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25 Sept 50
Here I’ll catch up on events for Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, Barry Hercus and some other fellows and I went in and saw Queen’s play OAC. Queens won 16-5 but the OAC team played very well and Queens had to fight all the way and at times were outplayed. I don’t think that the big Yellow team has the power it had last year. The line isn’t as good. On Sunday, the usual church parade. I ran around the harriers course with Fritz with no ill effects. Played my round in the tennis tournament and lost to a recruit Hamlin 6-8 and 6-4. He beat Hampson too so I don’t feel bad. Tony was way out of my class last year. War canoe crew practiced again today. It was windy and cold so what did we do? We tipped her. After floundering around for about five or six minutes we were all picked up, drenched and shivering. Luckily I didn’t have my watch on but Moon Hall lost his in the water.
28 Sept 50
On Tuesday I ran the harriers course again and did a bit better. Wednesday was a long full day. We went through the complete ceremonial drill. Afterwards I went to the riding class, which Capt Malone has just started. He had five horses in the hockey rink and taught a group of us the fundamentals. He is a good man for the job and we’ll learn a lot from him. After that, Jim Graham and I went around the harriers course—my wind has improved a lot since Monday. Fritz and I took out a canoe and went around Cedar Island, came back and went in the war canoe practice. The afternoon’s exercise really made me sleep last night. Willie Hough charged about five of us for not whisking well enough. We got 1 D.I. out of it. We have a lot of defaulters these days—most of them recruits. Today another war canoe practice… The Brigadier has bought two sloops for the College and they are very smart boats (Bluenoses).
29 Sept 50
After classes we had the dress rehearsal for tomorrow’s parade with the RCAF Training Command Band from Trenton. The rehearsal went off quite well. Spent the night cleaning boots etc… finished off a cake down in Barry Hercus’ room. The ex-cadets started to arrive this afternoon…a group of older ones stayed on the lower deck and the guys doubled up on the second and third decks. An ex-cadet came over last night and called out all the recruits then fired questions at them about the College and customs etc.
30 Sept 50
The parade went off well today. It was a lovely sunny day for opening day. The Minister was unable to be here for the parade so Lt. Gen Simmonds inspected us. The march pasts were both good and our advance in review order was pretty fair. Don and Mother arrived in time for the parade and I think enjoyed it. There were a large number of ex-cadets down today. Two cadets fainted during parade, which was very long, but the rest of the Wing was very steady I think. The regatta this afternoon went over well but our squadron lost to No. 3 Squadron—we even lost the war canoe race to Pouliots’
crew. We then had dinner in Kingston and went to a show. Mother and Don stayed at the B.A. Hotel and were quite amused by the antiques around the place. Prime Minister St Laurent arrived this evening for the R.M.C. Club banquet. The first edition of the “Marker” came out today; it is very smart now—printed on smooth paper.
1 Oct 50
Mother and Don came out early and I showed them through the buildings and around the grounds. The memorial service at the arch was short—about one hundred and fifty ex-cadets paraded I would say. Jim Graham and I spent the afternoon canoeing and as it was very calm we were out in the Leary G. towing in becalmed dinghies.
2 Oct 50
Ran the harriers course again—quite a few fellows jog up and back to Fort Henry each night now. After supper seven of us with Capt Malone did some riding in the rink…he had us doing elementary drill.
