Item 02: John Duncan McRae diary, 11 December 1916-9 February 1917 - Page 85

[Page 85]

half-mast on account in because young Brown's body has lost its soul. This was one of our guests at Liverpool & was that small, young chap with pink, rosy cheeks & is the one, I think, to whom father referred in one of his letters. He was a nice quiet chap & a couple of nights before had been taken from our quarters suffering from appendicitis. And his short day's work is done.

Jan 30. Up early this morning more full of anticipation than heretofore. We were all up early to see what was going to happen. For the first time in my life I saw snow, but it was only very light & in all no more than three tiny flakes came my way. After breakfast we were issued with a few ship's biscuits & a tin of 'bully-beef' each & this had to do us for the next 24 hours although ere that time had elapsed we scored in the way of food, elsewhere. At 11 we boarded the tender "Sir Walter Raleigh" & were taken ashore and an hour later were all safely packed in a long train steaming across