End of The Great War

My father was born in 1898 and went out to France as a nineteen year old second Lieutenant in September 1917  He was on his way back from England to rejoin his battalion when the Armistice was declared. This is his letter home:

Dear Daddy

Yesterday was a wild day. We got the news of the signing of the armistice at 9.15 and great was the jubilation. A draft of Australians going off to the line threw their tin hats and respirators on the ground saying they wouldn't be needing them now and left them there.

I went into Havre in pm. It was amazing the civilians were marching about with Belgian, French, USA,English,Australians arm in arm singing the Marseilles and waving flags. All work stopped including the trams. Hundreds of bands marched about playing , followed by huge crowds cheering and singing and dancing. The number of soldiers drunk by tea time was amazing, by evening they were lying all over the streets, the civilians were as bad . We had tea & dinner & came back at about 9.30.

At Tortonis, which is the biggest rest camp by dinner time everyone was tight, pouring champagne stuff all over everyone 7 the floor, hurling bottles and glasses about.

All the ships blew their hooters continuously for hours, some of them were illuminated. We are still waiting here for our orders which I trust will come soon.