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February 15, 1915 (Monday)
Sargent phoned Monty.
February 1915
Introduction
Answering the Call: Robertson Enlists
February 1915
Before the entries speak for themselves, a little about who wrote them. Andrew Murray Robertson was in his early twenties, working toward a civil engineering degree at McGill University in Montreal, when this diary opens. It's February 1915, barely six months into a war still widely expected to be short, and nearly three years before conscription would make Canadian military service compulsory. Robertson enlisted on his own initiative, one of hundreds of thousands of Canadian volunteers who signed up in the war's first eighteen months. The diary begins on February 15, the day before he formally enlists, and it will run, on and off, until December 1918.
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February 16, 1915 (Tuesday)
Enlisted.
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February 17, 1915 (Wednesday)
Away.
Left home 5.30 A.M. – Left Mtl. 10 A.M.
Some send-off.
Arrived Riv. du Loup 9 P.M.
Where Things Stand
Some Send-Off
February 17, 1915
"Left Mtl. 10 A.M. – Some send-off." A Montreal daily reported the morning in full: the 6th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery (the 21st Field Battery and its ammunition column, about four hundred men, "the first unit of the Second Contingent to leave Montreal") forming up behind their Craig Street headquarters, marching to Bonaventure station, and entraining with a crowd on the platform singing "Tipperary" and the railway carriages chalked "Berlin or bust" and "Free ride at last." Its last paragraph names the five McGill applied-science students in the column: S. C. Montgomery, Hammond Johnson, Pringle Seath, Robertson, and E. D. McIntosh, the friends the diary's first year revolves around.
The newspaper report of the send-off →
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February 18, 1915 (Thursday)
Arrived Campbellton – 5.30 A.M.
Newcastle 10 A.M. – Route March. Largest wireless station in America. Links Ireland & San Fran. – School kids had a holiday in our honour. – Moncton at noon – Sworn in by Major Scully 4 P.M. – Truro 7 P.M.
Halifax 11 P.M.
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February 19, 1915 (Friday)
Pulled out of bed to mount guard at 12.30. – Route march thro’ some of the streets near the harbor. – Sebastopol & Volunteers monuments. – Went on board S.S. Megantic 11 A.M. Delay in getting accommodation – Mac & I got a 2 berth room. – H.M.S. Essex & Glory in harbour.
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February 20, 1915 (Saturday)
Parade at 9.30 & short march for exercise. – Letter from Hazel. – Tried to get shore leave but couldn’t make it. – Received 1st inoculation so am free from work for 48 hrs. – Mac & I shifted to another room to be near the bunch – Beat the guard to the barbers and enjoyed the luxury of a haircut & shave.
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February 21, 1915 (Sunday)
Turnd out of our room at 12.30 to make room for some smelly polaks.
2 letters
Walked a mile on deck with Pringle. Photographer on the dock took our picture, said he was from the Standard. Macs cold pretty bad. – Boat left the dock about 5 P.M. – anchored in harbor.
Mac + I moved again. Have a 4 berth outside room with Ham & Monty – Bus Reid was aboard – 23rd are on next ship.
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February 22, 1915 (Monday)
Physical drill in A.M. & Boat drill in P.M. – Art. Mackay came aboard this aft + is in B. sub. – Expect to sail tonight. – Lovely on deck, moonlight + the city lights very pretty. – Vaderland put in to bay for troops.
Spent the eve. getting off my final mail. – Wrote the Dean & Prof. Keay asking for my year.
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February 23, 1915 (Tuesday)
OH at last. - Anchor up at 8.10 A.M & Left Halifax harbor with tugs tooting & the band playing on the Essex. – Convoy as follows – H.M.S. Essex leading – Missinabie – Vaderland – Megantic. Traveling slowly – no lights. – Calm but the swell has got to some of the fellows already. – I’ve been feeling a little dizzy but nothing serious. – A peach of a night on deck. – Very romantic if only I weren’t alone. – Rumor reports wireless message that Germans sank an American warship.
Historical Context
Crossing the Atlantic, February 1915
February 1915
By early 1915, German U-boats had already begun targeting shipping around the British Isles, and within a few weeks Germany would declare the waters a war zone, the same policy that led, that May, to the sinking of RMS Lusitania. It's this threat that explains the details in this entry: the convoy traveling "slowly, no lights," the rumor of an American warship sunk, and the general edge of tension on deck as the ship carrying Robertson and thousands of other Canadian troops made its own crossing.
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February 24, 1915 (Wednesday)
Nothing particular. Order of the day for trip:
6:30 A.M. – Reveille
7:00 A.M. – Breakfast
9:00 A.M. – Dress for parade
9:30 A.M. – Fall in
11:30 A.M. – Dinner
12:00 P.M. – C.O.'s Inspection
2:00 P.M. – Guard Mount
4:45 P.M. – Supper
5:00 P.M. – Orders
9:30 P.M. – First Post
10:00 P.M. – Last Post
10:15 P.M. – Lights out
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February 25, 1915 (Thursday)
Signaling class this morning. – Games in P.M. –The officers get right in & have a darn good time with us. – Turned much warmer on deck tonight. – As yet we haven’t the slightest idea where we are bound tho’I guess it’s Liverpool as the passengers are booked there.
Another rumor today that the U.S. has declared war with Germany following rumor regarding sinking of warship. – Probably all rumour.
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February 26, 1915 (Friday)
More signaling – all semaphore. – Getting on fairly well. – 21st furnished ship’s guard today. – I was picked with 26 others. – 3 reliefs – I was in 3rd. – Slept in Guard room all aft. – Went on duty from 6-8 P.M. on deck at top of stairway from 3rd & 2nd class deck.
8-12 in G.Rm. – Had some instruction in Gunnery from Lieut. Dawes. – Also had a feed on grub that Sgt. Patterson had grafted from the 2nd class dining room.
Passed ship westward bound to port at 2 P.M.
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February 27, 1915 (Saturday)
Midnight – on duty again. Inside post this time – Between 1st & 2nd class quarters. – Rather warm but very quiet. – Wrote letters. 2-6 A.M. Had a little sleep. 6-8 A.M. on deck, up forward by the bridge – some wind + spray. – Read & slept in Guard room till Noon. – 12-2 on duty below decks. Near engine room. – Good post at meal time. – Swiped hot potatoes from trays on way to dining room. – Off duty at 2 P.M. – Had a saltwater bath & went to bed till tea time. – Fooled around + visited in Mooney’s cabin till Last Post.
Summary of Trip to Date
Feb. 24 – 234 miles – Fresh to mod. – N.E. wind – Mod. sea – Clear
Feb. 25 – 275 miles – Mod. N.E. wind & sea – Clear to intermittent fog
Feb. 26 – 261 miles – Fresh N.E. gale – Mod. sea – Fine weather
Feb. 27 – 258 miles – Fresh easterly wind – Rough sea – Overcast – Misty showers
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February 28, 1915 (Sunday)
Hazel’s birthday.
Darned sox. – Divine service in 1st class saloon. Was wishing I could stay in there a while and absorb the atmosphere. – Our quarters are so close & smelly. – Feeling kind of lonely. – Good grub – chicken, plum pudding & ice cream. – Slept & wrote letters all aft. & more in the eve. – Moss told my fortune on the cards.
Roughest day yet – Rain