Diary of Gerard Henderson Cowan, November 1916 - January 1917 - Part 8

time tonight, so lights out will
go at 8 p.m. instead of 9 pm.
A great many of the men have
been ill will bilious attacks
& other things lately. It has been
put down to the drinking water
which is not at all good.
Thursday 4/1/17

I have received the sum of 18/-
∧in payment for work done as mess orderly

from Wednesday 15/12/16 to

Sunday Friday 5/1/17
K Holme

I have received the sum of 18/-

as in payment for work done as

mess orderly from Wedne 15/12/16

to Friday 5/1/17

[[H Luin?]]

We were duty company to day

I was second in command of

a fatigue party H holystoning

the deck.  It is worse trying

to keep others working than than to

work myself.

Usual parade during the afternoon.

There was a full dress kaki parade

in full march marching order

this morning for inspection, being

on fatigue works however I missed

that.

Passed some light early this

morning, not sure whether it

was a lighthouse or a very

large masthead light of some

passing steamer.

A steamer of approached us

during the morning & seemed

about to join our convoy.
The Kent signalled to her to
move off and on receiving
no reply fired two shots
evidently blanks at her.

The stranger thereupon sheered

off and is now keeping on

a course parallel to us with

just her funnell and masts

showing above the horizon.

About noon I we passed another

coming from a northerly

direction.

Rats I beleive l manage to

live in the cold stoorage hold

they have grown a fur nearly

an inch long.

The wind still keeps blowing

steadily from somewhere about

the east & is gradually getting

colder.

Friday 5/1/17

Still sleeping on deck though

I doubt that either sleeping on

deck or morning showers

will be kept up much longer.

The usual parades today. Now

it is getting cold the mess

orderlies have to come & do two

hours work physical training

each day.

Another death today, on the

Durham Castle, this time.  We stood

to attention while last post was blown.

It is much colder and a  today

I have had to put on my cardigan

and even then have to keep

moving to keep warm, while

on deck.

It is also a good deal rougher,

making the transports dip their

bows in one minute and rear

them up sky wards until you

can see the keel the next.

The wind is so biting they have

had to put up canvass wind shields

for the sentries.

According to all accounts we
are off the Portuguese coast
now.
Quite a number of seagulls about
so can't be very far off land. They
are pretty grey birds with a white
tail, black tips to the wings and
black markings on their heads.
Our parade deck became very
slippery this afternoon for some
unknown reason and our fellows
started a slide on it. They were
having a great time when they
were observed by some of the
ships officers on the bridge,
who after having a good laugh
at then sent a Seaman down
to put sand on it.
The men laughingly counted him
out for spoiling their slide &
as soon as he was gone started
a fresh one in another place
however he was sent back to
put sand on this too.
Saturday 6/1/17
Very cold last night, also the shower
this morning.
The morning parade consisted of
physical jerks & a kit inspection.
I am minus a rising sun off my hat
otherwise all correct. I had lost the
hat too but it was returned minus
the name and badge.
The afternoon of course was a half holiday.
During the afternoon all the Geraldton
men from the different units on
board had were photographed.
There were about forty of them, they
made quite a decent groups &
we were taken with Lieutenant Smith
standing in the center.
No ships sighted today, but, smoke 
 

was sighted on the starboard during

the morning and on the port

this evening.

Latest war news, received from Poldhu

Wireless, Germany sending peace

proposals to U.S.A.

And a British transport sunk in

mediterranean 120 soldiers & 36 crew

missing.

Also we received an S.O.S from

a steamer torpedoed 190 miles

East of us.

Our watchway stairs, which are fairly

steep, are becoming very slippery 

and worn.  There have been

several falls.  The unfortunates

who fall get no sympathy, they

are greeted with crys of "There she

goes again", "Any where there will do"

"What does it feel like cobber,"

etc.  Sea coming up in long oily swells.

BLAY. I.OU. to HOLME 11-

LIQUDATE AFTER WAR

Sunday 7/1/17

Much warmer on deck last

night but the shower was icy

cold this morning.  I will have

to miss it tomorrow as we go

on guard tonight at 9 p.m.

& do ∧not come off till 9 a.m. tomorrow

morning.

Usual church parade this morning.

Have been looking out all day for

the destroyers which are to escort

us.

This evening the Kent who was

on ahead and had been signalling

to for some time to us, suddenly

turned off at right angles bringing

the course to about East.

Imediately we all began to scatter

and go ahead at our best speed.

While down at tea the Orderly came

officer came down and read out

from Orders that no light or
smoking would be allowed anywhere

no bugal-calls would

be blown & there must be no

row of any sort going.

On going on deck after tea

we found the destroyers had

come.  They had suddenly sprung

up from nowhere.  They seemed

to be everywhere circling round

and signalling to the different

vessels.  They came racing up ∧from all

∧directions dissapearing under a big sea

one moment and skooling out

on top the next, clouds of spray

flying all over them.

[[Thy?]] ask what the British Navy

is doing, stopping out in this weather

in those boats is something in itself

It is a sight worth seeing ∧to see. these

long low grey craft racing through

the water.
The Boonah was soon dropped
astern she is the slowest boat.
The Afric is also a long way
astern but she dropped back
yesterday and has I believe lost
one blade of her propellor.
If this is true it accounts for her
slowness.
We have to go on guard now in a
few minutes. It is a stiff guard
this time, the each man does
four hours on & only has two
hours off.
I am goo going up wearing mittens,
a balaclava cap, x and besides uniform
etc, a cardigan jacket over coat
equipment and over all a lifebelt.
With all this on you feel quite
hot at present but as it is only as
cold now as a very cold winter's

day in Australia but you can keep
them open and and button them
as it gets colder.
We are of supposed to arrive in
port to morrow some time.
Reported by our sergeant major that
twelve submarines are out, (watching
for us)
Monday 8/1/17
Extremely cold work on guard
last night.
Blowing a gale all night long
making us pitch and roll
heavily in a beam sea.
Seas were continually coming
on board and spray driving
right across the ship made
most of the sentry posts pretty
wet. I had my own position on
the forward bridge and
although forty feet above
the water line, was wet a
couple of times by the driving
spray.  It was a great sight
watching the seas from there
and the way we rose and
twisted on them. Occasionally
there would be a bump
and a big white Sea would
pour up over the side of the
ship and the spray would
dive across with a regular
hiss.
The wind and sea has increased
all day. Wind is from the North
any very cold, it roars and
whistles through the rigging
and round the deck buildings.
Our guard releifs were arranged in
a new way last night giving us four
hours on duty & two hours sleep, which
was not sleep at all because the

rain and sleet blew right across
the deck under the awnings
where the guard slep camped.
We came off at 9 a.m. this morning
and were allowed to go below
and sleep to our hearts content.
Cheif amusement today has been
watching and dodging the seas
coming on board and watching
our little escort on ahead, also
keeping an eye open for land.
It is about eight bells now and we
have just picked up the Lizard
light. It is a very bright light and
revolves very quickly.
We ought to arrive in Plymouth
early tomorrow morning.
We are as far as we know second
in the race. The Durham Castle
being about five miles ahead.
I have come to the conclusion
that destroyers are miracles
you wonder how they can live
in the sea that is running, The
It must be fearfully fatiguing work
for those on board her.
The Argyllshire though 15000 tons
is just tossed about lig like a cork.
Crockery and etc has been sliding
and flying in all directions to day
Tuesday 9/1/17.
Slept below last night as there
was absolutely no place left
dry on deck by the driving spray.
At 3.30. a.m. the noise of the anchor
being dropped aroused me we were
in port at last, I put on a few clothes
and went on deck but could only
make out the outlines of the harbour,
the breakwater and the see the
Eddy stone light flashing away in
the South West.  We turned out early

and received to orders to have
breakfast and and be all ready
to disembark immediately.
After getting allready and had
even started to hand in all mess
utensils & hammocks & blankets
news came through that we would
not disembark till tomorrow &
perhaps not till the day after.
As it grew light you could gradually
make out tall white church spires
big buildings and factory chimneys
and then I picked out a place
I was quite familiar with having
read all about it in a history
book. This was Plymouth Hoe
where Drake played bowls before
defeating the Armada. You could
pick it out quite eaisly as there
is a statue of Drake erected on
it and also the top part of
the old Eddystone lighthouse has
been re-errected there.
All round on the hills you could
pick out forts, and on one place
an a round fort evidently an old
Martello tower.
Stretching on each direction along
each side of the river are docks and
and ships.
About 2p.m. the Port Nicho Port-

Nicholson hauled up her anchor
and was towed up the river, and
a few minutes later we followed
suite. We were towed up about two
miles and were then moored to
a bouy not far from the Port Nih
Nicholson. Very interesting trip up
the river. All the way up are boats
off all kinds. and in one place
two old gun boats of some sort
a little further on were two

old ships, like the war ships when
Grand pa was in the navy, used
as training ships they are fastened
by together by a bridge and
both called the same name
(Impregnable) they have their original
names underneath but I did not
see them.  Further on were two
more wh warships of a later
type also used as training ships
There were the Powerful & Terrible.
the Powerful was flgship on the
Australian Station a few years
ago.
It is also a veritable hornets nest
for mosquito craft there are
destroyers and torpedo boats in
every direction. Also on some of
the warves were piles of huge
guns evidently 12inch and the
huge derricks for placing them
on board. There are also several
cruisers in dock.
I would very much like to have
several days to explore this place.
In some places the house are so
closely packed and so much
the same type that the roofs look
like a very regularly laid out
plantation.
What people we g have seen so far
have been very congenial,
waying to us as they passed in
ferrys also the sailors from the
warships.
The sun does not rise here till
9 am & sets at 4 pm.
What has surprised me is the green
fields, I never expected to see
them at this time of the year.
To day although cold has been beautifully
fine. Snow fell at Salisbury last night

Thursday 11/1/17
Well here we are at Salisbury at
last. We have been in such a rush up
to now that I have been unable
to write up yesterday's events, so will
write them now.
Revalle Reveille went at 5 30 yesterday
we turned out packed all blankets
and mess utensils and handed them
back to the ship. We then put our
own stuff together and awaited the
coming of the tug.
I was put in charge of a baggage
guard of eleven men who had the
Captain's luggage Lieutenant Jame's and
some orderly room material.
We waited all till about 3pm.
before the tug eventually arrived,
(she was either the Sir Francis Drake
or Sir Walter Raleigh.) We had
dinner on biscuits and tinned
dog which had been served to each
man the night before and managed
to get some hot water tora make
so coffee. This just about saved
us from freezing as we were
getting very cold standing about.
The tug eventually arrived and
after a lot of shoving, we eventu
eventually to get all out our
stuff on board. I was then ∧left in
charge with two men.
We went down the river again
to Plymouth and there
disembarked straight off the
tug into the train or practically so.
After seeing the luggage into the
van I rejoined the unit. The
train consisted of third class coaches
which although rather small were
very well padded and comfortable.
We left Plymouth at about