Diary of Percival Holman Pascoe, 1940-1941 - Part 4

24.12.40 - 8.1.41
In dock at Malta. Nothing exciting.
just the usual runs ashore. Two air
raids during this time. No bombs 
dropped.
8.1.41 Left Malta with Stuart. Buzz 
we're leaving the Med.
9.1.41. Rendezvous with Fleet at noon.
Perth with them. Received news that 
ship is returning to Australia. 
Left fleet & proceeding back to Alex with 
Stuart.  
10.1.41 Arrived in Alex at 9 pm.
11.1.41 Left Alex 4 pm., 28 knots to Port 
Said.
12.1.41 Arrived Port Said 2 a.m. entered 
canal. Anchored in Bitter Lakes for 
6 hours. Sand storm raging. Visibility 
very bad. Arrived Suez 7 pm. oiled ship

& left to catch up to convoy in Red Sea.
13.1.41 Couldn't find convoy, sent plane 
off. Picked them up later. Expected 
date of arrival in Fremantle 29th Jan. 
14.1.41 With convoy, very hot. 
15.1.41. Left convoy, escorting 
Empress of Canada into Aden. Passed 
another convoy escorted by "Caledon" 
Passed H.MAS Yarra. Arrived Aden 
10 pm.
16.1.41 Left Aden with Empress. 
Rejoined convoy. Reduced speed during 
night, now doing 12 knots.
17.1.41. With convoy proceeding to 
rendezvous with H.M.S 'Ceres'
off Mombasa.
18.1.41. Turned South into Indian 
ocean. Action stations sounded
off 7.30 am, false alarm, enemy 

turned out to be Swedish tanker. 

Nice weather, rather warm.

19.1.41. Crossed the "Line" at 12.20 pm. 

Hope we stay over this side from now

on. Buzz about doing a bombardment 

tonight, never came off.

20.1.41. Rendezvous with H.M.S. Ceres

at 10 a.m., Ceres took over escort of convoy.

10.10 am. Left convoy, turned & travelled in

a northerly direction.

21.1.41 Proceeded to Mogadiscio,

capital of Italian Somaliland to carry

out an attack on shipping in the 

harbour. Arrived at sunset, no 

shipping visible in roadstead so we 

withdrew.

22.1.41. Nothing exciting, travelling

east at 12 knots towards Seychelles

expect to arrive Friday morning.

23.1.41. Bit of panic today, Action 

Stations sounded off at 12 noon, 

turned out to be a British merchant 

ship "Clan Cameron.", didn't answer 

our signals.

24.1.41. Arrived Port Victoria,

Seychelles 10 a.m., oiled ship.

Very pretty place. Scheduled to 

leave 4 pm. During forenoon a 

signal was received from a British 

ship, being fired on by raider,

approximate position about 200 

miles away, Proceeded to sea at 

2.30 & headed east at 28 knots to 

try and cut off raider.

25.1.41. No sign of raider, plane 

went off twice today, didn't see 

anything. Saw a cloud of smoke 

on horizon at 6 am, couldn't find

out where it came from. Turned 

out to be smoke bomb accidently

released from aircraft.

26.1.41. Still searching for 

raider, no sign of anything. 
'Plane went off about three times.

Gave up search at sunset, headed 

back to Seychelles.

27.1.41. Arrived Port Victoria 9 am.

oiled ship, left at 2 p.m. Next 

stop Fremantle, expect to arrive 

a.m. Tuesday 4th. Speed 20 knots.

28.1.41. En route to Fremantle.

Passed through thunderstorm

& a few rain squalls.

29.1.41. Nothing exciting, still 

very hot. At noon today, 2950 

miles to Fremantle.

30.1.41. Same as yesterday, 2485 

miles to go.

31.1.41. Still the same, 2033 miles.

1.2.41. Crossed Tropic of Capricorn 

8 am today, finished 20 days of 

tropics. 1570 miles to go.

2.2.41. Entered Australian station 

area during forenoon, 1085 miles.

3.2.41. Strong head winds & rough 

seas, could make no headway at 

all. Slowed down & waited for 

storm to pass, Cleared up about 5 pm.

4.2.41. Clear & calm, will arrive 

Fremantle 6.30 am tomorrow.

28th day at sea.

Ships comprising the Meditteranean 
Fleet during our period with it.
Battleships

Warspite (FLAGSHIP)

Valiant.

Malaya

Barham

Ramillies

Royal Sovereign. 

Aircraft Carriers

Illustrious

Eagle

Gunboats

Terror.

Ladybird.

Aphis.

Cruisers

Kent.

Berwick.

Liverpool

Gloucester

Glasgow

Southhampton

York

Orion

Ajax

Neptune

Leander

Sydney

Perth

Caledon

Capetown

Coventry

Calcutta.

Destroyers.

Stuart

Voyager

Vampire

Vendetta

Waterhen

Hero

Havock

Hasty

Hostile

Hyperion

Ilex

Imperial

Dainty

Decoy

Diamond

Defender

Nubian

Mohawk

Juno

Janus

Jervis

Hereward

Supply Ship.

Medway

Woolwich

Resource

Hospital Ship

Maine.