Diary of George Booley, 5th Battalion, AIF, 1918, Part 15

OCTOBER — 1918.
8 Tuesday—Sun rises 6.13, sets 5.22.

Lay in the outer harbour
all day, in the evening
our escort came out, it
consists of 3 Japanese
Destroyers at least I am
told they are British
Destroyers manned by
Japanese & if rumours
are true they have been
most successful in destroying 
Submarines, one
of them is credited with
17. 
               

OCTOBER— 1918.
9 Wednesday—Sun rises 6.14, sets 5.20.

Left Taranto about 7.AM
two Boats Marish and & ours
with escort & escorted
a short way by two airships.
At first the sea
was calm but later in
the day became choppy
& had it lasted Mal
de Mer would have
been prevalent. Travelling
in the night without
lights &  it is a grievous
crime to strike a light.

OCTOBER—1918.
10 Thursday—Sun rises 6.16, sets 5.18.

Still going through the
Mediterainean, the parades
on board are from 10AM
till about 11.30. & from
1.30 to 2.30 PM for Physical
jerks but I take no
hand in the latter being
under the M.O. In the morning
the guns of both
troopships had practice
at some smoke Bombs
& did some good shooting
Sea not so choppy today.
We are travelling close
together abreast with
The destroyers in front &
on either side. In the
afternoon a fourth destroyer
joined us
  

OCTOBER —1918.
11 Friday—Sun rises 6.18, sets 5.16.

Still plugging along,
just the same routine
aboard Reveille about
6. breakfast 7 xxx
xxx lights out about 9.PM
but there are no lights
showing on deck anywhere
we wear life belts at all
times on deck.

OCTOBER—1918.
12 Saturday—Sun rises 6.20, sets 5.14.

Parade in morning but
none in afternoon, about
2.PM, a Seaplane flew
over, arrived at Port said
about 7. PM. & was soon
among the din of shouting
Niggers, boat horns etc,
Port Said is a noisy &
lively post, but is just
the same place as it
was nearly four years
ago.

OCTOBER — 1918.
13 Sunday - 20th after Trinity.
Mg.-Ezek. xxxiv. Col. ii. 8.
Evg.—Ezek, xxxvii. or Dan. i. Luke xi. 1-89
5h 0m Morn.

Some Officers for the Indian
Army went off in morning
& in afternoon 2 .oclock we
moved down the Canal & stopped
at El. Kantara, but not the
place it was when last here,
now it is a vast dump of
war stores, ammunition,
fodder etc & stretches for miles,
landing stages have been
built out into the Canal where
large steamers can tie up,
& for miles over the desert you
could see the lights of the
camp, there are many Turkish
prisoners camped
here too, there was a
fairly big scrap here one
time. 

OCTOBER — 1918.
14 Monday—Sun rises 6.22, sets 5.10.

Some Tommies went off in
the morning. Left the Boat
at Kantarah about 5. PM
& proceeded by train to Port
Suez, it was not a bad
trip being moonlight most
of the time, we arrived
about 5.AM.
Had word that the
Huns had agreed to
peace terms, but
think the news too
good to be true, although
I anticipate an early
break up of the whole
thing.

OCTOBER — 1918.
15 Tuesday—Sun rises 6.24, sets 5.7.

Arrived about 5 AM. at
Port Suez. the camp is near
the Railway siding, had a
wash, took off my underclothes 
& washed them, by
about 10 oclock they were
dry, had a shower; shave
etc, & felt a different chap.
While my clothes dried I
had to go to bed. This
Camp has been a good one
but has been more or
less deserted of late by the
look of it, it has a YMCA,
Cinema, showers,  & most
things that are usually
found in Egyptian Camps
on the whole they are
better than those in
France  Went to pictures
in evening

OCTOBER — 1918.
16 Wednesday—Sun rises 6.26, sets 5.6.

Swimming parade in
morning, they had to march
about 3 miles so I jibbed.
(Leave 15/10/18 was granted into
the Town & hundreds went
in without, many got
drunk & played up, told
the APM what they thought
of Him & generally, made
fools of themselves.
I went to pictures
again, it is an open
air show & the nights
are lovely once the
sun goes down)
 

OCTOBER — 1918.
17 Thursday—Sun rises 6.28, sets 5.4.

16/10/18
(after yesterdays show
in the Town leave is
off today & no one is allowed
in by order of A.P.M. who
is the big Chief in a Town)
17/10/18
In the afternoon parties
were allowed in to the
Town under Officers, I
refused a pass under the
conditions. A Concert
party from Port Said
(Aust L H.) came & gave
a performance which
was not bad but not
equal to some of ours
on the other side. 

OCTOBER—1918.
18 Friday—Sun rises 6.29, sets 5.1.
St. Luke.

Free afternoon tea by YMCA
I went to Port Suez in
the evening it is rather
a slow going place,
most of the European
population are belonging
to Government positions
Came out early & went
to Concert by same
party as last night.

OCTOBER - 1918.
19 Saturday Sun rises 6.31, sets 4.59.
9h 35m After.

In afternoon went down
to the Sea & had a bathe
& later amused myself
watching a camp of
Bedouins, they are
an interesting crowd.
In evening went to
pictures. 

OCTOBER— 1918.
20 Sunday—2lst after Trinity.
Mg.—Dan. iii. 1 Thes. v.
Evg.—Dan. iv. or Dan. v.
Luke xiv. 25 to xv. 11.

Went by train to the
Port of Suez & embarked
on the Port Sydney
pulled out about
4 PM & commenced
the journey proper
about 9. Syd & I stood
& watched Suez disappear, 
talking over
most topics under the
sun. I like the looks
of our Boat.

OCTOBER- 1918.
21 Monday—Sun rises 6.35, sets 4.55.

Rather an uneventful
day parade only for ships
inspection, the weather
is hot as is usually
the case in the Red
Sea. 

OCTOBER- 1918.
22 Tuesday—Sun rises 6.37, sets 4.53.

In early morning we
ran into a heavy squall
it lasted about an
hour, we got another
later in the day but
not so heavy, with
the first the sea become
pretty rough but I did
not see anyone sick
but several looked
doubtful. Had a reshuffle 
of men from
the various states
which scattered us
far & wide from our
units.

OCTOBER- 1918.
23 Wednesday—Sun rises 6.38, sets 4.50.

Weather squally with
showers of rain & a fair
sea running but our
Boat is very steady,
the wind makes it
much cooler than it
would otherwise be & is
a blessing rather than
a nuisance.
Spent some hours in
the evening yarning to
Syd.
Went to M.O. who told
me to come again some
day for examination 

OCTOBER - 1918.
24 Thursday—Sun rises 6.40, sets 4.48.

Weather still rough,
it was rather amusing
last night a shower
drove the Lads down
off the deck, it happened
to be striking 7. bells
& the lookout man called
the usual "and all's well"
when one Chap dashing
down the stairs naked
with blankets under his
arm yells "your a ----
liar".
  

OCTOBER - 1918.
25 Friday—Sun rises 6.41, sets 4.47.

My fifth Birthday since
leaving Melb. Weather
much modified but still
a nice breeze blowing.
Passed out of the Red
Sea into Gulf of Aden
during the day. In the
evening the crowd treated
the Colonel to a count
out for stopping them
from gambling. 

OCTOBER- 1918.
26 Saturday—Sun rises 6.43, sets 4.45.
5h 35m After.

Calmer today but still
a nice little breeze on
but the sea is calm.
In orders this morning
that House the only
recognised game of gambling
in the army may be
played. In the evening
we saw some whales
one between 30 & 40 ft
long I should say passed
within about 300 yds
of the ship & dived
when opposite us.

OCTOBER - 1918.
27 Sunday—22nd after Trinity.
Mg.—Dan. vi. 1 Tim. iv.
Evg.—Dan. vii. 9, or Dan. xii. Luke xix 11-28.

Church parade in morning.
Most of the day went
passing along the N.E
corner of Africa & out
into the Indian Ocean.
Sing song conducted.
by YMCA in evening