⋅ ⋅ ⋅  Shortly after we arrived in Winschoten at the end of the war the colonel called me into his office to talk about the money the regiment had left in a London bank when we left for Italy.  This had accumulated from mess dues which were levied during our time in England in the officers' and sergeants' messes to provide extras over and above the standard rations.  If we did not use this it would be turned over to the militia authorities on our return to Canada and demobilization.  As we were going to be in Holland for some time and as there was a printing business in Winschoten, he had come up with the idea of having a wartime history of the regiment written and printed in book form with a copy being provided to every member of the regiment.  He asked me if I would undertake the task.  I said yes on the condition that he assign Captain Murray Forbes to work with me.  Murray and I were both at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon just prior to enlisting and knew each other from those days.  Murray was editor of the university yearbook and I felt that his experience would be a great help.  The purpose of the war history was simply to provide each member of the regiment with a diary type record of his experiences.  It was at no time intended to be used for general public distribution.

Twelve hundred copies were printed and distributed to all present members as well as those who at some time had been transfered out to other units when it was possible to find them.  Both Murray and I kept the few remaining as spares.  I now have only my own copy left; the others have gone to members who have lost their copy over the years.  My copy is not in great shape due to much handling and a rather second rate bookbinding job by the Winschoten printers.  I mention that it was not intended for general public distribution to explain the frequent use of artillery language and descriptions.

From day one regimental headquarters had maintained a daily diary of events.  These were held for safekeeping in the British war office in London.  My first action on the project was to arrange to hitch a ride to London on an R.C.A.F. plane where I spent a week doing research on the war diary files before returning to Holland.  It was a very special week as my wife, a war bride and a captain in the British women's army, was stationed in London as adjutant at the British home forces headquarters.

One of the major problems was with typesetting.  The knowledge of English at the printers was limited and much proofreading was required as the correction process often created new errors which required further proofreading.