OCTOBER 16TH, 1914, AFTER SOME ROUGH WEATHER AND BEING VERY LOW ON PROVISIONS, THE REGIMENT WAS GLAD TO ARRIVE AT PLYMOUTH

Agar continues his letter of October 12th to Mabel: 

Wednesday 14th.

We have had two really rough days and blowing like blazes, it is now 3 p.m. and we are within a few miles of Plymouth with orders to anchor in the harbour. I don’t suppose we will land till tomorrow.

Friday 16th.

All the transports have now been anchored in the stream off the Dockyard Plymouth. No shore leave and up to noon today no disembarkation – or any other kind of orders have been received. No communication with shore. Buller’s people are in Plymouth and he can’t even write to them. A Naval Officer who came on board told me we were to have gone to Southampton, but they discovered German submarines waiting for us, so sent us on here. We may yet go there. This is a beautiful harbour and chock full of Naval craft of sorts. When we were coming in past the boys training ships, three old oak ships one in front of the other, with bridges connecting, the boys manned the rigging and gave us a cheer. We have no idea what the War Office is going to do with us and can only stand by all packed ready to disembark or go to sea when the order comes. We have for the last 3 days run out of tobacco and drinks of any kind. The weather is beautiful and Plymouth, looks from behind our prison bars, very inviting. 

11 a.m.

The C.O. has just come aboard from a visit to the Commander in Chief and at 12:30 we are going on shore in tugs for a route march returning to the ship tonight. I will post this on the march in a pillar box, also one to Anthony.

Goodbye old girl. I hope you don’t miss me as much as I miss you at all the times. 
Ever thine,

Agar.

This selection of photographs is from an unnamed personal album in the PPCLI Archives. Only the one photo of Talbot Papineau and Hamilton Gault has a caption. Click on each photo to enlarge. 

Talbot Papineau (left) and Hamilton Gault (right)
On board the Royal George