quite a crowd to see us off & all the boats tooted like billy be damned. Major Tytler & I have a room together – it’s a good size & we can move about in it. He seems to be a very good head.

Jun 20, 1919
Arrived Halifax, docked 7:20 am. Had a very fine trip across. Hardly any motion to the boat. It was some time before I could disembark. The A.M.L.O. was very slow & the nursing sisters did not know their own minds – so they held the rest of us up. I missed the troop train. Left Halifax 3:10pm C.P.R. for Montreal.

Jun 21, 1919
Arrived Montreal, had ½ hr to catch the C.P.R. train for Vancouver but made connections. Had a nice trip across.