At Sea

Wednesday July 17

Dear Mother:-

Here I have been a week at sea and haven’t had the energy to write a line yet. Have enjoyed the trip immensely so far. Lovely weather and haven’t missed a meal. Mary has been wonderful too. Spend most of the day on deck, rolled up in a steamer rug, half asleep. Have knit quite a bit on Atwood’s sweater, but feel oh too lazy for anything like that.

I told you in my Halifax note what boat we are on. It’s not too bad and of course we have to best staterooms. I am in with 3 other sisters. Mary & Miss Rowan are together with two civilians one a girl going over to be married & the other a woman of 50 who is going over to see her dead husband’s relatives – quite touched in the head she takes spasms in the night & they have to call the doctor in. There are about 2200 troops on board (engineers) and about 100 officers, 36 nursing sisters, and 12 V.A.D’s. As I told you before Stanley Wilson & Wilbur Gerow are two of the officers with us. Mignon [?], Miss Burns, & [?] are also with us. As you probably know Jean Daniel & Alice McKeen joined us Thursday morning, but Gilchrist? & Doris Deveker were left behind, whether they are on another boat in the convoy I do not know. There are as many boats in the convoy as the day of the month I was born & more troops than the 1st Contingent. Nearly all “Yanks” on the other crafts.

Some of the people have been quite seasick bit I never felt better in my life.

It is quite a sight to see so many boats around you but of course takes much longer to cross as the fastest boat has to wait for the slowest. I heard there was English mail the morning after I left – do hope you have sent it on to me. That is if there was any for me.

There is a great-deal of discussion now as to where we will land. It may not be Liverpool after all. Real excitement at twilight last night & nearly everyone went to bed with their clothes on. We couldn’t see anything, but one of the boats evidently did, as they fired a couple of dozen shots at least.

Friday 19th

Still having great weather and enjoying life. My appetite is tremendous.

The heat the first week was something desperate, and we are all burned like Indians. As all the portholes & everything is shut up tight at night we just swelter in our bunks, still I manage to sleep. The last 3 nights we haven’t undressed much & it will be nice to get back to a civilized way of living again. The nurses told me yesterday that this was the only boat with women on board in the convoy so we are wondering where Mrs. Wilson & the rest of the V.A.D’s are.

I believe I must have taken my self filing fountain pen out of my writing case that day before I left as I can’t find it with me. You can send it sometime when you are sending a parcel.

Haven’t heard a scrap of war news since we sailed. I wonder how things are going.

Saturday Morning

 About 10 destroyers met us last night – quite a sight, but no land in sight for a day or two yet. Heard this morning that our port will be the capital but why there I do not know. We have had perfect moonlight nights, but as they are good for the submarines we havent enjoyed them as much as we otherwise might have,

Sunday in the channel now I we expect to reach port tomorrow 

Tuesday Morning. Got in last night now at Thackery. More soon. Love Nettie.