Captain Page Rides the Footplate!

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“On Monday 28^th I had a trip up the line to the forward positions at Verst 455. I travelled on an engine – the usual way of getting about! It was very bumpy, and hot. The engine fire was stoked with huge billets of wood. The country we passed through was very bleak and uninteresting – forest and swamp. When I arrived at Verst 455 I found no M.O. there as I had expected, so returned by engine to Verst 466 where I met an American doctor, named Collins – a good sort. I remained with him quite a while, and returned to Obozerskaya by the evening train.

The Flying Corps mess at Obozerskaya was a great place. Like most of the other messes it was housed in a railway carriage. The walls were decorated with pictures distinctly Parisian, and the food served up was always wonderfully good, although it did not touch the efforts of the French chef at H.Q. Mess. The Officers were nearly all Canadians, and a right merry bunch they were too. Many a jolly evening I spent with them. In return for their kindness to me I was able to ‘wangle’ for them a gramophone, and numerous records from the Red Cross Stores!”

Find out about our connection with Dr Page and an introduction to his diary here