Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-06-04
ORR WRITES /.
ABOUT LII. LIFE /.
~ Hf' r4E-. 80 t'-t1- 1919. ~ Nsssvg
IN ORIENT
British Lieutenant in Mesop.
atarnia Sends Letter ]
Here. :. IS

h"rs - stes" &. f----s N-s.- ~ lE.Ha', M.t.LfHEg fNf
Lieutenant F. L. Orr, who prior 10
the war had been in the service OF the
Canadian Pacific railroad as caps
AIN son.5ferries crossing the Canadian
lakes,s islin Mesopatamia on active
service with the British army and ha4
written an interesting letter to his
aunt Mrs. ]. Bath, in THU, city, tell
ing about life and ~;lardscapes in the
distant countries where his duties
have led him. 10y
After having described s~eriessof
personal circumstances Immediately
prior to his departufesfor the front,
Lieutenant; Orr tells about the voyage
across the Atlantic: Z 2
Having been at sea for about two
days the ship took. rather a heavy
list tQs port. and 1t was found. on *
amtnation%that one OF her holds was
full OF E q water. This awasAacaused
IN Sk1Anshaving placed a bomb IN
IIhescAt1yssof wheat when the ship wis
call was sent out. and the ship headed
hack to Halifax; at; which place NE
arrived safely We were then trans
ferred to another, ship and set sail
again, and in due time arrived at Fall
mouth, England. after having had q
rather close shave with subs. We
n proceeded to London. We re-
ported at the war Office and were lin:
structed to get our uniforms. kit, etc.
made SO took in the. sights OF London
town. Then we were sent to the
south Of. England to camp at a place
called Sandwich to take a short
course Of officers training
may gay that I rather liked, It.
After being there for a short time we
were moved to Glasgow. where our
training was continued. The latter
part of April we yer ordered to re-
port at Davenport. England, for en-
We proceeded on board
ship and to sea in due course under a
strong convoy of armed vessels.
Went Around the Cape. ID
we were not long at sea when we
ahead of us around the Cape of Good
Hope. Our first port of call was Sier-
ra Leone. West Africa, where we took
coal. water, etc. We were there
three days. Our next port was Cape
town. South Africa where: we stayed
one day. 1t is a very beautiful place
with table mountains rising at the
back. We then went on to Durham
which is around the Cape. We dis
camp to wait another ship. I was
there for two months and had real
nice time. and the people were ex-
tremely kind to us. l then took ship
for the Persian Gulf, and after a
twenty days sail we. dropped anchor
off the mouth of the Shaft El-Arab
river at 8 a. m. No land in sight and
the heat was terrific. Five men were
dead from it by 4 p. m. The dead
ing the ship the last bugle sounded
the last post. This was our greeting
to Mesopotamia- Next morning we
sailed up the river so miles. and came
to anchor off Basrah. and went to
camp out on the desert. The next day
I was appointed lieutenait on a river
steamer. and here I am today. a..
Nothing But Shell Holes.
1.-THE headquarters Of the British
army q since been moved. The
next place Of Importance is Kut.
Some big battles have been fought in
This place. l have been over the
fields. Nothing now remains but
maze Of trenches and shell holes and
Farther up the river are several Arab
villages. Ctespton which was once a
large and powerful city is now a mass
Of ruins and tombs. The British
army was defeated here and retreated
back to Kut where they were forced
to surrender. The mex city is Bar,
dad which is wonderful, built of brick
and mud. 1t doesn't look so bad from
the river but when one is on shore
the streets are narrow, crooked and
dirty. The British army has already
started to widen some Of the streets,
and put in water pipes and a sewer
system. ...
1 am in command Of a river steam
er running between Basrah and Bag
dad a distance of 500 miles. We car
~ supplies up h river and sick and
wounded down. This river is very
narrow, crooked and shallow and
navigation is difficult in places. How
ever I like the work first rate, but this
is not a white mans country though
this time Of the year it is not so bad,
but the heat in summer is something
ouFulD