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[Page 21]
3.
bags etc.
My cousin Mrs Henderson was trying to get sand bags made – strong calico about the size of a pillow slip which when sent to the front is filled with earth & used for a protection where the men are unable to dig trenches – She had got 5,000 & sent them over to her son at Neuve Chapelle, but as she sadly said to us, that only made a small shelter for 30 yards. Still everyone was helping in some way or other.
Some of these fine society women were running free buffets for soldiers. Any soldier could get sandwiches & a cup of tea or coffee free & the buffets were open from 6 am till mid-night at all the big railway stations, & the men coming & going to the Front used to be very thankful for it.
The Churches were full & many a poor soul in black would quietly weep when some hymn or verse would awaken thoughts of their loved dead. There were a great many people in black in London & alas there must be many bereaved families in our sunny land now. – & the end is not yet.
Everywhere in London were patriotic posters exhorting men to join the army, & recruiting sergeants, with their red, white & blue cockades used to be everywhere calling the men to join. All vehicles & shops were placarded with posters "Your King & your country need you" "if the cap fits, join to-day" etc etc & always regiments marching by. It used to quite break me up – I could not bear to see them going away. So many of them will never come back to those they love. Oh indeed war is very cruel – & the world will be a very sad place for the present generation when the fighting is over & the victims count the cost.
Well to come back to ourselves – I got letters every week now from my husband & in all of them he said how uncertain their stay in Egypt was, & he urged me to get a house or flat, so I set out to house hunt & had just secured rooms at Ealing near the common & opposite my great Aunt Elizabeth Elsmie. Mrs Norris & Nancy liked the rooms so much that they took rooms next door to us & moved in right away, & then I got a cable saying that we were to get inoculated & vaccinated & could come to Egypt.
Hurrah – Cancelled the rooms – were all inoculated & vaccinated & booked our passages by the Bibby liner Warwickshire leaving on April 30th. Will wanted our passage to come overland, but Cooks & the War Office both said it was very risky taking children overland. The train might be stopped anywhere & commandeered for troops & we would have to make our way as best we could to the nearest station, & then trust to luck to getting another train. People going overland were advised to allow themselves from 4 to 6 days; & this for a 36 hour journey!
So at 10.30 am on April 30th the children Amy & I left Euston for Birkenhead & Nancy Norris came too. It was horrid saying goodbye to Trixy but luckily train partings are quick – not long drawn out like steamer farewells. At 3 pm we arrived at Birkenhead & got a most awful tumbledown taxi & reached the boat after about a quarter of an hours drive around the docks, only to find that we would not be allowed on till 5 owing to the Aliens Act, so we went to a local hotel, had afternoon tea & drove to the boat again arriving at 5.15. A most vile man demanded my passport – I told him I had'nt one that the War Office & Officials had told me that "British Subjects going to British Protectorates did'nt need passports unless travelling thro' other countries. He was extremely rude, but I had the children to think of I let him talk however at last I cut him short & said "Will you let us on the boat or won't you?" He gasped & said "go on" & so we went. He was rude like that to all women passengers, but meek as a lamb with those whose husbands were with them.
Then Nancy wanted to come on & luckily she knew the General in charge of the forces in Liverpool, & having heard that there was an obnoxious officer there, she wrote to the General & asked him for a pass. He sent her one signed by himself. So in a meek little voice she said "May I go on board with my friend please? & he said "No you can't" "but I have a pass" & he said "passes are no good here, the military are in control" & then still meekly she said "but my pass is from the General" he snapped out "What general? Give it to me". She handed him the pass & I thought he would have burst, for she smiled & I laughed outright & in an awful voice he said "go on" & she came, & his assistants tittered & I'm sure he would have liked to kick both Nancy & me.
Well, the boat was due to sail at 6 but it did'nt leave till nearly 9 & then we left in a dense fog with the fog horn going every 3 minutes. It does'nt sound much, but you try the most raucous whistle you know every three minutes & at last it will nearly drive you mad. We had it for 2 nights & 1 day – it was like Heaven when it stopped.
Somehow this time I felt I did'nt care a bit about the submarines – I only felt I was off to "my old man" & did'nt care what happened. Once more the boats were all slung out & the officers most anxious, but again we escaped – there were only 14 passengers on board & one other child besides ours & a baby Peter's age, & the Captain had baby food & biscuits put in every boat, for he did'nt know what boat the children would get in to in case of accidents & had each ready.
We had an uneventful trip to Marseilles, but were held up for 5 days. The harbour was full of Steamers they were tied up 2 & 3 deep at the Quays waiting for labourers to load & unlod their cargoes. Most of the waterside labour is Italian & nearly all these men have gone home, for altho' war had not yet been declared by Italy, she had called her reserves in & only that we had arms for the French Government we would not have got away as quickly as we did. On our arrival in Marseilles the police said if we wished to land we must get passports, so off we went – a mob of us passengers to get our photos taken & went to the British