April 1915

Section gun drill. Signalling. Went in town + bought an Eastman V.P.K with autograph equipment.

A lovely morning - The first holiday I have been able to really enjoy. - Spent part of the morning getting clean + then took a walk down Sandgate with Pete. - Got rather cool after lunch. Pete, Monty, Pringle + I walked in along lower rd. + Leas. - Started to rain so came home early after tea. - Good Friday is like Sunday over here.

Rainy. - Laying + lecture sgt - instructor told me to buck + I'd be a dam fine layer. - Spent the aft. mending + writing. - Went in town for a haircut after tea. Met Valenzo. - Came home early.

House orderly

Cool + cloudy

Early church parade. Lots of mail. H- Home - Mac - Ch. - Len - Ward - Buck.

Stayed in + wrote all aft. - Went to the parish church.

On fatigue cleaning up lines. - Cinch - Letter from Aunt E. - Card from Buck. - Expects to come down right away. Wrote all aft. H. - Home. - C.C.L. - Gibbs - Toodie - Ch. - Ada - Buck - Cards to a bunch. - Went in town to mail them. - Mac met a fellow from 16th Bttn who says Buck is down here now. Will see to-morrow.

Fine - cloudy - rain - storm.

Bath parade - Draft of 25 to R.C.H.A. - Crewe[?] our bunch still intact but there will be more drafts. Made up my mind to write HH + found a letter from him at the house. Possibility of comm. in R.F.A. - Wired him + wrote Charley. - Applied leave to weekend. - Tried to locate Buck but he will not be down till Sat. - Some walk. - Met 2 P.P.C.L.I back from France - Weird tales. Pay parade to-morrow.

Rain. - Laying. - Passed 1st tests. - Had a 1st aid lecture from McLean this aft. - Went down Sandgate in the evening. Shopping.

Pay parade. - Buck landed in on us about 4.30. - Gee it was good to see him. - Took him in town + fed him + did some more shopping. Preparatory to going away. Came back early + walked over to the Risboro Bks. with Buck where he is with the 17th.

Didn't do much all day. - Got my pass + hit for town with Buck + Pringle. Left them at the Baths + caught the 8.10. - Had my first ride in a London bus + arr'd at Streatham Hill about 11. - Slept between the sheets for first time since joining.

Fine. - Went in town by tram with Uncle. Saw Charley at the office. - Met Mr. Smith. Went out with Uncle. - Whitehall - St. Jas. PK - Buckingham Palace. - Westminster - Marble Arch. Oxford st - Holborn Viaduct - Bank - London wall St. Paul's - Fleet st + other places. - Met Charley. Lunched at Waterloo + went out to Hampton court + thro' the Palace + Grounds - All very beautiful. - Took in the maze. Came in by tram. - Met Hemming at the Kenilworth. - Went to his room + got dolled up as a 2nd Lieut. Went to the Alhambra + ran into Art. + Berr. - Harold thinks that an R.F.A. comm. is a cinch. - Am to see him tomorrow + his friend Capt. Met some of his brother officers tonight.

Went in town + met Hemming about 10. Had breakfast with him + met a couple more chaps. Went for a walk + back to Streatham Hill after changing back to Tommies clothes.

Caught the 9.05 back from Ch.X

Got back to barracks about noon + found out I'd been missing all sorts of nice jobs. Stables, guards etc. Spent the aft. digging gun pits + the evening writing letters.

Up for stables at 5.30 A.M. - Some job.

Digging gun pits + lecture, sir.

Called on the Major + got his O.K. to go ahead with the papers. - Went over to see Buck this evening.

Rifle drill and signalling. - Had a squad for rifle drill. - Bill Saunders came down from London. - Off all aft. - Mount guard at 5.40 - AS. Bks. - Some guard room. - Slept in straw shed back of stables, from choice.

On guard. - Relief late almost missed pay parade.

Shifting guns to Ross Barracks. Mac & I went on leave, after hanging around Ross barracks all day.

Doing London with Mac. - Whitehall, St. Jas. Park. Horse Guards. Pall Mall + all that district. - Went out with Uncle - bus riding all over town. - It's a great way to see the place. - Met Monty & Pete at the Cecil & went to the Hippo. in ev'g. Supper at Cafe de l'Europe & home James

Fine to cloudy

Slept in. - Loafed around in the Garden & took some pictures of the dog. - Met Uncle after church + went in town. Met Monty- + Pete at the Cecil + went out to Hyde Park. - Some Park. - Had lunch about 3, when Uncle + I went out home Charley + family were over to tea. - Ada + I went to Presbyterian church but after this I'm on Episcopalian till I get home. - Sat around + talked + wrote till 12.

Fine

Went in town with Uncle. - Mac + I went up to the "Star" office + registered - Took a bus ride to the Tower via Waterloo Rd. - Elephant & Castle. - Met a couple of H.A.C.S. who showed us round. - White Tower - Crown Jewels - Bloody Tower - Beauchamp Tower etc. Took in a recruiting meeting. - Back to the office lunch 3 P.M. - Picture show. - Met Ord 5 P.M. - Strolled along the Embankment till 7. - Had dinner + went to a picture show. - Had supper at Lyon's "Corner House" + back to Streatham Hill via the 11.50.

Cloudy.

Up early. Caught 8.10 to town + put Mac on the 9.05 for camp. - Took a walk thro' Covent Garden Market with Uncle + then he went to the office. - Went up to Br. Museum + had a look round. Took a bus ride out Oxford St. to Selfridge's - Saw Janet. Met Uncle + had lunch + went to Madame Tussaud's. - Had tea with Charlie + took in a show at the Paladium at 6.20 + afterwards saw Ellaline Terriss + Seymour Hicks in "Wild Thyme" at the Comedy. It was fine.

Clear + Warm. Stayed around the house most of the morning. - Went over to Charlie's + took some pictures of "Babs." - Went in to Selfridges with Auntie + Ada + did some shopping. - Had lunch with Janet. - Got some lace, music, books. - Called at the office about 3.30 - no mail. - Out to Streatham + got my trunk packet + wrote a couple of letters. - Charley came in with me about 8.30 + got the 9.45. - Left London + a good thing too. - I couldn't have stood it much longer. Got home about 1 A.M. - Turned in about 2 - No mail in sight.

Fine + warm

Took advantage of my pass being marked 6 A.M. so did not turn out till cookhouse. - Brigade Muster parade took up the whole morning. - Lecture from Sgt. Myer down the hill back of the A.S.C barracks. - Very interesting. - Intermissions of the Brittaniq. - Had a surprise. When we came in from Parade, Bill Abbott landed in from the front via Netley Hospital. - Was at Neuve Chappelle. - Took him in to town in the evening. - Back + in bed at lights out for 1st time in 8 nights.

Clear - Cool wind. - Up at 5.30 - Signalling over beyond St. Martin's Plain. Bath Parade to baths below Leas. - Saw Gotenby with a detachment of the C.A.V.C. - Must look him up. - Mail arr'd to-day that Sammy had sent up to London for me. - Buck came over so went in town + had tea with him. - Met Valenzo + Thom. - Came out via Cheriton with Buck. - It's great to have him to go around with. - The Major hasn't signed my papers yet. I'm getting anxious.

Clear. - Lieut. Fyshe took the route march this A.M. He looks like a poor mess. - Foot drill + signalling all A.M. - Ballgame this aft. with the 12th Battn but was put on the gun crew to stand by in case of raid, so could not go. - We got licked anyhow. - Went in town about 5.30. - Had my phiz pulled + had tea. Strolled round with Monty + Pete for a while but had to get back at 9. - For some strange reason Fyshe inspected the houses at 11 P.M. Buck on town picket to-night - Expects to go on draft soon. Bill has some interesting yarns. - Had an awful time on the Plains. - Spinal meningitis was terrible. - Took off Kennedy - Pete Paddon was accidentally shot. - Few casualties as yet in C.F.A. - Under fire all the time but life is easier than over here. Mac is O.K.

Rainy

The whole house slept in + didn't turn out for roll call. - Church parade 10.45. Getting rather monotonous. - Wish he would vary the service. - Wrote + mended all aft. Went in town with Buck but he had a date so wandered down to the Pier. - Took in part of the show + came home via "Marine Parade"

Warm. Bath parade, this A.M. - Put I

Buck left for France with big draft. - Vague rumours floating in of Canadians in big battles last Thursday Friday + Saturday

Some of Monday night's draft back in hospital.

More drafts going.