James S. Patrick Diary 1918-1919

1918-1919

James S. Patrick’s diary begins on 20 December 1918 when the teenaged recruit took a street car from New Westminster, British Columbia, to Vancouver where he then boarded the S. S. Princess Charlotte, sailing to Victoria. Less than a week later, Patrick was crossing the Pacific Ocean to his final destination of Vladivostok, Russia—a strategic port city for the Siberian Expeditionary Force. The detailed narrative style of Patrick’s entries indicate that the soldier had ample downtime during which he could record his observations about and experiences with diverse groups of people. From recording conversations with Chinese chefs on board the ship (7) to a fleeting romantic interest in “a lovely russienne” at the American YMCA (32), Patrick’s diary provides valuable insight into the cultural and cosmopolitan dimensions of soldiers’ lives during and after the war.

F 895-1-0-357

Archives of Ontario, North York ON.

Public Domain.