At dawn, we arrived at Southampton and were landed on the pier where breakfast was given all hands in the huge Goods sheds near by. We then entrained in two comfortable fast English trains and speeded northward until at midday we reached Warminster and disentrained and marched about four miles to the vast encampment on Salisbury plains, called Sutton Veny where we were to remain until it was our turn to embark for home. This was April 19, 1919. The Quota was then allotted to tents in No. 8 camp whilst all officers went into No. 2 officers camp and occupied huts. There was a mess room and a recreation room whilst the huts were divided into cubicles for two, fitted with bunks of a rather rough nature.

In the recreation room was a bar, two billiard tables, card tables, a piano and pianola, the latter being almost “played to death.” Next to us was a huge General Hospital and during a visit I discovered “China” Wilson, an old “C” company comrade, who had been a member of my reinforcement on leaving Australia. He was one of those who had received frightful wounds at Hangard Wood and had been in hospital ever since. During the weeks that we remained at Sutton-Veny camp awaiting embarkation, we were not required to do very much in the way of work and in fact, except for the usual routine duties which fell to each officer in turn, we really did nothing. We had to take our place, when it came to our turn, in doing guard duty, orderly duties and a little clerical work, but apart from that, we simply spent the time in reading, sleeping, cards and billiards in the Mess-room.

Also, we frequently visited the Camp entertainment and cinemas and indulged in long walks in the cool of the evenings, out in the country lanes near the camp. On April 23rd, the men on quota No. 33 were each allowed to draw £10 and were given two weeks embarkation leave. This did not include the men from other quotas- I therefore, as usual, made straight for Mr. Hookham’s place on Muswell Hill and there made my headquarters for the first six days. Then I went to Worthing again, and spent 2½ days with my two aunts and on my return, I spent a further two days with my relations at Putney. I then paid a hurried visit of another two days to Dover in order to say farewell to my Cousin Vivian who lived nearby at St. Margarets-at-Bay. Each of these visits were made more for the sake of saying farewell to my English relatives to thank them for their many kindnesses to me, than for any other reason. On first arriving in London at the commencement of this tour of leave, I had applied to the Lord Chancellor for a place at one of the forthcoming investitures at Buckingham Palace in order to receive my Military Cross at the hands of the King.