Walter Draycott’s Great War Chronicle

North Vancouver Museum & Archives

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Saturday 12 October 1918

by

– fine

Breakfast at 7.15.  Scrambled eggs, potatoes & porridge.

Arrive Winnipeg at 4 am.  Mrs. Smith & Eileen on platform to meet me.  [……..] of joy on seeing me.  We try the major for a stop off but he cannot consent to it.  We sit in Waiting Hall & chat.  Did goodbyes, they are in tears.  Leave @ 5 am.  Both look well.  Arr. Brandon 9 am.  Town dead.  Noone about.  Arr. Regina 5 pm.  No reception, no questions asked. […] dissatisfied & enraged at the cold reception to […].  Arr. Swift Current 11 pm.  We get cigarettes & fruit but boys are in bed. People ask why they went to bed so soon & get the reply “It was owing to the cool reception down the line”.

Friday 11 October 1918

by

 – fine

Up at 7 am.  Breakfast 7.30.  Porridge, liver & bacon.  Coffee.  We are first in for breakfast.  We are greeted at Ft. Wm. By Womens Aux. of Great War Vet. Assoc. who give us all a card of welcome.  [Mr. ………rings us up on phone & sends greeting.]

Ice & frost at White River.  Leave White River at 7 am.  Port Arthur @ 3.45 pm.  Miss Marg’ Gillespie & girl friend on platform to meet me; hand me a parcels of fruit, etc, stop 5 minutes.  Arr. Ft. William 4 pm.  Met by Mrs. Millie & Annie McTaggart, Mrs. R. Reid, Miss Reid, Mrs. Emsworth, Mr. Duncan Gillespie & his bro. Angus, who give me invitation for moose hunt on Nov. 1st.  I try for stop over but the Major i/c of train refuses. Receive lots of fruit, etc.

Wednesday 9 October 1918

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 – fair

I take breakfast in Child’s Café Quebec with Pt. Young as my guest.  We parade at the Interviewers @ 10.30 am to answer questions re civil life, antecedents, etc.  I go up the City to bring in 3 men at St. Rock Hotel.  Dine in Sergts mess @ 1.20 pm.  Parade for pay & departure @ 4.30.

Leave Quebec in Pullman sleeping cars @ 6.30 pm.  Tea on board – soup, sausages, cabbage, potatoes & a coloured porter makes our beds down.

Tuesday 8 October 1918

by

 – fine

Poor arrangements for disposing of the troops.  Food arrangements spendid – run by women!!!

There is friction between Military Police & the returned soldiers – broken heads, etc.  In evening I go to theatre.  Play in french “L’Amour qui tue”.  Back to Hall @ 11 pm.

Monday 7 October 1918

by

– stiff breeze

We weigh anchor @ 6.30 am & make for Quebec.  Arr. Quebec @ 9.30 disembark @ 10.30 am.  I say goodbye to Captain Pinckney of the Khybor on the bridge.  We go to emigration sheds when beds are made down for us.  Go into City of Quebec.

Much drink & drunken men are the cause of many fights & a sleepless night.  Meet RSM Connor of PPCLI.

Sunday 6 October 1918

by

 

– a gale

Very strong rear wind (east) which later turned to a head wind.  I discover that the Captain’s name is Pinckney.  I enquire of the Commodore of the Fleet who gives me an introduction to Commander Pinckney on the bridge.  The Commodore takes his place & Capt. & I go to his cabin for a chat.  He’s over 6 feet in height, broad & kindly face.  Regrets we had not met sooner.  Weather a gale at 4 pm.  We drop anchor @ 5 pm.

*Captain Leonard Durnford Pinckney, Master, S.S. “Khyber”, was appointed to be an Officer of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) on March 26, 1920.

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