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[Page 81]
Of having a dip in the briny. My evenings were mostly spent at theatres & picture shows there being a fair number of these places in the city which prevented the time from growing monotonous. On the 22nf accompanied by my friend we went by motor to Eastbourne another seaside resort about fourty miles distant to the east this proving a very successful trip. Eastbourne is a much smaller place than Brighton but it is an extremely pretty place being laid out with big lawns & gardens similar to hose at Brighton. There is also a big Pier extending out into the sea & after having tea on the pier we decided to wend our way back to Brighton. It was about 7.30P.M. when we left the motor then to finish the day off we went to a theatre where we spent a very pleasant evening. The beaches around Brighton are of a peculiar formation for instead of being a nice sand similar to our own, they are composed of shingles; small water worn stones of different colours & shapes which make a very peculiar noise when the waves break over them. I left Brighton after a very pleasant holiday by the 2 P.M. train on the 25th going as far as London for the night. That night in London I experienced a Hun Air Raid which was the most awful thing I had yet experienced for it was cruel to see women with babies in their arms & small children making for cover away from the bombs which were being dropped. It was about 7.30PM when the raid started & I was then making my way to a theatre & on going down to a tube station to catch a train I saw hundreds of people on the platform taking refuge there. After going to a theatre I was making my way to a hotel about midnight when I saw thousands of men, women and children still taking refuge on tube stations, in most cases they were sitting on the steps & platforms fast asleep with only a big coat for a covering. The 26th being my last day on furlo I spent the morning in having a final look round London for I had no idea how long it would be before I saw the great city again. I left London by the midday train going a far as Salisbury where I spent the remainder of the afternoon & evening going to a vaudeville show at night after which I returned to camp sick, sore & sorry after a real good time. Next morning on parade I was detailed with four other N.C.Os of our battalion to hold ourselves in readiness to return the battalion in France. We were also sent before a doctor for medical & dental inspection then instructed to stand bye to await orders to move. We were very lucky for we remained all that week in the camp also spent the week end in Salisbury having a real good time for we knew it would be the last. On Monday morning we received orders to the affect that the draft would proceed overseas that night & although we knew what it meant to go back to France everyone was happy enough to know they were going back to the old battalion. After having a very decent send off in the camp the draft fell in about 8PM consisting of five N.C.Os for each battalion in our Division being sixty men all told. The party started to move about 8.30PM & after marching about half a mile we were joined by sixty other N.C.Os of the 2nd 3rd & 4th Divisions & all being old soldiers it was a very happy party. We had to march to Amesbury Station which was soon done at an easy pace but at the same time it was a considerable strain for we had to carry full gear it being the first for some time. The party was put aboard a special train about 10.30PM when most of the boys settled down for a few hours sleep. Our slumber was disturbed during the early hours of the next morning by a porter calling out "Folkestone all out here".