Walter Draycott’s Great War Chronicle
North Vancouver Museum & Archives
– fair
Mr. Nye & Mr. Sharpe met me @ stn. with auto & drive up to my home. I stay @ Mr. Nye’s at night. Up @ 8 am & go down to my home. It looks dilapidated. Mrs. Graham left a fortnight ago for England & Eileen left a week ago. There are only bare tables & chairs & stove. No provisions. Mr. Jack Nye gives me invitation to stay at his place till my place is in ship shape order. I accept.
Mrs. Graham has loaned her gramophone to Mrs. Pinnell. Why not loan it to me? After doing her good services.
– 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”.
– very cold
We enter calm waters between Labrador & Newfoundland. Have fall of snow. I am put into Military District #11 (B.C.)
– rough, high wind
Foggy & drizzle rain. Many large icebergs seen. We have been fed on stew for some time.
– high wind
Misty in morning. Heavy seas. Ship rolling heavily, needs much ballast. The rolling is detrimental & agonising to the poor cripples.
– misty
High seas running. Misty with fine rain. Breakfast at 8 am, dinner 12, tea 5 pm. Some of the men down with mal de mer. Boats pitching heavily On S.S. Kyber Pass.
– fine, rain
Clear in morning but turned to light rain in evening. Dirty night. Slept well during night. I am put in charge of Boat no. 6. We have 9 transports with a camouflaged cruiser & 5 torpedo boat destroyers.
– fine
Up at 5 am. Breakfast prepared by Sister Gerard at 6 am. Said goodbye to Sister who burst into tears. She was amiable, generous & kindhearted. We leave Orpington Stn. at 7.50 am for London. Go to Tower of London to assemble. There are parties from Bearwood, Epsom, etc. Take train for Tilbury Docks at [Mark Lane!]. Board transport (ambulances) at No. 64 at 1 pm. Move down Thames & anchor till morning. S.S. Kyber Pass.
*SS Khyber was a 9,000 ton ship operated by the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P & O Line).
– cloudy & windy
To station at Orpington. No kitbag has arrived but ask L/C i/c of transport who looks at his book & sees entry of my name in it. I go to Quartermasters store & after diligent search I find missing kitbag. Unbounded Joy! I go to Post Office & send telegram to Harry & afterwards a letter. In afternoon to St. Mary Cray with Nield. Call at Pipe family & get invitation for tea tomorrow.
17,000 prisoners captured in Haig’’s advance yesterday. In afternoon to see English Women’’ s Forestry Corps with Goulding(an Australian) & others. We do some scrumping for apples on our return. We ate so many that two of us had to go to bed.
*Scrumping is the term used by the women of the Forestry Corps for climbing the high walls of an orchard and pilfering the apples.
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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