Arthur Douglas Crease Letters, Diaries and Scrapbooks
Letters from Arthur Douglas Crease of Victoria to his brother Lindley Crease and his mother Sarah Crease; instructions for the offensive of July 26, 1917; a regimental notebook, diaries and scrapbook. Learn more.
*All transcriptions are provided by volunteers, and the accuracy of the transcriptions is not guaranteed. Please be sure to verify the information by viewing the image record, or visiting the BC Archives in person.
BC Archives MS-0055; BC Archives MS-2879
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Tues 1 Aug Rec'd orders to report at Shorncliffe Sta at 9:30 tomorrow am for France. Very hot. Did some machine gun work. Wrote letters etc. Splendid bathe at Hythe with Joe & Marshall.
Wed 2 Aug All reported at 9:30 at Shorncliffe Sta. Big crowd of offrs going. Left 10:00 am. Arr'd Southampton per Guildford 3.30 pm. & embarked on La Marguerite about 300 offrs. Very hot. Started 8 pm and Havre 3 am
Thurs 3 Aug Calm & fine. Disappearing lights challenges. Flashing lights, many colours. Search lights. Dim escort. bill buoys near collision. Fog. Strings of lights. Sleep'g on deck. Social tea bisc'ts. Stars. Set foot on French soil for first time at 7:30 am. First roll call of about 400 off'rs some taken from Ca Bn & sent to Harfleur for the front. The rest including Andrews Gray Cap. McK Bridgman & self sent to Camp No. 2 [illegible] Havre
BC Archives, MS-2879 Box 82 File 2 / CREASE FAMILY / Diary of Arthur Douglas Crease, 1915 - 1917.