January 1-31st, 1917: Preparing to Sail to France; the Voyage, Getting Kitted Out and Hearing the First Gunfire

I have scanned the first month of my Grandpa's 1917 diary, where he goes through his daily routine at Shorncliffe, England, then ramps up preparations for the deployment to France, sails and arrives to hear the first audible signs of war on the French front.