Photostat copies of letters from Charles Albert Barnes to his mother, 1914 - Part 1

SS Ascanius
transport A.11.
Saturday 30/9/Oct 14
October 10th. 1914
My dear mum,

Will try and send off a note before we leave, 

but will also try & start a sort of diary letter to 

go on later.

We have jolly good quarters & the food is

excellent The South Australians (the 10th Battalion)

 are with us & what one notices at once in the officers is that they are generally speaking a good deal younger than the W.As. I know three of them 

well, one was in Africa with me and two others 

I have known in W.A.

We have four in our cabin Major Denton

Capts Everett and Leane & myself. Theres not too 

much room & I expect some fun when we all 

try to dress together.

The ship is crowded & it doesn't look as tho 

the troops would be able to do much work. 

Tonight we took the WA officers took possession 

of the mess & had a Sing Song. Theres quite a heap 

of talent.

 Sunday 1st Oct Nov?

Church Parade this morning by the Bishop

who gave a very fine address indeed. There is a 

small organ & the S.A. folk have a sort of band

so that we had plenty of music. During the

day a great many launches came off to see

the ship & one or two official boats came off

with orders &c. The Pioneer came out of the harbour

this evening & also the Japenese War ship (earlier

in the day) so it looks as tho we might be off very

shortly.

Monday

We started the long trip at ¼ to 5 this 

morning escorted by Jap Warship Ibukin in

front & the Pioneer keeping on our starboard

side well out. The ship is going very slowly

we expect to pick up the remainder of the fleet

tomorrow. The medic is quite close to us so we

are able to carry on conversations by 

semaphore. & Run up to midday 74 knots.

Tuesday

Great number of all ranks very seasick

I was not very comfortable this morning but

there were no developments & I'm quite right

again I hope it lasts.

Today we picked up the others & it made

one think a lot xx as we came into view.

There are in all S.S. Transports (28 Australian &

10 N.Z. troops) so try & imagine the sight of

which met us. The weather is a bit fresh & as we

came up to the others & we could see them rolling

considerable.  As escort for the fleet there are

several Warships. Right out in front is the 

Minotaur, on the Port side the Shannon

on the Starboard the Ibuki & the rear another

British boat. In addition there are 6 or 7 others

scouting outside further. Am sending a

rough sort of sketch showing how the fleet

is formed you will notice that we are in the

3rd line & are the 3rd boat. The picture is of

the whole show is wonderful. This sketch only

gives the names of the Aus transports carrying

Australian troops. I have not yet been able to

get hold of the names of the N.Z boats but am

trying to get them. The Orvielo is has the General

& his Staff aboard. She is a fine boat but I

think the Euripides is a prettier model.

The Southern (just behind the Orvielo) is the

slowest ship & keeps every one back a good

deal. In each line the ships are about 400 yds

apart & the distance between lines is about the

same. We are in the same line & just behind the

Medic so are able to keep up communication.

with the other W.A. fellows. The run today was

177 knots & we are apparently heading for the

Canal.

Wednesday

Most of the men are still very ill Poor Joze

is not by any means himself. He feels inclined

to die. Strickland is also bad but Jackson

is better today. Am sorry to say that Eric

Piercy is ill with pneumonia. Hope its not serious.

The men are being fed splendidly but at present

do not eat much. Their quarters are pretty crowded

but clean & as there are some windsails- carrying

air down to the troop deck the atmosphere is

not so thick as would be supposed. One of my

Sergeants (Stanfield by name, he used to work at

Padburys) is in charge of the troop deck as

Troop deck Sergeant & as he has had a good

deal of experience in transports while in the

army he is able to show the men how to do

things & keep their messes tidy. Run 196 knots

Thursday 5th

This morning we were surprised to see

the Minotaur suddenly turn round & come

back right through the fleet. As there are German

cruisers about we were hoping rather to get a view

of an action at sea but if there was anything about

it must have cleared off as the cruiser came back to

her station in front later on in the day. We had

to parade in life belts today.

Eric Piercy is fearfully ill & we are all naturally

very anxious. This evening his temperature is

105°. The runs was 2.40 knots. Its very slow

but the whole fleet of course is regulated by the

speed of the slowest boat & so it does not exceed

10 knots per hour. Our Chief Engineer doesn't

like it as he says it shakes his engines a great

deal.

[*name Chrimes*]

The Skipper is a north County man & is a

funny old bird. He is very [covetous?] of his

[*Wilkinson*]

responsibilities. The Chief [[mate?]]  is a good

[*Reed*]

sort but I like the second better. He was on

the N.W. coast for some time & knows Ted

Courthope very well. He also knows old Henry

Meares, Cusack & most of the N.W. squatters

He tells some very funny yarns about them

particularly Cusack.

Friday 6th

Its beastly hot & we dont increase in energy

Lights are put out every evening & today we

had another parade in life belts.

Piercy is no better. Its a very anxious time with

him. The run was 2.51.

Saturday 7th

We (the W.As) had sports this afternoon tugs of

war & boxing principally The latter was both

amusing & instructive. Piercy is better & if we

can only get some cool weather he will pull thro

all right. There's another man down now worse

than Piercy if possible. The wireless news indicates

a considerable movement. The Minotaur has gone

off again. We should be near Cocos Island

tomorrow night. Yesterday the mail boat

Osterley came right through the fleet on her

way to England. Run today was 2.58 knots.

Sunday C 8th

Had a sad event this morning one of the

men on the Euripides died last night & today

while Church parade was beheld on our ship

the Euripides pulled out of line to bury him.

The Bishop has improved tremendously &

he just can preach.

Piercy is getting along well, but Jose is

now ill nothing very serious tho. The heat is

rather wicked to say the least.

Run today 2.35

Monday 9th

Wild excitement early this morning we had

a wireless from Cocos (50 odd miles away) Strange

warship at harbour entrance then came the

distress signal S.O.S. S.O.S. & started again S.O.

then stopped altogether. Immediately one of

our escort turned & simply streaked off like

lightning (The Shannon Sydney) The Melbourne at once 

took her place & the japanese boat moved up to 

the front. An hour or so after away went the

Melbourne & the japenese boat too. The latter

went close by us belching thick black smoke

& getting down to it as hard as she could. We could

see them getting the guns ready & stowing away

everything movable on deck. She had two big 

flags flying & looked be as tho she meant business.

Before they had quite got out of sight a wireless

came "Enemy beached to escape sinking" & a

little later came further details from the Sydney

saying "Emden beached to avoid sinking our

loss 2 killed 13 wounded. Imagine our feelings

to find that the Emden had been within 20

miles of us & had been captured by one of our own

escort. The Colonel invited all of us into the mess

room & we toasted the Navy with champagne at

his expense. A lot of singing national airs &c also

took place. All our defaulters were let off & then we

gave the men our issue of beer.

We are now anxiously waiting to hear further

news.

The Melbourne & Japanese boat came back to

their stations & the latter signalled congratulations

to the Melbourne "Bad luck for us to be out of it

but we console ourselves knowing that we are

doing our duty standing by the convoy".

Piercy is getting on tho still very ill Jose is better

We have another pneumonia patient about whom

the Doctor is very anxious. Run today 2.32 knots.

NTuesday 11th 

A few more details of the fight. Just to the effect

that the Sydney also sank a collier which was

with the Emden. After beaching the latter she

steamed off at once after the collier & having taken

off the crew put in a few shells & sank her at once.

Then went back to the Emden who surrendered.

She had done a good deal of damage cutting

one of the cables & wrecking instruments & the wireless. 

We have had the Medic close to as today & were 

able to signal to our pals by semaphore. Mrs

Rogers who is with us was able to have a good

long fond look at her husband on the other

boat & to send him a few sentimental messages

The run was 2.47 knots.

Wednesday 10th.  The Medic pulled out

of the line to bring a man belonging to our

Regiment (A Coy) Our special invalid is very low

Oh I dont think I told you last Saturday we

had our second dose of inoculation soooooooo

[gev?] this time. They put up a great fight with [[thoese?]]

already in my system but in the end the local

inhabitants have prevailed. Jackson has

like myself ha not suffered to any appreciable

degree from Mal de mer but Strickland has had

it bad

Wednesday 11th

Have been thinking a good deal of you

today. Father would just have loved to

see the fleet steaming together with

the warships in escort.

[*Power G Coy*]

We had another ma loss today a man

I have referred too as being ill with pneumonia

died early this afternoon & was buried in the

evening. The ship pulled out of the line

& stopped dead while the burial service

was held It sort of cast a gloom over

the ship when the Last Post was sounded

Piercy is getting on well.

The run was [[2.46?]]

Thursday 12th

The only thing of import was sighting a very

large ship with 3 funnels & painted grey as a

warship. She turned out to be a converted

cruiser "The Empress of Russia" one of the

C.P.R. boats she went by at over [[20?]] knots an

hour & we believe is going to Cocos to collect

the prisoners & bring them up to Colombo

Run 25.6 knots.

Friday 13th

This morning all the N.Z. boats came up

thro the fleet to go on to Colombo for water

& coal They came up in good style are

all painted grey & commanded by RNR

officers The Melbourne has gone on with

them.

Tonight I had a [[waly?]] with one of the

nurses. The one who was at Johnsons A

Private man played a lot of times on his

tin whistle which were duly appreciated

Run today 2.45.

Saturday

We expect to get to Colombo early

tomorrow. No letters giving any details

of our trip will be allowed so all I can