4/

Canadians, only a week in from Canada & none of their baggage had arrived, so we got a beastly meal, & drank weak warm cocoa out of dirty jam jars). The camp is quite [illegible] - huts good - nice stoves, electric light, but absolutely no furniture , of course no cooking utensils in the officers' mess. Bn officers had lunch & dinner with the 147th but the Colonel, one major & myself went down to Shoreham & had a damn good diner at the "Crown & Anchor" & it was then that I cursing, for I cursed from the time I left the Brigadier till I went to bed, went to bed cursing , got up cursing, & cursed all day . When I got back to camp I was dead tired , & rolled up in some blankets (which I managed to get from the 2L.) on the floor, & was asleep almost immediately. During the day, Tuesday , I had a look at the men, I was most appreciably surprised to see what a fine looking lot they were - they looked by hard & fit & appeared to vary from 30 - 50 in age. The Bn only received the men's age when forwarded. They were thoroughly sound & fit. They are quite a good sedate lot - no irresponsible boys, all old enough to know how to keep out of trouble & to have common sense (glad I wasn't sent to the boys Bn). Also the NCO are a jolly good lot - & before the day was out everything was shipshape.

This is a new [illegible] with 5 new Bns Canada, who arrived abt a week before we did, & much to my surprise are officers in the 158th Bn . On Wednesday we had our meals with them, on Thursday we had our own mess going.

There is no Bde here at present, but [illegible] #2 of Officer Col Trorhoab Storchan, of his being new, we cannot get the proper stationary, typewriters, & [illegible] so that prevents me getting on very rapidly. However, I hope next week to get properly fixed up. I have been working all day & every evening since I arrived, except the first night & its quite a change .

Of course the baggage (officers) has been delayed & we haven't got it yet.

BC Archives, MS-0089, Box 1, File 4 GLASSFORD, Deborah Florence (Leighton). Vancouver. Correspondence inward, 1918