72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

certainSEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS OF CANADAits first experience of continental box-cars with their wellknownlabel "huit chevaux on quarante hommes" (eighthorses or forty men) the general impression during the 30-hour run to Hopoutre (near Poperinghe, Belgium) beingthat "huitchevaux" would not be so tight a fit as forty soldiers. Notwithstanding its inconveniences, this first railwayjourney had >a charm of novelty. The men listenedfor the sound of guns and felt that they were getting nearerto the actual scene of operations. They had entrained onthe evening of August 14th, and after travelling that nightand most of the next day, arrived at Hopoutre at about4 p.m.Waiting at the railway station was Sir Julian Byng, theCorps Commander, who inspected the Battalion as itmarched off to its billets at Erie Camp. That he was pleasedwith the soldierly demeanour of the men was evident, andthis was confirmed some days later when the Battalion wasvisited by a former officer of the 72nd Regiment, Vancouver.He said that at dinner on the evening following this inspection, Sir Julian referred to the Battalion in complimentaryterms, saying: have at last seen a battalion which, on"Ireceiving the command Eyes Right! actually compliedwith the order."Erie Camp at this period certainly did not present a veryattractive appearance. It seemed a collection of dilapidatedhuts which in some cases had outlived their usefulness. Soonafter occupying these quarters, orders were received tointo the line near Ypres for instruction, and on the eveningof the 18th "C" and "D"Companies marched up to thehistoric place, the intervening five miles being full of interest to the newly-arrived, as flares seemed to be illuminatingthe landscape on three sides. A countermand brought "C"and "D"Companies back again on the evening of the 19thAugust.While at Erie Camp the Battalion was put through a gastest. On the 21st August the Battalion moved to Patricia22go