Diary of Gerard Henderson Cowan, November 1916 - Part 1

Front Cover of Diary - refer to original

 

 

[*PAS. OP VOOR DE KRANEN*]

Games
Ⅰ Skipping rope
Ⅰ Draught board
Ⅰ Box Checkers
Ⅰ Pack playing cards
 

 

 

Lance Corporal G. H. Cowan

No 1 Mess

Beggs. A	No 6728
Brown. HC	''    6726
Clements	''    6735
Hind	''    6765
Holme	''    6769
Kelly	''    6782
Kielly	''    6783
Morris	''    6791
Renner  RM	''    6808
Showell	''    6821
Lawn	''    6787
James	''    6779
Blay	''    6722

Mess Orderlies
Lawn & Holme
Mess Commander
Lance Corporal G.H. Cowan
No 6733
 

No Ⅰ Mess

Mess Utensils

Ⅰ Mess Kettles

14 Forks

14 Knives

14 Plates

Ⅰ Ladel

Ⅰ Billy can

Ⅰ Pickle jar

Ⅰ Knife board

Ⅰ Pepper box

Ⅰ Salt jar

Ⅰ Buttercan

Ⅰ Scrubbing brush

Ⅰ Bucket

Ⅰ Carving knife

Ⅰ Carving fork

Ⅰ Tea Cloth

13 Spoons

Ⅰ Knife board

 

Duties for Mess Orderlies

Parade at six 

am, for bread

at 6.45 am 

for stores 

Parade at 

cookhouse at 

mess call for 

food.

These mess 

orderlies are 

permanent for 

the voyage & 

each member 

of the mess pay 

2/- per pay so 

that in our mess 

of 14 it means the 

orderlies get 12/- 

a week each

Saturday 11/11/16

This is the second day out. 

Yesterday I was unable to do 

anything much except lie 

about and force a few 

mouthfulls of food down my throat 

every opportunity, which however

I always lost. I slept well the 

first night out and also last 

night. On Thursday night after 

leaving Fremantle we anchored 

out for about 2 or three hours 

while some standbys where 

brought on board by a tug.

This morning I was able to eat 

a good breakfast and have 

enjoyed every meal since.

Sighted the smoke of 1 or more 

steamers away to the South 

West but were too far off

to see what they were.
Sunday 12/11/16
Nothing exciting to day Church 

parade this morning, caught

a glimpse of Ron, on the

boat deck during the service

Took a walk round the

decks this afternoon and

watched a boxing match.

A wireless was supposed to

have come through yesterday

saying the referendum had

passed by 20,000 votes in

favour of Yes. To day another

reported wireless from the

Marathon, the troop ship

which left Fremantle the

same evening as we did

and is now a 120 miles

ahead, reporting heavy ^ weather coming

our way, and as the wind is

dead ahead and sky is very

over cast and black in that

direction and the sea is very

smooth and oily, so I think

heavy weather may be expected.

The sea here is the most

magnificent blue I have seen

not green like it is along the

coast. We have a canteen on

board & also a member of

the Y.M.C.A. and a lot of

reading material, but no

Y.M.C.A. room.

The food is excellent we

get, Porridge and milk,

meat, tea, bread & butter

for breakfast. Meat & Soup

and pudding for dinner

Meat, butter, jam & tea for tea.

It has started to rain now

and they are taking down

the winsails and covering

the hatches. Have just been

up on deck and noticed

a certain amount of Phosper

=urcence in the water thrown

up by the bows. Have also

noticed several flying fish.

Two or three albatross have

followed us ever since we

left Fremantle. I have not

found out yet whether these

birds roost on the ship at 

night or not.

Tuesday 14/11/16

Did nor write up any thing

yesterday. Weather was much

rougher yesterday several seas

coming on board, it has calmed

a bit today we are still 

steering a few points North of

West. Saw Ron to speak to for

a few minutes yesterday and

was able to have a yarn with

him. The hours on board are

6 oclock turn out & roll hammock

6.30 to 7 a.m. Physical training

7.15 breakfast. 9a.m. pard

to 11 a.m. drill which is mostly

physical training. 12 noon

dinner. 2 p.m. to 4 more 

drill 4.30 sick parade. 5 p.m.

tea. 6.15. P.m. guards & picquets

mount 8p.m. first post

8.30 last post. 9 p.m. lights out.

Have just heard this evening

that we are likely to pass the
Encounter tomorrow & that
there is a chance of sending
a mail home, so have written several
letters & taken them to the
ships orderly room. Managed to
get three pieces of toast made
at the crews galley for 3 pence.
My it was good. And also have
found you can buy meat
rolls and buns etc. at the
Saloon galley, provided you
can get in without being seen.
Wednesday 15/11/16
A perfect day with a breeze
from about South. Sea quite
calm again scarcely &
white sea horse to be seen.
turned out at 5.30 a.m. and
after rolling my hammock had
a cup of coffee. Had to take
No 1 & 2 messes for physical
exercises from 6.30 am to 7am.
After breakfast there is no
parade till 9.45 a.m. At that
time we fall in again for more
physical jerks. Today half the
company went below and played
medicine ball in relays &
as each relay finished I took
them for rifle exercises.
Meantime the other half of the
unit were being put through
a strenuous course of physical
jerks finishing up with a follow
my leader, affair around
so our portion of the deck.
We then went up and had our 

turn while the others came below
& played medicine ball. We sighted
smoke away to the north early
this morning and kept ^it in sight
nearly all day, it was evidently
travelling in the same direction
and was rumoured to ^be the
Marathon, the troopship which
left Fremantle a few hours before
we did. It will be a week tomorrow
since we left Fremantle and
we hope to sight Durban in
another week. No truth in the
rumour about the Encounter
so suppose Durban will be our
first chance of of posting letters.
Nearly time to hand out the
hammocks. The hammocks are
all rolled and stacked in bins 

(railed enclosure) at the forward
end of the hold and have to be
handed out to their respective
messes at 6.30.
The officers have the forward
part of the boat deck netted in
and have been playing medicine
ball
Thursday. 16/11/16
Turned out at 5.30 am in time to
have a shower and some coffee
before falling in. Took No 1 mess
for half an hours physical training
before breakfast, Physical training again
from 7.45 to 11.45 am In dinner
hour I washed some clothes which
I had to finish after afternoons
parade. Afternoon parade
divided into 1 hours lecture on 

trench fighting and bombing
and 1 hours physical training.
We all feel the benefits of the
P.T. To day the alarm was blown
and we all had to stand by our
mess tables and don our life belts
and then file up into our
allotted places on deck.
Weather has been beautiful, sea
very calm, but with a long oily
swell coming from the S.W.
A light wind blowing from W.
Friday 17/1/16
Turned out 5.30, had a shower
some coffee, stowed no 1 mess
hammocks and then at
'fall in' called the roll
for 1, 2 & 3 messes and took
no 1 mess for half an hours

physical. Breakfast, a shave
and then a laze to 9.45.
At that 9.45 am we fell in and
after roll call had an hours
lecture on th trench fighting
etc and an hours P.T.
Dinner; and another laze
until 2 p.m. slight excitement
caused during the spell by
some one seeing a whale
which turned out to be a
shoal of porpoise. Roll call;
another hours lecture
on gas attacks & and
trench fighting and anoth
an hours instruction on
semaphore signalling.
Tea at 5 p.m: Hammocks
issued at 6.30 p.m.
 

Wrote a couple more letters
this evening and am
reading an interesting book
called the Anzac trail
Saturday 18/11/16
Nothing exciting to day. Turned
out at usual time and had my
shower & coffee and ^superintended stowing of
No 1 mess hammocks. Took no 1
mess for ¹/₂ hours P.T. Made
an complaint to Orderly
officer at breakfast about
shortage of food, it being.
nearly two men short every
meal. At dinner had to
make same complaint
again, while doing so
Rawn one of the mess
orderlies who has been
doing more than his
share of growling during
the past few days, chipped
in that we had any amount
the same man had been
growling a few minutes
before about the shortage.
I had to let him know it
was my place not his to
speak. He appears to have
settled dxxx down, but
any more trouble and
I'll dismiss him and appoint
another. Have just been
down to the concert for a
few minutes. They have
^an awning stretched from
the bridge forward
sheltering the deck 

the boat deck which is just
below the bridge deck forms
the gallery, this is occupied
by Sergeants, Officers &
nurses. They have a number
of flags hanging here
which gives it quite a
festive appearance.
I listened to a couple of
songs & then a sergeant
sang, "Come Sing to Me"
it brought back very tender
memories. Eight B bells
just struck, that is 8 p.m.
and Fremantle is 11.25
p.m. Strange to think most
people are in bed in Aus.
while it is so early here.
Sunday 19/11/16 

To day is my 21^st birthday
to celebrate it I have had a
glorious headache all day,
caused by no breeze coming
down into hold, ^last night there being
no breeze the hold soon became
stifling. I turned out at the
usual time & and ^had a shower
and coffee, stowed the hammock
and loafed round till breakfast
after breakfast shaved, and
dressed in kaki for church
parade. After service was
over slept till dinner time.
Only had some soup for
dinner did not feel like
tackling anything more.
Had to parade one of the
men to the cook house 

with the meat which had been
sent down, as it was underdone.
Had no trouble in getting a
fresh supply. Slept best part
of afternoon. Finished all
my letters and took them
to the ships orderly room.
Bought a few biscuits and
a tin of fruit for tea.
Managed to get out side a
good tea but still have a
bit of a headache so am
going to take my bed
up on deck and turn in
early. 2 bells 7 p.m. just
struck.
Monday 20/11/16
Today arose at usual time
and had shower and 

went through the usual x
routine the only difference
being that each mess was
allowed off for half an hour
to wash clothes. Thank goodness
I had washed all my clothes
several days before because
I am sure I could never
have washed them in that
time very few others too
I think. Wind has started
to blow up a bit this
evening, sea getting a
but choppy.
Tuesday 21^st /11/16
Rougher this morning
shower a bit colder, had
some cake to eat but
did not fe feel inclined