72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

AFTER THE ARMISTICE.to the full just what these orders signified. The Frenchwent home when they went on leave. So did the soldiersfrom the British Isles. But to the colonials, whose homewas overseas, this had been denied. If they went on leaveto England or Scotland, they went to a country in whichthey were welcomed with the most cordial and open-hearted hospitality, a hospitality which must ever remain themost pleasant memory of the campaign. Britain was the.Motherland but it was not home. It was, therefore, withthe most intense eagerness that all ranks looked forwardto their departure on the 30th. At the last moment thiswas altered to the 29th, and 10 o clock of the morning ofthat day saw the Battalion drawn up on the parade groundat Ohain in readiness to embus in the long convoy ofmotor lorries which waited to receive the men. After amost touching farewell on the part of the hospitable inhabitants of Ohain, in the course of which the mayor of thevillage hung a laurel wreath on the colours of the Battalionas a memento of its sojourn, the men piled into the lorrieswith an alacrity which was scarcely surprising when thecircumstances are considered. Leaving Wavre in the afternoon, the 72nd arrived at Le Havre in the early hours ofMay1st. Here sudden orders were received to send a detachment of seven officers and about 150 other ranks andthe pipe band, post haste, to London to participate in themarch past of Dominion troops which was to take placebefore the King on May 3rd. As may be imagined, theselection of this draft involved much consideration, as special attention had to be paid to the service records of everyman in the Battalion, in order to ensure that those selected had merited the honour conferred upon them.this had to be done in about two hours, and at 4:30 p.m.May 1st the packet-boat conveying the detachment castoff and the chosen officers and men were sailing for Southampton almost before they had had time to realize theirarrival at the coast. Owing to the great importance of185All