If you check the Travel Orders issued in France (see photos in this section) you will identify those RCAF personnel who travelled to France on the SS Columbia. These orders clearly identify those service personnel who travelled to France with dependents as well as identifying the hotels which were used in Paris prior to departure for Grostenquin. My second son was the first to be brought ashore in his pram from the SS Columbia. We knew that we were supposed to go unaccompanied, but we just pad no attention to this order. We boarded the train at Gare de l'Est in Paris and arrived quite late at Faulquemont where we booked at various hotels - ours was the Terminus Hotel across the street from the station. We eventually moved to the station into small house trailers imported from England. These were set-up in the 421 Squadron Sabre parking area - so many per marguerite. A trailer park was eventually built around the water tower on the north west fence line near the entrance of the station. As for the first draft, it came from England as it had arrived at North Luffenham near Leeds. I believe that they were ground crews and they must have preceded the squadrons to be ready for them when they arrived at 2 Wing on 11 October 1952. So that made us the second draft. The poor boys must have felt bloody awful in half finished barracks. Heating was initially provided with the use of "Herman Nelsons" and there was a large amount of gas fumes to deal with. As for automobiles, some of us had cars in 1953. I bought my Chevrolet in Luxembourg and used it for many purposes - one of which was to taxi airmen to a Dance Hall named Sheherazade in Nancy.