72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

THE WAR STARTS.Empress of Britain, the convoy consisted of H. M. T. Metagamaand H. M. T. Lapland, with the cruiser Carnarvondoing patrol duty. It sailed on Wednesday, April 26th, in ablizzard. The voyage across was uneventful. The customary drills were undertaken, and though everybody wore alife-preserver and was on the qui vive for submarines, noenemy of that kind made his appearance. Boat drill wasundertaken twice a day, and many of the men saw for thefirst time the Lewis guns, which, with their crews wereposted to look out against the submarine menace. As theship was crowded, there was considerable satisfaction whenLiverpool was reached on the evening of Thursday, May 4th.The weather had been good and the inconveniences of thevoyage had been taken in good part. On Friday morning,May 5th, the Battalion disembarked and took train to Liphook.This small place on the Portsmouth road has comeinto a prominence to which it was formerly a stranger,and among the stories about it that have been unearthedis the legend that Lord Nelson stayed at its principal inn,the Crown and Anchor, for one night previous to goingon board the Victory for Trafalgar.The shades of evening had fallen over the English landscape before Liphook was reached. On detraining, the Battalion marched to Bramshott, a distance of about threemiles. "As the boys had been on the train all day," saysone of them, "they were tired and hungry. Great, therefore,was their satisfaction at being very hospitably received bythe 54th Battalion who had provided at the cookhouse asgood a meal as ever was tasted. They also gave us breakfastnext morning. The boys will long remember this kindnesson the part of a B. C. regiment. It was like a bit of home."The Battalion now found itself in a well-appointed campwhich combined huts, to accommodate about 30 men, withthe usual military tents. Morning breaking revealed Bramshott as a camp of about l 1 /^ miles long by V^ mile broad,on high ground, between Liphook and Hindhead on the