Wednesday 25th August 1915

The advance party of 10DWR, under Major Buchanan (see 24^th August) arrived in Southampton in the early hours. They were joined there by the Transport detachments of the other Battalions of 69^th Brigade and also by the whole of 11^th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, all of which had travelled on various trains from Liphook during the morning. All these units, along with the Divisional Cycle Company, who had bivouacked the previous night at Southampton docks, then boarded two ships (one of them being the Mona’s Queen; the other is unnamed) and departed for Le Havre.

Mona's Queen

 

In preparation for their impending departure for active service, some of the men of Tunstill’s Company completed and dated the wills in their Army pay books; among those to do so was Pte. Tom Swales (see 7^th May).