Exactly 100 years ago today, my 18 year old grandfather, Kurt William Leucht, wrote the following entry into his journal:

I got up at 5:30am.  I was on the deck at 6:00 when land came into view.  We were getting closer and closer to Great Britain.  English warships and sail ships were in sight.  At 11:00am, two English steamships came closer to the Vaterland.  Our ship traveled slower.  The steamships finally connected to our ship.  One received the luggage, the other took on the passengers that were going on to South Hampton.

Our ship stayed in place until 2:00pm, then continued on with full steam.  Around 5:30, France came into view.  I could see the fortifications on the land.  Again two ships came.  At 7:30, we went on our way.  When it became dark, there was hearty dancing again on deck.  I went to bed at 11:00.

You can read my grandfather’s entire journal by clicking below. It’s quite interesting! Of course, I’m biased! 🙂

http://www.leucht.com/history/My_Journey_To_America-Journal_of_Kurt_William_Leucht-1914_to_1920.pdf

Thanks for your interest!
Kurt