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February 26, 1973.
4
Dear Alice:
My association with the British in World War I was brief but pleasant. It began when we boarded the [[underline]] Adriatic [[/underline]] the morning of September 8, 1917. The Adriatic was one of the big passenger ships of the White Star Line (later merged with Cunard). It had not yet been remodelled for troop carrying, so we enjoyed the usual amenities of an ocean voyage in peacetime. As an officer I was entitled to first class passage but my low rank relegated me to the cheapest of first class accommodations. Naturally I had an inside stateroom. It was small, I estimated about 6 by 7 feet. But it was mine own, and each morning the steward knocked on my door to announce "Bahth ready, sir". I had never been so pampered before. (On my return voyage, 14 months later, I was on on an American ship, the Finland. I shared with three other wounded officers a room only slightly larger, and stuffier, with two-decker bunks. No one except my roommates cared whether I took a bath or not).
Nevertheless the Adriatic on this voyage was functioning as a troop carrier. When we arrived at the pier the men and gear of the 101st Field Artillery were already being taken aboard. That continued for 36 hours, during which time we did not move. We were not allowed to show ourselves [[strikethrough]] at [[/strikethrough]] on any of the outside decks. It seemed to me a rather futile attempt to hide what was going on from the German Intelligence. Nearly all the first-class passengers were American officers, most of them belonging to the 101st but some going over unattached, as we were. I don't think there were more than half a dozen civilian passengers. I met a Professor Trowbridge, a physicist from Princeton, going to work with the British on some technical problem. There was Sir Gilbert Parker, a Canadian novelist whose books were popular then but are now forgotten. I can't even recall any of their titles. One evening at dinner Sir Gilbert gave a brief but moving speech about the war. Finally there was Lady Drummond, a handsome, amiable old dowager who spent an hour each morning giving lessons in French to anyone who cared to sit in. I attended her class regularly. 

The 101st Field Artillery was a National Guarxd unit from the Boston area, called into active service. It was part of the 26th division, made up entirely of New England National Guard. I did not know it then, but the 26th was the fourth American division to be [[strikethrough]] seht[[/strikethrough]]sent