Travelling to St. John's to Enlist

Heroes Remember

Travelling to St. John's to Enlist

Transcript

Went to Catalina and we leave the steamer there, got on a train and went through to Saint John’s. We got in chums with a fellow on the train and, a solider fellow. He was going through to Saint John’s and whoever he was talking to anyway, he signed up, this soldier fellow, was going to take the whole lot of us to the boarding house where he was going. We didn’t have to bother anything so that’s what we done. When we got to Saint John’s, we just took our suitcase and went on went in to the boarding house just as though it was our own. Next day we signed on. I was one of the bunch when I signed on we needed to get, we went on to get measured see for our clothes and went in and I got the suit right from the boots up from the socks. Socks, drawers, shirts, pants, tunic, great coat, everything all ready for me. Somebody had it made and never wore it, but I wore it out.

Description

Mr. Brinson describes his train voyage to St. John's, being assisted by a soldier once there, and getting a complete uniform when he enlisted the following day.

Jesse Brinson

Jesse Brinson was born in Western Arm, Newfoundland in 1897. His father was a fisherman and trapper, and he trapped with his dad for eight years. In 1913 Mr. Brinson joined a lumber camp. He then worked aboard schooners, fishing and freighting. Mr. Brinson enlisted and trained in St. John's, but the war ended before he was sent overseas.

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