My dear Mother,
Here we are at last in camp and it surely is a pretty place. We are about six miles from Brighton, so are quite near the seashore. Will give more details when I write next as I do not know much about the place yet as we only got in at 2 a.m. this morning.
We left Saint John a week ago Sunday night and got into Halifax Monday about 10:30 a.m. We got a dandy send off at Saint John. At Moncton there were about 6,000 down at the station but very few waited for us as it was as 12 when we went through. We didn’t see much of Halifax as we went through as we went straight on board the Olympia. Some boat, believe me. The 147th (Neyles, Ont.) 158th (Vancouver), 173rd (Hamilton Highlanders) 180th (Toronto) 194th (Edmonton Highlanders) and the 222nd also a bunch of signallers artillery and a crew of 850. Some boat load, eh? We slept in the Second Class smoking room (100 of us). Each had a canvas hammock to himself and when one rocked, we all did the same. Neither Fred nor I were a bit sick but then we had an awfully calm trip and the Ollie was very steady. There was no pitching to her and if she did move it was a long steady roll.
It is no wonder they call Ireland the Emerald Isle. It is as green as can be. Gee, but it sure looked great. We left Halifax Tuesday at 4:30 and got to Liverpool 8:30 Sunday night. Just five days even as the time change is four hours. Good time, what say?
We cruised around the Irish Sea until Monday morning as we couldn’t get over the sandbar at low tide. The Ollie draws 40 feet of water when loaded [and] has a displacement of 47,000 tons… Ours was her 13th trip; nine from Canada and four from the Dardenelles.
We are in huts here and should be comfortable. We, the Boissevain platoon, slept in one last night but we are allowed two huts to a platoon. We surely won’t be overcrowded, eh?
The railway trains here are a joke. I will get a picture of one of them so you can see for yourselves. One thing they can go to beat the devil.
I will get Fred to write more often but don’t worry Musie, I will look after your baby boy. I will try and phone Cliff tonight and will let you know how everything is.
Love to all the people and be sure and tell them to write.
Your loving son,
James
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