21 August 1917

The day has at last arrived and I have left London. After an early morning's packing and visiting administration offices, I caught the staff train from Charing Cross at 12.50 p.m. Never had I dreamt there were so many generals, colonels and majors engaged on staff work. The train was packed with them. … A couple of hours brought us to Folkestone where the Princess Victoria, laden with returning troops, and the staff steamer were waiting. The large amount of equipage carried by myself, gave me an anxious time keeping it from getting mixed with the ponderous amount of baggage dumped promiscuously in the vessel's hold. Whilst waiting, several aeroplane scouts treated us to a magnificent display of diving, turning and manoeuvring. So apparently easy and graceful were their movements, that there appeared no more danger in their evolutions than if they had been birds on the wing. I met Wilkins on board; and so we left the shores of dear old England for the grim duties of France. The weather was beautiful, and our vessel, convoyed by two destroyers, did her 17 knots without a movement. Soon the French coast came in sight and the details of Boulogne gradually became more distinct. We had a particularly fine view just before entering the port of the beach, where great numbers of folk were bathing.