Hand-written diary by an unknown sailor, HMAS Sydney (I) - Part 6










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April 21st |
9.0am 9.20am |
passed Galveston Spoke Admiralty Collier Livinghouse for Galveston |
22nd |
2.45pm 5.0pm 5.15pm 7.50pm |
Spoke Italian Oil Steamer "Splender" of for. Genoa. off. Mobile. Spoke SS. Wayfarer of Mobile Spoke Schooner Flora A. Kemball. Spoke SS. "Songstar" |
23rd |
10.0am 10.30am |
Fired 3 pdr across Bows American SS. Chalmette & boarded her found correct proceeded. |
24th | 4.0pm | Spoke American SS. Nelson. |
25th | 11 0 am | Spoke Schooner Evelyne Henkley. |
26th |
7.30 am 8.0 am 6. 0 pm 9. 0 pm |
Arrived at Kingston passed French Cruiser Marseillaise leaving harbour. Secured alongside jetty commenced. Oiling from SS. Cowrie SS Lorea secured alongside Commenced coaling Stopped coaling |
27th |
5.0 am |
Commenced coaling 10 0 pm Finished (870 Tons) |
May 1st |
2.0 pm 3.30 pm |
Cast off from pier 9 proceeded to Sea. Spoke to SS. Rosemount & Juinto |
2nd | On passage to Burmuda. | |
3rd | 5 30 passed front Masted Schooner | |
5th |
2.35 pm 8.30 am 9.30 am |
passed Dutch SS. Amsterdyk. passed HMS. bearer leaving harbour. Arrived at Burmuda & anchored. found Leviathen & Isis & Cumberland in harbour. 2.30 pm Ceasar arrived & anchored. |
6th |
Took in 400 tons of coal from SS Weardale. 7.30 am Isis Sailed. |
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May 9th | Noon | Leviathan Sailed |
10th | 7.0 am | Suffolk arrived |
11th | 5.0 am 7.30 am |
Ceasar sailed Cumberland Sailed |
12th |
6.30 am 6.0 pm |
Transport Magdalena arrived Ceasar arrived and anchored |
16th | 10.0 am | Suffolk sailed |
17th | 6.0 am | Ceasar sailed |
18th | 6.30 pm | Ceasar arrived & anchored |
19th | Took in 173 tons of coal from SS. Olive Grove. | |
20th |
9.0 am |
Sydney sailed escorting Transport Magdalena. |
25th |
2.0 pm |
Magdalena Stopped for adjustment of Machinery proceeded. |
26th |
6.20 am |
off. Azores (Corvo Island) & Turned Transport over to armed Liner "Avenger". 6.30 am Set Course for Burmuda.` |
27th | On passage to Burmuda | |
June 1st |
6.30 am 11.30 am |
arrived at Burmuda. Collier "Olive Grove" secured alongside took in 300 tons of Coal. |
2nd |
5.0 am |
"Olive Grove" shored off & Hulk. Shah secured alongside took in 500 tons of coal. |
7th | 9.30 am | Left Burmuda for Kingston |
8th |
3.30 am |
Spoke Italian, Full rigged ship "Torridon" |
11th |
6.30 am |
arrived at Kingston & secured to pier. |
13th |
6.30 am |
Melbourne arrived & secured to pier |
14th | Took in 120 Tons Oil Fuel from SS. - "Gowrie" |
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STEAMING RECORD
H.M.A.S. SYDNEY
FROM
DATE OF COMMISSIONING
26TH JUNE 1915
TILL
26TH JUNE 1916.
No OF DAYS IN COMMISSION. |
1096 |
No of days at Sea. |
601 |
No. of days in Tropics. |
520 |
TOTAL DISTANCE STEAMED |
127,821 MILES |
Distance run Per day since Commissioning |
116.6 " |
Distance run Per day at sea since Comng. |
212.6 " |
DISTANCE STEAMED DURING WAR. |
96,751 " |
Distance run Per day During war. |
140 " |
Distance run Per day at sea During War. |
217 " |
TOTAL COAL TAKEN IN. |
45,917. TONS |
Total coal burnt |
45,223. " |
Total Oil Fuel burnt |
3,878. " |
Average fuel burnt per Day Since Consng |
46.2 " |
Average fuel burnt per Day During War |
50.4 " |
Water Distilled for Ship. |
10,219 " |
Water Distilled for Boilers |
8,865 " |
TOTAL WATER DISTILLED |
19,084 " |
Revolutions Run by Each Shaft |
149.6 MILLS |
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June 20th | 10.0 am | proceeded to port Royal 10.30 Anchored. |
5.0 pm | Melbourne arrived and anchored | |
21st
|
Carried out Battle practice & Gun Layers | |
Test Melbourne Towing Target | ||
5.0 pm | Secured to No 3 pier | |
22nd | Took in 542 Tons of coal native Labour | |
24th | 9.0 am 6.0 pm |
French Cruiser "Glorie" arrived & anchored Melbourne sailed |
26th | French Rear Admiral came on board | |
28th | 12.30 pm | Embarked Govenor of Jamaica and proceeded to Grand Cayman Islands. |
29th | 6.30 am 10.0 am 5.0 pm 5.15 pm |
arrived & anchored Grand Cayman Govenor landed. Govenor returned weighed & proceeded |
30th | 11.30 am noon |
arrived & anchored at Kingston Govenor left the Ship. |
July 1st | Eng: Leiut Stafford left ship | |
4th |
10am 11.30 2.30 pm 5.30 pm 6.30 |
Secured to pier commenced coaling. T.K. Ginty [[?pt?]] brew comm suicide on shore by shooting himself Finished coaling cast off & proceeded to [[?]] searching for supposed [[w?]] of Portland point no result proceeded |
5th | On passage to La Guaira | |
6th | Target practice night fireing | |
8th | 8.0 am 8.0 pm |
arrived at Lu Guaira weighed & proceeded |
9th | 6.0 am | Examined Puerto Cabello |
10th | Target practice |
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June 20th | 10.0 am | proceeded to port Royal 10.30 Anchored. |
5.0 pm | Melbourne arrived and anchored | |
21st | Carried out Battle practice & Gun Layers | |
Test Melbourne Towing Target | ||
5.0 pm | Secured to No 3 pier | |
22nd | Took in 542 Tons of coal native Labour | |
24th | 9.0 am 6.0 pm |
French Cruiser "Glorie" arrived & anchored Melbourne sailed |
26th | French Rear Admiral came on board | |
28th | 12.30 pm | Embarked Govenor of Jamaica and proceeded to Grand Cayman Islands. |
29th | 6.30 am 10.0 am 5.0 pm 5.15 pm |
arrived & anchored Grand Cayman Govenor landed. Govenor returned weighed & proceeded |
30th | 11.30 am noon |
arrived & anchored at Kingston Govenor left the Ship. |
July 1st | Eng: Leiut Stafford left ship | |
4th |
10am 11.30 2.30 pm 5.30 pm 6.30 |
Secured to pier commenced coaling. T.K. Ginty burst brew comm suicide on shore by shooting himself Finished coaling cast off & proceeded to [[?]] searching for supposed [[w?]] of Portland point no result proceeded |
5th | On passage to La Guaira | |
6th | Target practice night fireing | |
8th | 8.0 am 8.0 pm |
arrived at Lu Guaira weighed & proceeded |
9th | 6.0 am | Examined Puerto Cabello |
10th | Target practice |
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July 12th | 1.0 am 7.0 am 2.30 pm |
passed Santa Marta Examined Savanilla Harbour German SS Prinz Augusts Wilhelm at Anchor. arrived and anchored at Cartagena 3 German SS Mecjkebverg, Virginia, bergin at anchor |
13th | 2.0 pm |
The Columbian Govenor & Staff came on board @ 10.0 am Weighed & proceeded for Kingston |
15th | 2.30 pm | arrived & anchored at Kingston Suffolk alongside Jetty |
18th | Received 87 Tons Oil Fuel from SS. Gowrie | |
20th | Secured to Jetty | |
21st | Received 312 Tons of coal | |
22nd | 5.15 am | Suffolk sailed |
23rd | 7.0 am 8.0 pm |
proceeded to Port Royal received 465 Tons coal proceeded to Sea. |
26th | 5.0 pm | Examined Santa Marta |
28th |
10.30 2.30 pm |
anchored at port Los Kognes. French Flagship "Glorie" at anchor. proceeded |
29th | 4.0 pm | arrived and anchored at Grenada |
31st |
6.0am 4.30 pm |
weight & proceeded arrived & secured to jetty "St Lucia" |
Aug 1st | 5.30am | Took in 512 Tons of Coal |
2nd |
5.30pm 6.0pm |
Discharged rating for passage to England Cast off and proceeded |
3rd | 7.30am | Arrived & anchored at Barbados. |
5th | 10.0am | weighed & proceeded |
10th | 6.0am | Passed Santa Anna "Ferazil" |
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Aug 10th |
1.0pm 9.0pm |
passed Maranhas anchored for night (Navigation dangerous) |
11th |
6.0am 9.0am
10.0am |
Weighed & proceeded. anchored at Lau Jous island boarded dismantled Steamer no (Funnel at bridge) flying Brazilian flag waiting for tug to tow her to (Rio de Janeiro) proceeded. |
12th |
2.0am 11.0am |
Stopped & picked up pilot. arrived and anchored at "pata" |
13th | 10.30am | weighed & proceeded |
14th | On passage to Moracca | |
15th |
1.0am 5.30am 10.0am |
anchored. weighed & proceeded. off Maracca Set course for Trinidad. |
16th | On passage to Trinidad | |
18th | 1.0pm | arrived & anchored |
21st | 11.30am | weighed & proceeded |
22nd | 5.30am | arrived & anchored at Barbados. |
23rd | 5.30pm | weighed & proceeded. |
24th | 6.0am |
arrived at Martingist & secured to jetty. Took in 950 Tons of Coal. |
25th | 5.0pm | Cast off & proceeded. |
26th | On passage to Kingston Jamaica | |
28th | 4.0pm | arrived & secured to jetty |
29th | Took in 220 tons oil fuel from St Lowrie | |
30th | Took in 320 tons Coal from St. Rochdale | |
31st | 5.0pm | Cast off & proceeded |
Sept 1st | On passage | |
4th | 2.0pm |
arrived at Burmuda & secured to Jetty. Ceased & Sharybdis in harbour |
5th | 7.0pm | French cruiser Marseillaise arrived. |
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1916 | ||
Sep 7th | Took in 410 Tons of Coal | |
8th | Marseillaise sailed | |
9th | 8.0am | Isis arrived |
9th | 10.0am | Slippled & proceeded |
11th | On Passage to Devonport England | |
12th | Very heavy sea running lost 2nd Cutter | |
13th | 7 o'clock |
Sighted derelict; 2 masted schooner, fired three shots into her, with the object of sinking her, as she was a wooden vessel, & her cargo being the same it was of no avail. |
Sept 14 |
Very heavy sea running, washing the ship fore & aft. 5.20pm. sighted small topsail schooner, we altered course & spoke to her. She proved to be the S.S. Spinaway, "British" bound for Baltimore. |
|
15 | Weather moderating | |
19 |
Passed Eddystone Lighthouse, arrived & anchored in Plymouth Harbour at 12 noon, we received a good welcome from several ships in harbour, especially the warships who, cheered us lustily, we just beginning to feel the cold by this time after being in Tropics for 21 months. |
|
20th |
Arrival & Departure of 2 Australian Troopships, all hands mustered on the Upper Deck & cheered them out of harbour, the troops responding with a wild coo-ee etc. |
|
26 | 6.30P.M. |
Left Devonport for Govan (Glasgow) steaming 20 knots per hour. Care & maintenance party aboard, passed Eddystone 8.30P.M. 9.45 P.M. sighted the Lizard Light. |
27 |
On Passage to Govan (Glasgow) 5.45P.M. arrived off Greenwich & anchored for night |
|
28 | 8.0A.M. |
Proceeded up the Clyde, which proved to bring interesting, as there were dozens of ships under |
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construction, at the numerous shipbuilding yards. Arrived at Harland & Wolff's yard 2.0 P.M. & secured alongside of wharf, 5.P.M. all hands leave the ship & proceed on long leave (21. Days) 14 of which I spent in London the remaining 7 in Edinburgh. |
||
Sept 29 | Oct 21st |
Ships Company on leave. Had the good fortune to meet my Father while on leave, we were together for 4 Days, when he went back to Salisbury Plains, to complete his training before leaving for the front. |
Oct 21st | Ships Company return on board. | |
" 27 | Ship still in Dockyard hands, also very dirty. | |
28 |
Cast off & proceeded down the Clyde to Greenwich, secured alongside S.S. "Mira" took in 210 Tons of Oil Fuel. |
|
29 | 1.15 P.M. |
Weighed anchor & proceeded down the harbour, on Dockyard trail speed 23 knots. 3.20 anchored off Greenwich |
30 | 2 P.M. | Proceeded to sea en route to Scapa Flow (Scotland) |
31 | 1.30PM. |
Arrived at Scapa Flow & joined up with the Grand Fleet, under Admiral Jellion, the "Sydney" being attached to the 5th Battle Squadron, took in 240 tons of coal & 90 tons of oil fuel. The Fleet in harbour, were as follows:- |
A. Liner | B. Liner | C. Liner | D. Liner | E. Liner | F. Liner | G. Liner |
King George V (Flag) | Collingwood | Orion | Njax | Barham | Reporter | Calliope |
Hercules | Neptune | Monarch | Centurian | Malaya | Blanche | Cambrian |
Collossus | Vanguard | Conquerer | Erin | Warsprite | Boadicea | Caroline |
Superb | St Vincent | Thunderer | Valiant | Constance | Royalist | |
Bellerophon | Sydney | Comet | ||||
Tomeraire |
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Morar Love Rice Rice

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