Thomas Whyte Collection - Wallet 4 - Part 9 of 10

125 
A mail closed to-day so I sent you a note 
C 7 to say I had received everything & would 
reply next week as from the English papers 
I have seen I gather there is no mail 
leaving Pt Said between the Mooltan 
on March 31st & Moldavia Apr 14.  There 
should be another mail from here in 
time.  I will write everything in here 
& copy what I can out from time to 
time.  It will act as a sort of confirmation 
The great surprise of all was Feo enlisting 
It seemed the last thing I expected.  Still 
I am glad in a way.  You won't feel so 
jealous of Linda & it will do you two good 
in a way.  Don't think I am mean. 
I am sorry about Algy & still sorrier for 
Jessie.  That incident about the Freemasons 
is the limit.  Anna seems quite demented. 
I would suggest a medical examination.   
Poor old George. 
That quotation of Stewarts seems to have 
worried you.  He meant Feo.  I think he meant  
it in a sarcastic way so that is why I said 
tell no one.

77 
All is well & 40000 French troops are arriving 
in 3 weeks time.  They have to close the mail 
a day before it leaves on account of the  
Censoring I noticed it still lying in the 
mail room so it may not go for a day or 
two 
A couple of large liners in their grey war 
paint arrived during the night.  It looks 
like the Canadian flag they are flying. 
A hospital ship, the 'Soudan' also arrived 
I don't know who is on board or where 
she comes from.  She looks very pretty 
painted white with a broad green band 
right round her intersected, with 3 large 
red crosses on each side. 
Saturday afternoon Intercepted again last 
night.  This evening now looks like a 
regular thing. However we dont mind 
We would sooner be on this game than 
any other.  This morning we took the 
Brigadier & staff to the 'Frankonia' one 
of the yesterdays arrivals.  She is a large 
Cunnard liner.  The other big one is the 
Royal George a Canadian Northern Railway 
boat.  Both have Naval Brigades on board 
I think this is the branch George & Guthrie 
belong to.  They have a lot of naval reserve 
men among them.  They say about 10000

 124 
Lex hasn't much to say not a word about  
his best friend It seems as if he was sticking  
to Newmarch & Allison. He says 'I suppose you  
will take up soldiering in earnest' Not much.   
Toms letter is quite sentimental. I am  
surprised at him. 
Is that true what Freda says about Molly 
saying to mother that she was Mrs Brown  
& when asked if she had any children saying  
no but that they were fond of them & were  
going to get 10 from Dr Russell. It seems  
increditable. Freda signs herself 'your  
future Sister'.  F 
Feo writes such short letters with absolutely  
nothing in them. I hope Linda has better 
luck. 
Now for old Richardsons letter. You remember  
dodging that introduction to him one day.  
He is a great chap & his letter is well worth  
reading so I will enclose it. 
Old Follen Bishop tells me that Mrs Bishop the  
elder has her usual arguments & squabbles with  
poor old 'Chooks' He says he scored some success  
with a picture of wattle. He has not one  
Australian picture his own property

 78 
are coming here.  
The last day or two has been a bit cold  
but not too cold to sleep on deck. 
The past 3 days the official war communiques  
have been posted up. Things seem to be progressing 
in the Dardanelles. 
The tucker has not been very varied lately 
You see the boat was leaving Alexandria Pt Said for 
England when she was stopped & sent to 
Alexandria & took us on board next day 
They had no chance of victualling her properly 
so bully beef has been our main diet 
lately. The butter is a bit rancid. To-day 
for dinner we got quite a surprise with 
some beautiful rice soup, tender beef and potatoes 
& bread & jam. The bread is always good 
freshly baked each night. Jam & cheese 
will be served regularly each *other day now. 
There has been no complaint as most 
recognise that it is inevitable. Thank 
goodness the bully has been very good 
but you get awfully sick of it. 
A boat load of men got ashore the other 
night. What for goodness only knows. They 
got each 10 days field punishment. For two 
hours *each day they are tied up to waggon wheels 
& spend the rest of the time in the detention 
room. Naturally discipline will be very

 123 
aboard the 9th orderly room was stacked 
up to the ceiling. Didn't the P.O. Corporal 
work that evening. There wasn't room 
for more than half a dozen extra hands 
to work. We saw to it that Adelaide bags 
were handed out first. It took Wednesday 
evening & night all Thursday morning 
& afternoon sorting & even now missorted 
ones are turning up. I cant attempt a  
description of my feelings getting your 3 
letters, the two monogrammed knitted flannels 
& the paper. There were two letters from mother 
one from Linda, Tom, Freda, Feo, father, Lee 
J C Richardson & Mr Bishop. I will tell you 
about the others before getting on to yours 
Mothers were just motherly notes. Your  
fathers contained a peculiar sentence  '...The "_ _ _ _ _ 
and the risk of infection; much of the latter can 
be avoided by keeping away from things unclean." 
I was wondering if he meant anything between 
the lines. Good heavens he must have a nice  
idea of his future son in law Still I wont  
surge as he may not have meant anything

 79 
strict now. 
There are 6 Castle liners in now with 
Marines & Naval Brigade men on board 
All the horses have been taken ashore 
There is plenty of green feed & they seem  
to be enjoying themselves 
 Sunday Evening, I wouldn't have swopped  
places with the King to-day. Just think 
of it We have been all round the  
Queen Elizabeth & all over a submarine 
Right down in her & the B11 at that 
the ? identical one that made history  
when she dived under 4 rows of mines  
& sank that Turkish battleship. And 
not least of all we have shanken 
hands with her V.C. Commander & 
had afternoon tea with her crew 
every one awarded the D.S.M. Let 
me tell you how it came about 
At 2 o'clock the crew had to take the  
Brigadier & staff ashore to the 9th 
Camp. He said he would be ashore  
an hour or so & had no objection 
to our pulling out to the 'Eliza' Off  
we went with Sgt Heritage on whom 
we picked up as we were moving off.   
We had a good 3 miles to row & saw 
the Agamemnon Inflexible & Lord Nelson 
 

122 
Several cases of jam were accidentally
dropped down the companion ways up forward 
where C Coy troop decks are. The peculiar thing 
about it was that when they went down 
only the broken case was visible.
Fellows who saw it say it was done as 
neatly as anything could be. Another peculiar 
thing is that no bully beef is short.
A large half hundredweight cheese met 
the same fate as the jam but in this case 
it was only a few crumbs they found.  
I expect there will be a noise about it but 
they will be lucky if they find any evidence. 
Good Friday Here it is 3 days without an 
entry in your journal, but I have the best 
of excuses. A supply boat from Alexandria 
came in Wednesday having on board 
a lot of Soudan cattle & 120 big bags of 
mail. We were ashore at the 9th landing 
when the tug brought them in & we helped 
to load them on to a barge to be taken to 
the Sonian for sorting. When we got

80 
steam off. The booms were up 
on the 'Eliza' & we were frightened 
we wouldn't be in time. However we 
got there in time to rowe right round 
her and gaze aghast at the great 
floating mass of armoured steel & 
guns. What a personification of power 
she looked. Think of it 8 immense long 
15 inch dealers of death capable of throwing 
a shells weighing a ton, 15 miles. 
On each side forward were  6 - 6 inchers 
& aft 2 each side, 16 in all. Amidships 
what looked like 4 - 12 inchers. The 
immense steel barbettes for the 15s 
were awe inspiring  You couldn't imagine 
any force piercing them And yet to 
think that floating fort costing 2 million 
& its thousand souls could be blotted
out by one little mine. War is cruel
think of that gigantic engine of destruction
throwing its ton shells whe  25000 yds over hills 
& reducing forts to rubbish and men 
to bloody atoms, while 4 miles out of 
range; neither the weilders  not seeing the  
effect of their fire nor the defenders where 
they it came from. 
There were a lot of men on deck 
among them about 20 civies (men

121 
Tuesday Another rough day. Really this place 
is fearfully erratic in its weather. We had a 
storm from the South 3 weeks ago, the last was 
from the South & this is from the East. 
Not having anything to do in the rowing line 
I have read "The Artful Miss Dill" by Frankfort 
Moore. I am getting quite satiated with love 
novels. 
Things are quite slow on board with 3 coys ashore 
C Coy have been employed on guards & fatigue 
parties taking stores aboard. Jam, fresh meat & bully, 
cheese, potatoes & onions, flour bacon and sugar. 
We are to start on army rations the ships term 
being up. Thank goodness. 
It is wonderful how low your morals can 
sink when you are hungry for any particular 
food. A lot of the stores were stacked up near 
the hold alongside our smoking room possy. 
It was the work of 2 seconds to whip in a  
case of 48-1lb tins of jam. Eight of us divided  
it up & the case was dumped overboard before  
a minute was up. What a feast we have 
had to-day of bread & jam. I only looked once 
at the bully stew for dinner.

81 
in civilian clothes) whom we found 
to be articifers from the workshops. 
On the quarter deck the commander 
paced his constitutional accompanied 
by an officer while the orderley messenger 
waited in attendance. The range 
finding crows nest was an immense 
affair, roofed, capable of holding 20 
men. In an engagement seat the  
only faces  life visible would be the faces 
of the range finders. 
We slowly drifted past changing remarks 
with the crew & then made a supply 
ship with two submarines alongside. 
We had no thought of being able to  
board the submarines as even in  
peace times it needs an admirals 
order to board one. We were invited  
aboard the supply ship in search of 
a drink of water & meeting some of 
the submarine's crew were told the  
Commander might let us aboard if 
we asked. Up went Sgt Tomlinson 
& with Australian cheek got what we 
wanted. We couldn't scramble down 
the connecting plank quickly enough. 
The crew of 13 sort of opened their 
bosoms to us. The conning tower was

120 
He is not going on the route march. The 
officers cracked hearty this morning over their 
loads but it was a delicious sight. One of 
the mens complete load was weighed this 
morning, it nearly topped a hundredweight. 
It seems increditable. 
I heard a good yarn to-day which I don't know 
if you will appreciate. It was told by an  
Irish wag who had the brogue to perfection. 
An Irish labourer coming home in the 
unexpectedly was surprised to find a man 
in bed with his wife. To show his disapproval  
he started knocking the furniture about 
& tearing off the wallpaper. "Och shure now 
look at him" said Biddy, peeping above the  
bed clothes "showin' aff afore the strange 
gentleman" The funniest part was where 
the teller put his hands under his chin with 
his elbows out when he came to Biddy's speech.  
It was for all the world as near, as you could 
get to mimicking a person looking out from  
under bed clothes.

82 
an elliptical shaped affair only  
coming to a very narrow point each 
end From bow to stern stretched a wire  
rope supported in the centre by a standard 
that kept it above all gear so 
that a wire rope would offer no 
obstruction when the submarine was 
submerged. The periscope was capable 
of being lowered below this wire for 
of course the periscope is the only visible 
object when she is submerged. 
A ladder led down the conning tower 
& into the hull as also did one on  
the deck. Down below was the most  
interesting little cubby hole. The little  
room was only about 5 feet in height 
& about 60 feet in length. The switches  
wheels & machinery bewilded one. 
Right forward were the two torpedo  
tubes surrounded by all the gear 
that works them. Two long cigars took 
up a lot of space on the floor. On them 
were placed bags which overcame the 
necessity of seating accommodation. 
The floor forward was the roof  
of the petrol tank. A neat little 
electric cooking arrangement took our 
fancy. In no time they boiled some 

119 
a battalion of 'chats'. They were a complete 
force with signallers, pioneers & all. "It was  
over the odds" he continued, "when they started 
manoeuvrs & entrenched themselves " on 
my chest." How do you like the word 
"chats" it sounds much more refined than 
the other. Goodnight my love. 
Monday Mar 29th The damage to the Inflexible is 
worse than I thought. She struck two  mines but 
her watertight compartments saved her. Mines 
are generally connected by a wire so that a  
ship passing draws them into her. Twenty  
one men were in the mined compartment 
& are still there. A lucky (for the turks) shrapnel  exploded 
just above the range finders' crowsnest on  
the foremast. We saw the riddled roof. Five 
men were blotted out with that one. I expect 
she will go on the slips at Malta & be back 
again within a month. 
Captain Lorenzo seems confident that the war 
will collapse suddenly by July. It looks like  
the brigadiers opinion. 
We took the brigadier to the Suffolk this morning.

83 
water & made us tea. I had a  
regulation navy basin of it It was  
easily the most delicious tea I have 
had since you made that cup with 
the boiling milk. They cut us sandwiched 
& it seemed as if the couldn't do  
enough for us. What a fine body  
of a man they looked clear cut thin faced looking 
all with intellectual faces & nothing to  
say for about themselves.  Heroes every  
one. We couldn't stand it any longer 
so off we fired questions after question 
This is the disjointed story we were  
able to drag out of one. 'We were told  
off to reconnoitre in the Dardanelles 
& got up as far as Chanak without 
mishap when the skipper spotted the  
Turkish battleship. We dived to get a bit 
closer, guessed the range at 1000yds &  
fired. Then they spotted us & we had 
just time to see her disappear ten minutes  
after firing & get away as quickly as  
we could. We were 9 hours under  
that trip. It made is feel a bit 
dizzy when we got to the fresh air again 
but you don't notice it until then." 
They seemed quite unconcerned about 
the exploit ' Why' said one' The last trip

118 
there was no contribution yesterday. 
I was thinking last night what a terribly 
prosy letter writer I am. I don’t seem to be 
any good at expressing thoughts at all. 
 If I  could only blossom out & express  
them sometimes & get out of this terrible  
habit of writing of mundane things. I don’t  
believe there is a variety of 100 words  
since I started. What is most annoying  
I don’t see any hope.  
I know that you know that you are  
everything to me, I am thinking of  
you constantly & only longing for our reunion,  
I don’t like to express it again. 
& again in the same old ditto phrases. 
Sometimes I wish I were a poet. 
Talking of poets connects long hair which 
Would be disastrous on this boat. It is 
what we call ‘Chatty’ ie lousy. Luckily  
I haven’t had a bite, but lot of the chaps 
have to have a hunt occasionally. One 
wit was describing to me how he harboured 

84 
up the Straights was the toughest. 
We were told off to draw the fire 
of the forts & we did it only too well 
A shell lobbed within 20 yds of us  
with our conning tower above water. 
Another followed closer before we 
had time to dive, but we were well 
under when we heard the third. It 
was touch & go that time." Another of 
our crew was able to drag out the  
following." The skipper told use we were  
to get up as far as we could & there 
were 4 rows of mines to dodge & said 
'what about it ' 'Where you are game 
to go we are" we answered, & off we went.' 
Of course we had a peep at the  
periscope. It gave quite a clear deflection 
of boats lying ahead. On it are marked 
line which enable the commander to  
tell where the torpedoes are sighting. 
When submerged the only target offered 
is this tiny tube two inches in diameter 
Think of the accuracy of that gunner on the 'Birmingham' 
who picked of the German periscope at 
half a mile, first shot too. 
The crew loaded us with magazines 
a cigarette each to smoke above 
& several tins of oxtail soup which

 117 
even in this war; landing at an island 
 that belon doesn’t seem to belong to anyone; 
 waiting for the development of an attack 
 in conjunction of with the French troops 
& an Anglo-French-Russian navy on 
Turkey & Constantinople. I wonder what 
 the future holds? We seem to be in the 
middle of the making of history . 
A, B,+ D coys are off on a 3 days bivouac 
to-morrow. Castro 20 miles distant is 
a place of call. Three pounds of bully, 3 loaves 
of bread, a blanket & oil sheet, 50 rounds 
of ammunition and full marching order 
is the order. How thankful I am the 
brigadiers crew is exempted. 
I read a book yesterday which I can 
well recommend ‘Christopher Hibbault,  
Roadmaker’ by Margaret Bryant. It struck 
me as a very powerful book though the 
finish clashed through sufficient material 
for a dozen novels. 
We had to bring Cap. Ross from the Minerva 
last night after doing rounds, thats why 

 85 
were pressed on us in spite of our 
protests that it was robbing them. 
What was more important still was 
an invitation to visit them again. 
This morning we took the ships 
doctor ashore at the little jetty & having 
an hour to wait took a stroll into 
the village again.  We penetrated a  
bit further & found it much more 
populous.  The little narrow lanes 
wound about in a most perplexing 
way  We came across the village 
pump with several clear typed women 
filling their stone jars.  Very picturesque 
it looked. 
Soldiers from the 8 French transports 
now in port have  started a little camp 
quite near the town.  About half a 
mile round the other way the advance 
company of the Naval Brigade ASC 
have also started a camp.  French 
soldiers of  in every conceivable type 
of uniform were about. 
On At the shore nearest ninth camp 
a little jetty has been started by the 
engineers.  Whatever will it be like 
when the full force of 100000 Australian 
English & French arrive?

116 
were 51. They say nothing about 
their own losses. One shell from 
the 'Liza' exploded a magazine & kill 
blew over 1000 Germans & Turks 
to Kingdom Come. 
In yesterdays war news a translation of 
an article in a Greek paper states that 
25000 Australians have landed at Lemnos 
It points a great moral at the benefit 
of official communiques as conducted 
by the British. 
Flight Commander Sampson is at Tenados 
in charge of 21 seaplanes. The Germans have 
placed a reward of £1000 on his head, dead 
or alive which seems a bit low. 
Two Turkish seaplanes are supposed 
to be about, what oh' if Sampson gets a 
chance. Truly we live in stirring times 
Think of it, a visit to the B11, & Queen Elizabeth, 
Daily contact with the Inflexible  Canopus & Albion, 
three boats that distinguished themselves 
at the Falklands, the Foreign Legion, Tureos  
& Zonaves; a glimpse of heroes of many battles

 86 
We did our trip round the brigade 
boat in 28 minutes early this evening 
&  o it is time I turned in probably to 
dream about submarines & Super Dreadnoughts  
& you. Goodnight little girl. 
Monday Nothing startling to-day. This 
morning we took the Brigadier ashore. 
There was a brigade route march on. 
After coming back we rowed over to a 
small gunboat who the 'Hussan' which 
is acting flagship for the war news. 
From there we went to the 9th landing 
passing a merchantman which that struck 
a mine in the Bay of Smyrna. Her cargo 
of wheat was being unloaded into a boat 
alongside. After landing our passengers 
we had a swim. The water was too cold 
to stay in long. The last couple of days 
have been wonderfully fine the bay as 
smooth as glass & the sun quite warm 
in the day time. It has rained twice 
since we have been here, just short 
thunderstorms. I would like to know 
what is going on in the Dardanelles to-day 
The harbour is clear of men of war with 
the exception of the 'Swiftsure' (the cruiser 
with the big cranes for hoisting torpedo boats 
that picked us up at Aden 3 months ago)

 115 
to obey orders too readily. She was ordered 
up to the Dardanelles but didnt leave 
until a couple of days after. When she 
got there she wouldn't come out 
when ordered, & was chased out. The 
naval authorities are very amused. 
She had a hunt on her own the other 
day & fired some shells from her little 
4 inchers at a quarantine station killing 
two of the Turkish patients. The Askold being very 
old & obsolete it all seems rather amusing  
Some German spies attached to their 
Greek Embassy as well as several 
Turkish spies are suspected to be on 
the Island. 
It is pitiably amusing to read the Turkish 
account of the greatest naval victory 
since the Japs wiped out the Russian 
fleet. They claim 2500 British slain 
, the Inflexible suck disabled & hosts 
of other imaginary lies successes. The actual 
British casualties in the last engagement

 87 
the two submarines & the flagship. 
Even the hospital ship 'Soudan' cleared 
out yesterday She is attached to the navy. 
  
A Russian 5 funnelled Cruiser the identical 
one that we saw at Colombo went out 
this afternoon. I don't think I mentioned 
the Blenheim as being in the other day. 
She is a pre Dreadnought fitted up as a 
veritable machine shop. She is capable 
of acting as supply ship to 32 Destroyers. 
Taking out damaged plates & putting 
in new ones is right in her line 
I forgot to tell you yesterday that Submarine 
crews are all voluntary They get 3/6 a day 
extra, not much of an insurance  annuity 
premium is it? The Australian submarine 
AE2 was in the other day She ran aground 
near the entrance & has had to go to 
Malta to be overhauled. 
Some of the transports are using great 
Turkish barges for taking horses ashore 
I in I wonder if they are captures? 
The French Foreign Legion is here. No 
doubt you have heard of them. Once 
joined you are there for life. A ha'penny 
a day is the pay & no questions asked when 
you join I wonder if it is as romantic 
as novelists paint it. I know there

 114 
there are dozens of supply ships in the harbour. 
This afternoon we took the brigadier ashore 
Captain Ross was also in attendance. He 
is one of the wittiest humourists I 
have ever heard. He had the brigadier 
grinning all the time. MacLagan was asking 
him the meaning of several naval 
signals flying. Cap Ross was described an 
incident on the bridge of the Ionian 
the other day. She often goes up with the 
signallers. About 2 miles away was an oil 
tank steamer. 'Who can pick out that 
string of signals she is flying' asked 
Cap. Ross. Immediately all glasses were 
focussed while Ross sneaked away. 
'I was going down the companion way 
when I heard the murmers' he said 'sl it 
was only a string line of washing she had 
strung up the mast.' 
He was telling the brigadier about the 
Russian cruiser 'Askold' A Some friend 
of his on the Minevra had told him 
evidently. This blanky Russian doesnt seem

 88 
are several Englishman in it. 
There is some talk of us swimming 
back to Alexandria for water & stores. 
I hope so. The water they put on yesterday 
was brackish. You were thirstier after 
than before drinking. Harry Nott in 
his condemnation wrote that it was 
a disgrace to H.M Transports. 
Major Oldham was expressing his opinion 
rather freely yesterday about the Scotch 
owners, Scotch ship & Scotch food. The 
captain overheard & took up the defence 
immediately. The discussion came on 
to the butter. 'Wh That butter was the 
finest procurable when it was but aboard,' 
said the captain. 'But how old is that ship' 
said Mjr Oldham. 
That little village I have tried to describe 
is Murkos Mudros. The largest on the island 
is "Castro" exactly where it lies I can't 
say. 
Tuesday The programme this morning was 
practicing landing under cover of a warships 
guns. B Coy was the lander covering Coy & 
had to be landed first to hold the position 
while the others landed. They started at 
3:30 a m We left with the Brigadier & Staff 
after they were afloat & were the first

 113 
Now about the damage the Turks have 
talked about. The funnels had half a 
dozen shrapnel bullet holes in them, just 
the size of an ordinary bullet. The 
deck had been renewed in a couple of 
places about a yard square. Several 
shrapnel bullet marks were showing in 
other places on the wooden decks and 
some minor dents in the steel armour. 
It didn't cost the value of the shells that 
hit her to repair everything. Of course 
a lot of shells hit her but they just bounced 
back into the sea. Not a man was scratched 
Coming back we parted by near the 
Inflexible which you will remember ran 
ashore at Tenados. She didn't seem to 
be much worse off than the 'Liza' & 
only had a steam tug in attendance 
Somebody said divers were examining 
her. 
The Albin Albion Canopus & Minerva we also 
passed close to. 
Only two French transports are left but

89 
to land. It was very dark, the shore 
not visible until within 100 yds making 
it very difficult to pick up any direction 
There are no prominent landmarks round 
the bay & the boats being anchored forward 
only, swing round to each change of wind 
It is most perplexing at night time. I 
think it was more luck than anything 
that we struck the right spot. After 
landing out passengers we came back & 
met several boatloads wandering about 
Just after we got aboard the rain started 
Only half could have got ashore when 
it was cancelled. They came back like 
drowned rats. Naturally the whole thing 
was a failure which the ships officers 
expected. To-day has been quite an off day. 
The crew went over to the flagship for 
war news. All we got yesterday & to-day 
concerned the French frontier only. It looks 
as if things were beginning to move there. 
The night before last the 'Ameythist' a 
small cruiser was doing reconnortering 
work in the Dardanelles when she was 
surprised by a battery of howitzers. 
Twenty three were killed & 14 wounded. 
'One' of the 'mouth' class of cruisers is 
lying in harbour. Of of her boilers

112 
of the machinery inside Everything is 
worked by hydraulic power It is quite impossible 
to attempt to describe it. The breach of 
the giant was opened for us & we had a 
look right up. I could have crawled right 
through easily. The rifle of the bore must 
have stood out 1/2 an inch. And then the 
shells. Slightly under a ton they weigh & 
it costs £850 including the wear & tear 
on the guns to fire one. Down into the 
bowels of the ship we clambered, bewildered 
by the conglomeration of machinery. We 
saw where & how the shells were placed 
in the cage to be hoisted above to the 
gun breach. Everything was as clean 
as the proverbial pin, just a bit oily but 
the machinery all showed bright through 
it. Unfortunately we didnt have much 
time as Sexton was waiting in the boat. 
We had to decline an invitation to 
dinner & come away after a glimpse of 
some of the rooms below

 90 
burst while operating up there and killed 
11 men. The battleship we thought was 
the 'Inflexible' was the 'Agamemnon' 
In her first engagement some of the ships 
crew were over on the disengaged side 
painting blotches. This has a peculiar 
optical effect making a difficult target. 
The shells were falling all around & two 
men were killed before being all ordered 
'under armour'. The tale goes that the skipper 
got hauled over the coals about it. One 
of the men killed had a point brush still 
in his hand when picked up. 
We got all this news on our trip the morning 
I dont know why I am writing it all down 
It will all be stale by the time it reaches  
you. However I am to post it I cant imagine 
I seem to derive a lot of pleasure from just 
writing to you though I know it will be months 
before you can get it. 
For the last 4 nights I have been living or at 
least sleeping in luxury. The 9th Orderley 
Room was is one of the smoking rooms. As 
they are ashore it is not being used. 
Roy White first told me about it & Rhodes 
Jones & I bunk on the saddleback cushioned 
lounges. There is plenty of room & we are 
not disturbed. I have been doing all the