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[Page 75]
Sat. May 19 After Break. we put all our things ready for the move off. Brian Aspinall gave us our warrants & about 12 we buzzed off to Bapaume station in a motor Amb. It was a glorious day & we were all in high spirits. Arrived Bapaume station about 12.30 went to R.T.O's office to get our warrants examined. While waiting for the Train I met Wally Hind, who was also going on Leave to Blighty. He has 2 pips up now, & is o/c Trench Mortar Batteries. We left Bapaume about 3.30 in cattle trucks. It was a great trip, everybody was in such high spirits. We changed Trains at Candas, where the French take over the railway from the British. Arrived Boulogne about 11.30 Sunday morning. From the Train we marched to Coppin's Rest Camp. Here we had some refreshments, bought from the Canteen & a wash & Brush up.
At 3.15 we marched down to the Boat. She sailed at 4.30. The Channel was quite calm, & we were well guarded by a number of destroyers. On the way over we had some meat pies & Tea down at the Canteen. Arrived in Folkestone a bit after 6. It was just glorious being in England again after having been away so many years. People evidently knew ours was the Leave Train, as all along the route to London they waved their hand Kefs. Arrived in London about 9. Here the "Dinkum Anzacs" from Horseferry Road met us, but Snowy & the rest of our party preferred to go on our own. On arrival at H.Q. they paid us straightaway & stamped our warrants. Then we went to the Shaftesbury Hotel & booked a Room.
[Paper with the words Leave to England, obscuring part of page]