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orchards and hilly country with small streams of water running through it, Was greatly taken with the clothes washing place on the side of one of the streams, there were a lot of French women washing clothes, using the stream water as it was wanted. could not help noticing how many of the trees were covered with mistletoe on their branches and ivy around the trunks.
We reached Cherbourg at 4 PM and went straight onto the wharf and disentrained, then marched into the barracks and passed our blankets in, then had some hot stew, which was very acceptable. Went on board the Cemearea (C106) at 8 PM, left the wharf at 10 PM, for England (Southhampton), had a shave and clean up and then rolled up in my overcoat and went to sleep on the floor.
Friday Jan 4th
Arrived off Southhampton 5 AM and dropped anchor outside till 7 AM when we steamed into the Wharf. Got up at 5.30 AM and sneaked a wash in the crews quarters, the 28th had to get all the kit bags out of the hold and clean the ship. 9.30 AM marched off the boat to the train, and got aboard, 9 to a compartment, left at 12 AM for Salisbury, had a cup of tea & biscuit on the way, to make up for the breakfast we didn't have, arrived at Codford 1.30 PM and disentrained, formed up on the station and marched into our camp Heytesbury, Wiltshire, the road to the camp is a very good one winding about with some very fine elm trees on each side, when we got out of the train we were greeted with the rumble of guns being fired not far away. Reached camp at 3 AM and had a hot meal, afterwards