When the casualties began to return from France, they came in ship loads, about ninety per cent. returning through the Port of Halifax. Sometimes as many as three vessels a week arrived. Most of the well-known big ships were engaged in bringing home these war-scarred veterans, among the number being the _Olympic_, _Aquitania_ and _Mauretania_. In this work the Army Service Corps played an important part, as they made all train, berthing and feeding arrangements, as well as issuing all ranks with the necessary tickets for transportation. The Army Service Corps worked out each train “consist,” gave the completed train schedules to the railroad officials, who made up the trains in accordance therewith. Lieut.-Col. E. C. Dean, who had just returned from France, was appointed Chief Transport Officer. Other Army Service Corps officers employed on this important work were: Major F. W. Wickwire (who later succeeded Colonel Dean as Chief Transport Officer), Capt. S. A. Doane, Lieut. Ken. Love, Capt. L. Prickler, and Lieut. George H. Edgar. Also assisting were eighty train conducting officers, one of whom was placed in charge of each troop train to look after the comforts of the men, see that they were properly fed, and that the train was run through to its destination without undue delay. Troops were disembarked at the rate of 1,000 under one hour: the _Olympic_ and _Aquitania_, each carrying 5,500, were cleared in five hours. About twelve to fourteen trains on an average were required to despatch this number of men homeward, and the fact that over a quarter of a million men were thus entrained, ticketed, berthed and fed en route without a single mishap or complaint serves to illustrate the almost perfect system that prevailed. Troops were entrained at the rate of 1,000 an hour, which meant that a troop train departed every half hour, which may be considered quick work even from a railroad standpoint. Though he was not connected with the military in any way, at the same time a word of praise is due Mr. Ernie Cameron, now Superintendent of the Dining and Sleeping Car Department of the Canadian National Railways at Halifax, for the very able, efficient co-operation he gave the military authorities in making up trains, providing most excellent meals for the men en route and in many ways doing his bit to make the home-coming of the warriors a happy one. The Maritime Provinces, and Nova Scotia in particular, may justly be proud of the part played in the Great War by their sons who wore the badges of the Army Service Corps. The highly creditable achievements of this organization—a Unit usually little heard of, but which accomplishes big things—has shed lustre on the names of the three Provinces down by the sounding sea. CHAPTER XXV. _THE CANADIAN ORDNANCE CORPS._