Description
Mr. Young describes the rough crossing from England to Le Havre, and going by train to the front.
Percy Young was born in New Brunswick on September 13, 1896. At an early age he learned to shoot, driving nails with a .22 calibre rifle. Mr. Young later found employment with the Canadian Pacific Railway in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, the hub of western rail travel. Because there were 22 passenger trains a day in Moose Jaw, it was an active recruiting area. On September 15, 1915, Mr. Young, along with 14 friends, enlisted in the 46th Battalion. He took his basic training at Camp Sewell, Saskatchewan and qualified as a sniper. Currently, our information doesn’t indicate in which battles Mr. Young saw action, but he does describe the 46th Battalion being awarded the Chocolate Stripe for its superiority in all aspects of field training. Mr. Young joined the Saskatchewan Security Corps during the Second World War and later became active in the Royal Canadian Legion.
Transcript
There was a real blow on in the channel that night. And some of Soldiers boarding ships. us that got in, there’s Walter Eddie, and Norm and Gordon Farther view of Soldiers boarding ship. McClellan, Bob Cole, and a few others there, and we laid round in the middle of the ship right where there would be less roll in there than anywhere else. But I remember on our way over we left View of Ship departing harbour with Soldiers from another vessel. Horn sounds. Hopestone and got off at Le Havre, but there was a lot of them Rear view of Ship departing harbour, while women wave goodbye on dock. sick. I remember Walter Eddie, he was right close to me and he Ships in convoy crossing open body of water. says, “Norm, Norm, don’t do that, I got a bean in my ear.” View from back of ship, showing trailing vessels. He told me Norm had puked on him. At Le Havre we got up, we climbed those steps up there, Ship arriving to destination. I believe it’s only 190 steps but they’re all up and walking up Soldiers departing ship. Trumpet playing in the background. there is the biggest job, because after getting off especially the fellas that was sick. I remember helping somebody and I was feeling pretty good myself. It might have been Temple, his name Cargo being off-loaded from ship. was. He was pretty rolly you know and we had our full marching kit on then, all our equipment was carried. I think we was there, Soldiers gathering and smoking together. might have had two days, not any more than that before they was Soldiers sitting together, listening to one read a letter. due up the line and back in at Ypres Salient. We started out from Running Hurst (sp) and went up through the centre, started out Soldier pouring coffee from thermos. Train departing with Servicemen. via train, French train, and they took us up the lines. It was Train travelling through the country side. before dark. We had quite a little ways to go from where we was Mortar shell exploding as Soldiers run by billeted. And the Germans started throwing over a bunch of German gun firing, shells exploding. shells at us so the train had to quit. One thing I noticed though German gun fires again. Horse and carriage scrambling to leave. there was a lot of duds in those shells.