Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-11-23
1917. by the Bell Syndicate. Inc.

Forty-two hundred Of US sailed for
England on the Empress Of Britain,
sister ship to the Empress Of Ireland,
which was sunk IN the st. Lawrence
river. The steamer was, of course,
very crowded and uncomfortable, and
the eight-day trip across was most un-
pleasant. We had tripe to eat until
we were sick Of the sight of it. A
sergeant reported one morning, Slight
men and twenty-five breakfasts alb
sent" There were two other troop
ships In our convoy, the Baltic and the
Metagama. A British cruiser escorted
us until we were 400 miles off the coast
Of ireland. Then each ship picked up
q destroyer which had come out to
meet her. At that time notice was
posted in the pursers Office informing
us that we were in the war zone and
that the ship would not stop for any
thing, even for man overheard. That
day soldier fell off the Metagama
with 500 in his pocket, and the ship
never even hesitated. They left him
where he had no chance In the world
to spend his money. ~
"Make break!"
Through my training in the V. M.
L, was able to read semaphore sig
nails, and I caught the message from
the destroyer which escorted us. It
read:
"Each ship for herself now. Make a
breakp r.
We beat the other steamers of our
convoy eight hours in getting to the
dock in Liverpool, and, according to
what seemed to be the regular system
Of our operations at that time we
were the last to dlsembark.
The majority of our fellows had new
er been in England before, and they
looked on our travels at that time as
fine lark. Everybody cheered and
laughed when they busted off one Of
those little toy trains and brought it
up to take US away in 1t. After we
were aboard of 1t we proceeded at the
dizzy rate of about four miles an hour,
and our regular company humorist-
no company complete without one
suggested that they were afraid, If
they went any faster, they might run
of the island before they could stop.
We were taken to Bramshott camp, Il
Hampshire, twelve miles from the
Aldershot school of command. The
next day we were given "king's leave"
Eight days, with free transportation
anywhere in the British Isles. It is
the invariable custom to give this sort
Of leave to all colonial troops immedi-
ately upon their arrival In England.
However, in our case Ireland was bar
red. Just at that time Ireland was no
place for a newly arrived Canadian
looking for sport.
After that they really began to make
soldiers of us. We thought our train
ing In Canada had amounted to some
thing. We found out that we might
as well have been playing croquet.
We learned more the first week Of our
actual training In England than we
did from November to April in Cana
da. I make this statement without
fear that any officer or man of the
Canadian forces alive today will dis
agree with me, and submit 1t for the
thoughtful consideration Of the gem
tlemen who believe that our own
armies can be prepared for service
here at home.
In this war every man has got to be
specialist. He's got to know one
thing better than anybody else except
those who have had intensive instruc-
ton In the same branch. And, besides
that, he's got to have effective general
knowledge Of all the specialties In
which his fellow soldiers have been
particularly trained. can illustrate
- immediately upon our return