Diary of Alexander Jackson Cunningham, 1914-1916, Part 1

A.J. Cunningham
2^nd Field Co
^ 1^st AUSTRALIAN DIVISIONAL ENGINEERS
| _______________________________
| Lt A.J. Cunningham
| attached Div: Train - Hd Qrts. Co_
|  [*now*] A.A.S.C 
1^st A.I.F 
Should anything happen to me
Please send this book to ÷
Mrs A J Cunningham
"Glencairn"
Upper Macedon
Victoria
Australia 
 

 
Oct 17^th - 1914 -
Benalla Oct 19^th
Left Melbourne on S.S. Benalla with rest of
Fleet comprising about 27 Boats a few leaving
each day & having Albany as a Rendezvous.
Passed through "The Heads" in calm weather
and was not seasick, took "Mothersills"
which did me good, the day after getting out
the boat rolled a good bit but by taking
"Mothersills" I managed to take & Keep all
my food. – Arrived in Albany and took
up our position in the outer harbour in
lines The arrangement is 3 lines of 10
boats each the "Orvieto" is leading
in the centre boat line & is the flagship
of the fleet.– We stayed at Albany about a
week & during that time I got on shore
with two others for Sunday we had a
good dinner & motor run – The New Zealand
fleet arrived with escort, the fleet comprised
10 boats with a Japenese Warship and
the "Minator" and "Sydney" –  On Nov 1^st
the whole fleet was assembled and we
moved out on Sunday morning in 3
lines each ship being about ½ mile 
 

(2)
from the next boat with an
escort of Japenese boat on our right
"Minator" leading  the " Sydney"
on our left and the "Melbourne"
on the rear. See Sketch on other side.
We sailed through good weather &
although for few days I was rather off, still
I ate & Kept my food. Nov 13. Got a wireless
through that HMS Sydney had nearly sunk a
Boat passing Cocos Island the boats name
unknown but she had to beach herself
from to save herself from sinking. The
Sydney also sunk a coal collier that
was loading the Gunboat - later - it
transpires that the boat is the "Emden".
Arrived at Colombo on Nov 15^th at about
noon, Hear that Sydney is now here
& had 12 shots in her but only had
2 Killed & 13 wounded where as the
Emden had 150 casualities The
Sydney also sunk a Collier but
we have not heard of what nationality.
The New Zealand fleet 
 

(3)
[*JaPENESE 
H.M.S − SYDNEY
H M Sydney*]
[*AUSTRALIAN FLEET*]
H.M.S. ı Minator
Travel ↑
10 ı Wiltshire                   ı S.S. ORVIETO                ı Euripedes
9 ı Medic                         ı Southern                           ı Argylshire
8 ı Ascanius                     ı Pera                                  ı Shropshire
7 ı Star of England           ı Armadale                          ı Afric
6 ı S.S. BENALLA            ı Suldhana                         (ı Benalla) [*SYDNE*]
      Geelong                                                                            ı Abuki
5 ı Port Lincoln                 ı Katuna                              ı Rangatira
4 ı Karoo                          ı Hymettus                          ı Star of [*H.M.S*] Vic
3 ı Marere                        ı Suffolk                               ı Horaiata
2 ı Clan McCorquodh       ı Anglo:Egypt                       ı Omrah
   ı                                      ı                                           ı 
[*NEW ZEALAND FLEET*]
5 ı            10 ı
4 ı              9 ı
3 ı              8 ı
2 ı              7 ı
1 ı              6 ı 

H.M.S ı MELBOURNE 
 

(4)
has gone right in to Coal but we are
all standing out in the bay and
none of us are allowed to go ashore,
its rather hard seeing the shore so
close & not allowed on after so long
on shipboard. Sailed from Colombo
on 17^th Nov at about 7 at night, 
we have now broken our formation
and are as follows ÷ The main 
fleet with the New Zealand fleet
have gone on ahead & we now 
consist of 10 boats as sketch
S.S.   ı  Miltides          S.S.   ı  Benalla
S.S.   ı Omrah                     ı 
S.S.   ı Horatora                  ı 
S.S.   ı  Star of                     ı 
England                           
S.S.  ı  Rangitera           S.S. ı  Euripedes
Travel ↓
Abuki.
HMS  ı   Japenese War ship. 
 

(5)
We are sailing at 12½ Knots an hour
which is a change after the slow
rate we have gone up to this. The
weather is pretty hot but not 
unbearable, it has rained every
night for the last 3 nights but
as we sleep on the covered deck
it does not affect us. I do not
Know if we are going to Aden or 
straight to Suez & Port Said.
18^th Went down to Hold & saw our
Cars today, jacked up wheels & 
turned them, also turned the 
engine round, everything is in 
good order. At Colombo we heard that
the Emden Knew nothing about us
coming as they had got a message 
to say we were sailing by the Cape
route, we also heard that on the
Sunday night previous to her capture
she passed 15 miles on in front of
our fleet at night we did not
see her & she did not see 
 

(6)
us, which is lucky for us because
she could easily have put a
few torpedoes in us without
our escort seeing her, it was
rather a coincidence that at
the time she passed our fleet
was stopped & had no lights on
whatever as we were doing 
boat drill at the time with
life belts on, so our drill might
have been turned into reality
had the Emden been about
an hour later in passing us.
Aden. Arrived Aden Nov 26^th.
& stayed one night we were not 
allowed to land at all, an awful
lot of boats in harbour as besides
all of us there were a whole
lot of Indian transport ships
taking terriatorials back to
India. We left Aden at 6 o'clok
in morning and all joined
up together again, the New 
 

1914
(7)
Zealand fleet in the van & we 
in 3 rows our Escort being the 
H.M.S Hampshire – Very
interesting passing through
straits of Babel Mandeb. Nov 29 
Had to go up to Hospital & lie up
for a couple of days on account of
second dose of innoculation. Nov 30 
Wireless message came through
to say "All troops disembark
and proceed to Cairo" this

allters all plans & arrangements
means getting off in about 2 days
time, getting cool suits etc etc.
Something very important must
have happened to make the Autthorities
change their plans so suddenly.
Nov 30^th. Court Martial on board
to day on 3 men who would not be
innoculated they are the only 3
who have refused to be done. Nov. 31^st.
arrived at Suez about 8 o'clock
this morning, New Zealand