MY DIARY AS FAR AS DURBAN ON BOARD "OMRAH"
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1917. April 28th.
We left Prestion Station at 1-50 a.m. with our pockets full of cake and biscuits, which we had pinched from the Buffet in Prestion Station. Not knowing where we were going we pulled our puttees, spurs, and boots off. and all went to sleep. The jerk of the train woke me, and I found we were in Crewe, off to sleep again, and found we were in Hereford Station, 5 a.m. We all awoke, Freeman, Jones Randles,H.Roberts, and Pollard, talked and smoked until we arrived at Bristol, then started to have some food. At Taunton we had tea brought to us. Tea and buns also in Exeter, arrived Plymouth 11 o'clock, were taken straight to the docks at Devonport, 11-30 a.m. There we sat on our kit bags, writing letters and eating bread and Bully. After our meal we were marched off on board and told off to our different messes, I being at No.1 Dock, and No.11 mess, 18 men on our table. We were taken from the dock into the harbour by a tug at six o'clock. We were anchored in Plymouth Sound for a week waiting for different liners to arrive to take the troops. The way we passed our time was in talking,writng letters, playing cards, and sleeping.It was very warms there, and we could sleep on deck in the daytime, it was so warm. The only thing to liven us being destoyers, seaplanes etc, coming and going, also mine sweepers, etc. etc.
May 4th.
At last we are all ready, 10 Transports, 4 Destoyers, and 1 Aux. Cruiser. We are all feeling anxious. the vessel we ought to have gone on was torpedoed coming to Devonport to fetch us. The Omrah was stopped in the Downs by naval craft, and told to stop where she was. The sailors witnessed a scrap between our detroyers and the German boats, which were attempting to raid Ramsgate. The Transport which went before us was sunk (Transylvania, about 500 being drowned), and a vessel leaving Devonport was sunk after putting to sea. As the journey had to be faced we made the best of it, and at 7 p.m. we all put to sea in two lines, but as night approached we split up into two parties to avoid to great a risk. Although nice and warm in Devonport, it now began to get rough and cold. I forgot to mention, that in harbour we were all given a hammock, and two blankets each, and we slept slung up, but now the Commander orders every man to sleep at his boat station with his lifebelt either on or as a pillow, and to be up 3 a.m. and stand at his raft or boat ready for emergency. Our boat station was on the highest deck, and we were told of to rafts, 16 to each raft, from the boat deck to the sea was about as high, if not higher than our bedroom window, so it was not pleasent to jump from that height into a cold rough sea if we were torpedoed, but it was either that or go down with the ship, so we slept on top deck for two or three nights. It was very cold and wet, and up at 3 a.m. with your lifebelt on expecting every minute to be blown up, while the destroyers raced about, and my word, they can travel, and turn in their own length. In the daytime we wore our belts all the time.
May 5th. Weather getting colder.
" 6th. Weather very misty. Submarines sigthed - alarm sounded, but we got away safe.
" 7th. Weather warmer - joined balance of Transports. A shoal of porpoises following the ship; a shark seen, a lot of wreckage floating past. The Destroyers wishing us "Good luck", and a safe journey, left us and went back home.
May 8th. We were all ordered to go about barefooted or use slippers We also had a "Health Inspection".
" 9th. Fine day but a very rough sea, I was put on Submarine Guard for 24 hours.
" 10th. Very rough, many sick. All port holes closed.
" 11th. Washing day. Nice and hot - rough sea.
" 12th. Lifebelts given up. Sunburnt feet, very hot. "Omrah" firing her gun for practise.
" 13th. Sunburnt feet. Service at 10-45 a.m. was not able to go on account of being inoculated at 11 a.m.
" 14th. Sunburnt feet, nice and warm. Some getting into their drill, but I did not. Saw shoals of flying fish close to vessel.
" 15th. Sunburnt feet, nice and warm, flying fish all about. Boxing Match in the afternoon. Concert at night.
" 16th. Nice and warm - sea smooth - Boxing Match - service at 6 p.m.
" 17th. Hot, had hot sea water bath. Shoals of sharks passed. Boxing Match in the afternoon.
" 18th. Wet. Saw flock of swallows going North, and lot of small birds. Arrived Serre Leone 6 p.m. A very pretty place, put very warm. It fairly oozed out of us while we were there.
May 19th. Very hot. Vessel taking in water and coal. Water was pumped out of a ligther, but niggers came with the coal. Itwill take too long here to describe their methods of coaling, description of them and their food, as I have to hand this in to-night. I bought some pines, limes, and cocoa nuts, as I wanted fruit badly, and need hardly say I enjoyed them.
" 21st. Left Serre Leone 5 p.m. with H.M.S. "Kent", and three extra liners with black troops.
" 22nd. Wet and stormy. Vessel sighted cruiser, chased after her, and we were all ready with our lifebelts on but it was harmless.
" 23nd. Wet. Inoculated 7 a.m.
" 24rd. Crossed Equator. Sports.
" 25th. Hot in morning. Wet rest of day, and lightening.
" 26th. Cool and wet, Sports, Tug of War, Cock Fighting, Bolster Bar etc. etc.
" 27th. 24 Hours Marconi Sentry. Hot.
" 28th. Hot. Sports Continued.
" 29th. Cool. " "
May 30th. albatross following us.
" 31st. Sports, - Concert - Warm.
June 1st Kit inspection.
" 2nd. Warm, Inspection in full marching order.
" 3rd. Cool - Service - six albatross following, and also smaller black birds.
" 4th. Cool in morning. Arrived Capetown Harbour 12 o'clock went into Dock 7 p.m. ( Cruiser left us and went to Simonstown). Took in water and provision. No leave granted, but some sneaked off.
" 5th. Left Capetown 10 a.m. - cold - 24 hours Deck Sentry.
" 6th. Very stormy waves going over top deck. Had some feed to-day. Some of our mess sea sick.
I must now finish this diary as I am going to give it to a sailor friend who will post it in England after he has been to Australia. This boat is going from Durban to Australia. for troops, so we are changing boats at Durban, and as we expect to reach Durban tomorrow, I must give this to him to-night for fear I do not see him again.
We left Prestion Station at 1-50 a.m. with our pockets full of cake and biscuits, which we had pinched from the Buffet in Prestion Station. Not knowing where we were going we pulled our puttees, spurs, and boots off. and all went to sleep. The jerk of the train woke me, and I found we were in Crewe, off to sleep again, and found we were in Hereford Station, 5 a.m. We all awoke, Freeman, Jones Randles,H.Roberts, and Pollard, talked and smoked until we arrived at Bristol, then started to have some food. At Taunton we had tea brought to us. Tea and buns also in Exeter, arrived Plymouth 11 o'clock, were taken straight to the docks at Devonport, 11-30 a.m. There we sat on our kit bags, writing letters and eating bread and Bully. After our meal we were marched off on board and told off to our different messes, I being at No.1 Dock, and No.11 mess, 18 men on our table. We were taken from the dock into the harbour by a tug at six o'clock. We were anchored in Plymouth Sound for a week waiting for different liners to arrive to take the troops. The way we passed our time was in talking,writng letters, playing cards, and sleeping.It was very warms there, and we could sleep on deck in the daytime, it was so warm. The only thing to liven us being destoyers, seaplanes etc, coming and going, also mine sweepers, etc. etc.
May 4th.
At last we are all ready, 10 Transports, 4 Destoyers, and 1 Aux. Cruiser. We are all feeling anxious. the vessel we ought to have gone on was torpedoed coming to Devonport to fetch us. The Omrah was stopped in the Downs by naval craft, and told to stop where she was. The sailors witnessed a scrap between our detroyers and the German boats, which were attempting to raid Ramsgate. The Transport which went before us was sunk (Transylvania, about 500 being drowned), and a vessel leaving Devonport was sunk after putting to sea. As the journey had to be faced we made the best of it, and at 7 p.m. we all put to sea in two lines, but as night approached we split up into two parties to avoid to great a risk. Although nice and warm in Devonport, it now began to get rough and cold. I forgot to mention, that in harbour we were all given a hammock, and two blankets each, and we slept slung up, but now the Commander orders every man to sleep at his boat station with his lifebelt either on or as a pillow, and to be up 3 a.m. and stand at his raft or boat ready for emergency. Our boat station was on the highest deck, and we were told of to rafts, 16 to each raft, from the boat deck to the sea was about as high, if not higher than our bedroom window, so it was not pleasent to jump from that height into a cold rough sea if we were torpedoed, but it was either that or go down with the ship, so we slept on top deck for two or three nights. It was very cold and wet, and up at 3 a.m. with your lifebelt on expecting every minute to be blown up, while the destroyers raced about, and my word, they can travel, and turn in their own length. In the daytime we wore our belts all the time.
May 5th. Weather getting colder.
" 6th. Weather very misty. Submarines sigthed - alarm sounded, but we got away safe.
" 7th. Weather warmer - joined balance of Transports. A shoal of porpoises following the ship; a shark seen, a lot of wreckage floating past. The Destroyers wishing us "Good luck", and a safe journey, left us and went back home.
May 8th. We were all ordered to go about barefooted or use slippers We also had a "Health Inspection".
" 9th. Fine day but a very rough sea, I was put on Submarine Guard for 24 hours.
" 10th. Very rough, many sick. All port holes closed.
" 11th. Washing day. Nice and hot - rough sea.
" 12th. Lifebelts given up. Sunburnt feet, very hot. "Omrah" firing her gun for practise.
" 13th. Sunburnt feet. Service at 10-45 a.m. was not able to go on account of being inoculated at 11 a.m.
" 14th. Sunburnt feet, nice and warm. Some getting into their drill, but I did not. Saw shoals of flying fish close to vessel.
" 15th. Sunburnt feet, nice and warm, flying fish all about. Boxing Match in the afternoon. Concert at night.
" 16th. Nice and warm - sea smooth - Boxing Match - service at 6 p.m.
" 17th. Hot, had hot sea water bath. Shoals of sharks passed. Boxing Match in the afternoon.
" 18th. Wet. Saw flock of swallows going North, and lot of small birds. Arrived Serre Leone 6 p.m. A very pretty place, put very warm. It fairly oozed out of us while we were there.
May 19th. Very hot. Vessel taking in water and coal. Water was pumped out of a ligther, but niggers came with the coal. Itwill take too long here to describe their methods of coaling, description of them and their food, as I have to hand this in to-night. I bought some pines, limes, and cocoa nuts, as I wanted fruit badly, and need hardly say I enjoyed them.
" 21st. Left Serre Leone 5 p.m. with H.M.S. "Kent", and three extra liners with black troops.
" 22nd. Wet and stormy. Vessel sighted cruiser, chased after her, and we were all ready with our lifebelts on but it was harmless.
" 23nd. Wet. Inoculated 7 a.m.
" 24rd. Crossed Equator. Sports.
" 25th. Hot in morning. Wet rest of day, and lightening.
" 26th. Cool and wet, Sports, Tug of War, Cock Fighting, Bolster Bar etc. etc.
" 27th. 24 Hours Marconi Sentry. Hot.
" 28th. Hot. Sports Continued.
" 29th. Cool. " "
May 30th. albatross following us.
" 31st. Sports, - Concert - Warm.
June 1st Kit inspection.
" 2nd. Warm, Inspection in full marching order.
" 3rd. Cool - Service - six albatross following, and also smaller black birds.
" 4th. Cool in morning. Arrived Capetown Harbour 12 o'clock went into Dock 7 p.m. ( Cruiser left us and went to Simonstown). Took in water and provision. No leave granted, but some sneaked off.
" 5th. Left Capetown 10 a.m. - cold - 24 hours Deck Sentry.
" 6th. Very stormy waves going over top deck. Had some feed to-day. Some of our mess sea sick.
I must now finish this diary as I am going to give it to a sailor friend who will post it in England after he has been to Australia. This boat is going from Durban to Australia. for troops, so we are changing boats at Durban, and as we expect to reach Durban tomorrow, I must give this to him to-night for fear I do not see him again.
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