We didn’t have much to do. We were, there’s nothing to do on
the reserve. We were restless, I guess, you could call us,
and we wanted something, something to do. And then, right
here there was nothing to do so we had a little more to do in
the Army. More interesting, so that's the reason why we joined
the Army. I didn’t even think about getting killed or going to
the front lines or anything like that. Just, you just want to go
in the Army. And we had, they get us, buy our uniforms and
everything. We had clothing, they feed us, and then I told my
mother, “If I go in the Army, that I could give you half my wages
and you’ll have some money coming to you.” So, she let me go
to join the Army. So, that’s the reason why I, we, went.
I think all the rest of the young people that joined the Army was
in the same way. They didn’t have to go, we didn’t have to go,
but we went anyway. Done the same thing as they did over there,
which is white people. And in the Army there was no
discrimination at all, we were all used the same.
We were all equal. So I liked the Army life.
Well, I know I was in the Army, I was proud to be in the Army.
It didn’t surprise me, because I was in uniform. I was the same
as all the rest of them, and they were the same as I was.
So we were just one. So I didn’t find any surprise at all.
I felt good when I... wearing the uniform and all Army boots and
everything, and you were warm. You go outside, they call you
out in the morning even for breakfast parade. And then in the
winter time like this, it’s frost, real frosty in the morning,
‘cause we go out about seven o’clock. And then you hear them
crunching the frost on the snow. It sounds good with your boots.
And you’re nice and warm and you know you’re going to get
something good to eat for breakfast. And from then on,
after breakfast we just keep on training.
There’s about 30 in a hut. Thirty in one place where we sleep.
And there was probably 300 in all, in what there is, in other
different companies there, different regiments. Like there’s
West Novies, North Novies, and Carlton-York, that’s where I was,
three different regiments. So they all, we all ate in the same
ranks so I don’t know how many they are. But, anyway, in our...
There was about 300 in our bunch. That’s only a holding unit.
And then we go there a little while and then
send us out to the regiment.