Walter Draycott’s Great War Chronicle
North Vancouver Museum & Archives
Up at 7:35 am. Breakfast at 8 pm & played cards & walked deck till noon. Luncheon at 1 pm.
Singing songs in afternoon & told stories till dinner at 6:30 pm.
Attended Whist drive at 8:30 pm which ended at 11:05 pm.
To bed at 12 midnight
Miss Ginn 1st Prize
Miss Gething 3rd Prize
*Whist – A classic English card game, most popular in the 18th and 19th century. A social event (often a fund-raiser) where many different variants of Whist are played is called a “Whist Drive.”
Up at 7:25 am & walked on deck. Breakfast at 8 am. Luncheon at 1 pm & dinner at 6:50 pm.
Weather rough & swelly.
Up at 7 am. Breakfast 8 am.
Divine Service at 10:50 am,
Rev Roberts of Saskatoon preaches.
Weather rough and foggy
Up to present I have not been sick.
Very stormy & boat pitching
Very stormy weather.
Snow & high wind.
Lots of people seasick
Embarked on S.S. Grampian which left at 4 pm.
Very cold weather
Travelling 2nd Class with Mr. Pitt & Mr. Ross
Very cold: 20 below zero
Staying at a private boarding house to await Embarkation.
All spoke French. But what French!
Very cold 20 below zero
Went to a theatre where the actors spoke French only
*The winter of 1914 saw record cold temperatures in Montreal.
Arrived at Ottawa at 10:10 am & had some coffee (10c cup). Ottawa has about 3 flags flying. Slushy snow here.
Arrive in Montreal at 12:55 noon
Took transfer baggage Bus to Place Viger Station (C.P.R) for Quebec.
Strolled into Montreal City & had dinner & supper. Saw “Million Dollar Mystery” Finale. Sent Picture Postcards to friends. On train at 11:30 pm
Boarded train at 2:15 am. Train crowded with people for Old Country. Wrote letters & postcards to Bessie, the Neats, Wagstaffes & Haswell’s & Esdailes & Barker Boys.
Had a noisey lot on train – naturally.
Standing room only for some from Ft. Wm. to Sudbury.
The rumour is Lord Roberts died in France.
*Field Marshal Lord Frederick Sleigh Roberts – A British Military officer, Lord Roberts fought in the Indian Mutiny, the second Afghan war, the Boer War and was the last Commander-in-Chief of the Forces before the position was abolished in 1904. Lord Roberts was known as one of the most successful commanders of the 19th century. He died of pneumonia in France on November 14th 1914 while visiting Indian troops.
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MONOVA: Museum and Archives
of North Vancouver
3203 Institute Rd.,
North Vancouver, BC V7K 3E5
Tel. 604-990-3700, ext. 8016.
www.monova.ca
archives@monova.ca