Untitled - Memorial University's Digital Archives Initiative

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dr iving horne a tin tack, Lnebead of being an active Rod he roic participator 1n
,
the greatest var- 1n the history of mankind , in which the Newfoundland Regi me nt
t ook such a procinent end glorious a part, which has for ever i m:nortallzed its
name.
The st~ry is well told and maybe taken for a historic i s sue of f acts.
H. F . Shortio
Pl e;asa ntv!lle
Pleasantvi lle days nee d no deecription t o those of my rea ders 'Who ha ve be en
t here and ha~e see n --for~ ~ th~ta-s~lve l!f -thft ; joy.. --.nd~ ~ta1l9~~ ~dv enture gl eaming .1,,0
the e:yes of Terra Nova I e First Contingent. Th&t t heir hea rts ver e Dot overburden -
ed ~ldth-"Patri'Otler.\ , .I readily grant, but every man of them va e t here i n en sver- t o
Br i t ai n ' 8 outstretched hand of appeal , and they ver-e a l l villing to stand on the
battlefields and he l p to t.hrov back the invade r f rom the l ands he had desecrated .
Speaking fo r myself, the ve ry eent.Lon of the var- seemed to t.hrov a sp e l l
of
ma~ne ti 6lIl upon me , and I could not r esist t he lure of adv en'tur-e , Enlist ment,
attestation and medical exa mfnat done -c-t.h e pr-eH mdnar-Le a of
soldier making , vere
important procee dings to those, vho 'Were not good for t ell ing "fibs" , and whose
year s on eart h vere not quite sufficient to ailo,", Q poed t don i n Hia Majesty t s Army.
I found i t quite an easy mQtter to Bay that I we t 'Wenty: I hope to be forgiven
for that much .
In describing our ear ly training, Major Fr Qnklin l e e f f or t s t o harden u s are
quite \lor t hy of remembr ance. At six o'clock eve r y morning he had u s l ined bot h
sides of the r iver (Qui d1 Vi di) for a dip, all
shirts of f, regardless of 'te mpez-ab-,
ur-e ,
Our marc hing distances were increased dai ly, and hill climbi ng became a
e:peci elity. The rifles seemed to lose their vei ght a s t inle advance d, end the big
boote also were f eel i nt:: l i ghter.