Friday, October 15, 1943.

Friday, October 15, 1943.
No breakfast this morning - fresh out! We have been alerted about shipping out, so I am staying in camp. A poor lunch and dinner. I got some money changed, and went to the PX. I ran into Beatty, who is just coming over here from the U.S.!
We left here about 1930, by truck, for the boat. After waiting around quite a while (the old military game), I boarded at 2330. My baggage almost got the best of me. It weighs more than I do!
This is a beautiful, and large ship - the Empress of Scotland, It used to be the Empress of Japan, and sailed on the Pacific run. It sure is nice! There are 12 of us in a fairly large room, in double-deck bunks. I have an upper berth - beneath a port hole. We have a separate bath. The room was a suite for two in peacetime! At that time, the ship carried about a tenth of the complement as now!
Our Steward is named “Snowy”, and he is very nice. Our bunks are very soft and inviting - with CLEAN linens and TWO soft pillows, and two woolen blankets. There are officers from P-40’s; B-17’s; b-25’s and B-26’s in here. We have already started arguing about the relative merits of our different planes. I go to bed not knowing if we will leave tonight or not. (P.S. - We didn’t get away.)