72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

CHAPTER IV.BAPTISM OF FIRE.Battalion sails for Le Havre Reaches Hopoutre, Belgium SirJulian Byng First tour in the line First raid on enemy slines The "Tommy Cooker" A long march The Somme andits mud Working parties Description of arduous Sommeexperiences The march North begins.FOB MANY a year in England August 12th, when according to the almanac "Grouse-shooting Begins," hadbeen a day dear to sportsmen. Now that Britain was toobusy for sport, ithappened to be the day fixed for the departure of the 72nd from Bramshott. They had undergonehard training both here and before they left home. Thattraining was now to be put to the test.On August 12, 1916, therefore, the Battalion, 1055 strong(40 officers and 1015 other ranks) left Bramshott, takingtrain from Liphook to Southampton, and sailing that nightto Le Havre in one of the ordinary Channel boats, which wascrowded up with our men and equipment. At last they werebound for the actual scenes of war, and a natural feeling ofexcitement was general. Le Havre was reached after a sixhourrun, on the morning of the 13th. Upon disembarking,the Battalion was marched to some sheds on the wharf,where it spent the day and night. The following morningit was marched to a rest camp, and that afternoon was paraded through the town. An enjoyable swim in the sea followed which, if it was marked by a paucity of bathing-suits,afforded much refreshment and exhibited a magnificenceof muscular development that a Phidias might have rejoicedto see. In the evening the Battalion entrained, and began21