Canadian Thanksgiving

[Gustaf]

Gus is already on the Mountie's watch list due to the infamous "grenade incident" where he tried to bring one across the border. I have never been to Idaho and would like to visit it and that Minnesota state one of these days as well. All in good time.

Not the Mounties, that was Customs, and they are the most professional bunch of boarder guards I have encountered in the world. They were cool with me keeping the grenade, but it was just a few weeks after the Saudi attack on New York and the Pentagon and I did not think the US customs would have been as professional.

 

[b.loree]

Your comment re CN Border people is much appreciated Gus. It is probably less than 5 years since they were finally armed. I hope you have read my post in the WW1 section..."Percy Kingsley Gas School" I had you in mind when I composed it, as I know you have an original CEF, PH helmet and a few gas masks. I am thinking about doing a post listing the titles of CEF survivor memoirs. Many of them have been published in the last 5 years as 2014 approached. There is a very special one written by a CN sniper and survivor of the first Ypres gas attack. Like Kingsley he was a member of the 1st contingent sent over in 1914. These men need to be celebrated for their service even though they are no longer with us.

 

[Gustaf]

Yes, I found the comments on the gas interesting. I would argue the comment on the masks though, The SBR was a great mask, but it required a time consuming process to change the filter, it had a larger filter and could be used in strong gas for much longer than the other masks. The German and French masks that used the screw on filters could be changed during use, and there were filters that were designed for different gasses. The special lenses in the German leather mask were rather ingenious, coated with a thin film of gelatin, they would absorb moisture rather than build up condensation on the inside of the lens, they did turn opaque when they had absorbed too much moisture though and that is why there were replacements issued with the mask.