Diary of Gerard Henderson Cowan, November 1916 - January 1917 - Part 2

I saw the glint of a submarine
periscope about 200 yds ahead
of us, it turned out to be a biscuit
tin thrown over board from one
of the other transports. Luckily I
did not inform the ship's Captain
of my find. Had to air our
blankets this afternoon and
at the same time sit by and
watch they didn't walk away.
Luckily I had an interesting
yarn by Rider Haggerd. "The Child
of Storm". Went to evening service
this evening and who should I
meet there but Cairncross (Scotty)
He is with the 5/43 and although
he was in camp all the time
I was and has been on board
to ever and is ^with the next unit
to us, the is the first I have
met him. Put in a little bit
of time signalling.
I have two very interesting
men in my mess. Beggs who
was though the S.A. war &
Holme the who is a sailor.
I may as well give a description
of each. Holme is a Norwegian
born in Chnobe Christiana
his mother was fFrench. He is
small and not at all like
most Norwegians. His face is
very wrinkled but it is a pleasant
one and there is a merry twinkle
in his eyes. He has some into
prominence since we came
on board because he is one
of the few who were not
sick the first day and as he
holds position as mess orderly
He has had a fairly exciting like
Biggs is of medium height and
 

build, but is very active, 40
years or thereabouts and very
nearly bald. He is merry and
some of his sayings are very
smart. He is not easily ruffled
but I should not care to be
the chap who roused him up
properly. There two have a
good many yarns which I'm
sure need no salt with them
and I intend to set them down.
Cone of Holme's yarns is this, he tells
them all pretty briefly.
He was one of the crew of
a tug which left Liverpool plymouth for
a port on the Western coast of
South America. A day or so out
all their spare coal was swept
overboard and they had to return
to port. They started off again and
struggled to through the Bay
of Biscay down the coast of Spain
and called at the Canaries. From
there they went to Ascension
Island and from there straight
across to the South American
coast, They cruised along this calling
at several ports for coal.
Through the straights of Magellan
and up to their destination, on
Cocepion on the South Western
coast. It was only in the finest
weather that she was not battened
down. All the crew had to sleep
on the little bridge and firemen
below had nearly always to be
battened down as in rough
weather the bridge mast and
funnell were the only parts.
above water.
Well it is nearly nine now.
and it is nearly 2.30 in the
 

morning in Australia. It is
just on Lights out so must get
my hammock and go up on
deck or I will be running foul
of the ^mess deck sergeant.
Monday 4/12/16
Strange to say it was darker
still this morning at 6 a.m.
Usual routine with boat drill
thrown in as a diversion as
We are now getting into the
danger zone. We were divided
up into three parties and given
a raft to each party, As there
are 50 men in each party
and two of the rafts are only
4 feet by 8 feet I don't quite see
how we will manage. I have
my eye on some hatch way
gratings which would make
very decent rafts for one
or two men if we should happen
to be torpedoed.
We are getting along in fine style
with our French and this afternoon
Lieutenant James started teaching
us Morse Code. 
60 men, or thereabouts ^myself included from
our unit have are on guard
for from 6 p m this evening
till 6 p.m tomorrow. This is
the submarine guard, their
duty is to spy out all suspicious
craft and report them &
if needs be fire on them.
There are 16 sentries in a
relief, each man is armed with
a rifle and 20 rounds of
ammunition. I was No 1 Sentry
of No 1 relief. My post was the
starboard did of the forward
bridge. This is a very decent 

post. The bridge is about 30
feet from the bows and between
30 and 40 feet above the
water there is nothing to
obstruct the view in any
direction except right astern.
Being such a height above water
you can see down a fair
depth and once while looking
over the rail I noticed a
shark about 10 feet in length
swim right up to the ships
side. I'm sure I don't want to
be torpedoed here. Wind as
far as I can tell is from
a South Easterly direction.
x and sky is over cast with
scud. It reminds me of home
as it is very much the sort
of weather we have at this
time. Well I must get some
sleep now. Oh I forgot to
mention that we passed another 
steamer this morning
and the Kent like a good
protector, as soon as she sighted
her steamed off to investigate.
Tuesday 5/12/16
My shifts last night were from 6 to 8
pm, 11 to midnight. I am to 3 am
6 to 8 am & 12 noon to 2 p m.
Nothing stiring during the night
except that the sea was full of
sparkling lights, caused by the
phosperescence in the water,
especially where the waves broke.
On my shift from 6 to & this morning
I noticed the Kent was drawing
a head and at the same time
signalling to us with flags
& also a light. She grew
gradually ahead until at 10 a.m.
 

she was hull down on the horizan
then suddenly turned off to
starboard at right angles and
after going about a mile
turned back to her original
course and let us overhaul
her What she went to investigate
no one knows.
They were late at releiving me
for both breakfast and dinner
so had to be satisfied with some
scrapings and cold at that.
I filled up my spare time while
ot not on duty in learning
morse code I lave it nearly all
off now. Our guard was complimented
by the orderly officer. This is
the third or fourth time our
unit has been complimented
since leaving Fremantle.
Those nasty little insects (called
lice have at last made their
appearance on board, not in
our unit but in a couple of
others, I am afraid they will
soon spread.
The wind is south now but the
weather is getting very warm
Awnings are being put up to
shelter us. We ought to pass
St Helena during the next
24 hours. According to my
reckoning we shall ^be miles
east be 200 or 300 miles east
when passing.
Holme has just come down and
announced that the lice are
so bad ^in the 7/5 that they drag the life
belts round at night time
Wednesday 6/12/16
Very dark this morning at
6 am, It darker in fact than
 

it was at 5.30 at Table Bay.
Usual routine up to 9.30 am 
and afterwards all men who
where were on guard were
allowed off in messes to do
their washing. I had quite a
large wash but am glad to
say I have it all washed and
dryed now. Have had a rotten
headache all day and had
to get permission to sit out
once or twice while doing physical
jerks. We passed another steamer
going South, the Kent of course
went out to ^see if she was a suspicious
character or not. We passed at 4.45 p.m.
Crew are varnishing topmasts &
derricks; and painting the masts
and deck houses grey.
It has been very warm and muggy
to day and rained a few
drizzly showers. Prizes are being
given to the cleanest mess next
Friday and to the cleanest
Mess deck the Friday after, we
are also having a concert
next Friday evening and to
night all talented ones are
being picked out. We have the
Y.M.C.A. harmonium down.
The Sergeant Major is the
accompanist.
Thursday 7/12/16
Rained last night at little
I had my bunk covered over with
the tarpaulin which had been
rolled back off the latch, two
others had the same idea
and I kept waking up to
find it pulled off me and
pulled it back, this occured
several times until I eventually
 

got it tight enough around to
stop them from pulling it away.
Morning went in P.T. Morse Code,
& French lessons. The afternoon
x was a half holiday for 22/11
22/16 7/51 & 7/48. These units
held sports. Our unit only
secured one first and two seconds.
We put up a very good pull in
the tug of war but were beaten.
One very amusing event was the
apple race, Apple were placed in
round tubs of ^salt water, the apples
of course float. The competitors
race down drop on to their
knees and have to pick up
the apple in their mouths their
hands being held behind their
backs all the time. Of course
each time they bit at the
apple it only bobbed down 

and in their hast to pick it up
they bobbed down still further
and then came up spluttering
and gasping.
The weather has been very warm
though there was a nice breeze
blowing this afternoon
The sea is as blue today as it
was in the Indian Ocean this
to the first time I have seen
it like this since coming into the
Atlantic. We al I also saw several
flying fish today; In one shoal
there was at least 20.
We are about level with Ascension
Island and ought to cross the
line on Saturday
Lieutenant James told me today
that t he had been informed we
were likely to strike heavy
weather during the next three days
 

If that is the case I had better eat
as much as possible now
Friday 8/12/16
Nothing stirring today except
we were paid. The whole unit
also had a shower bath.
We all went a run round
the deck until with only
a pair of trousers and a
hat on ^until we had got up a good sweat and then had
the shower. The nights are
pretty warm now but no
warmer than I have known
them at home. To day was
be finest and calmest day
we have had. A soft cool breeze
kept it from being hot.
No 7 mess won the prize for
cleanest mess.
Our concert has been postponed
Had boat drill again to day.
our mess is always the last
up No 12 goes first No 1 last
I hope the ship sinks slowly
if she get torpedoed.
Passed the smoke of a steamer
low down on the horizan.
Latest wireless messages about
the war are not too promising
Berlin reports Bucharest to be
captured.
Eight bells just struck so had
better get below and prepare
for bed
Revalle is now at 6 30 a m
as it is so dark at 6 a m
breakfast at 7:30 instead of 7 a m
Saturday 9/11/16
Had quite a diversion to while
doing our Physical thisxx
morning. SC An officer, who
I have alwasy regarded
 

as the ship's captain came
along with a fatigue party
putting up wire ropes along
the side above the railings
The awnings are attached
to these. Being a bit short
of men be turned to Mr James
and said "give a dozen of your
men to put this awning an
dozen were told off and
were given various jobs to do.
The captain not knowing the
men who had been told
off kept turning to the
other men of the unit with
a, "Here you take this bit
of lashing a secure that
rope from the rigging
and then to another. "You
cleare the rope from that
vantilator. Soon instead
of having a dozen men
working for him he had
nearly all the unit. Mr James
was left with about 20 men
We went off and got the
awning and very soon had
it in position. It makes a great
deal of difference as we now
lave some shade without
leaving to go below into the hold
which is nearly always stuffy.
This afternoon of course being
Saturday is a half holiday
I have spent my time writting
letters for the next mail
which will be when we arrive
at Dakar about Wednesday
I noticed we were hove too
while writting and on looking
out found the other two
transport hove to also and
 

and our escort standing
by us and lowering at boat
The boat came across to us
and after a short wait returned.
I believe our chief medical
officer is ill and they had
to get the doctor from the
cruiser to attend to him.
If t that is the case he must
be seriously ill otherwise
they would not have stopped
the whole convoy. Great
improvement it the stew
to night tasted more like
fresh meat than frozen &
strange to say it was noticed
all round the ship
Rats are plentiful on board
and the other morning
while sleeping on the hatch
- or to put it correctly - awaking
a large rat ran past me and
over Corporal Nobles head. Few
men could have equalled him
in activity just then. Two
of our Corporals got themselves
into trouble. Orders were issued
that no men were to sleep on
the H hatch while going through
the tropics. All were cleared
off except one who was sleeping
on some flooring round the
hatch way, not on the gating
he also had permission to
sleep there. They turned him
off however almost by force
and then slept in the same
place themselves. The man
knowing he had a good case
had them paraded. Consequence
was they all got crimed &
two days confine to camp ship.