Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1919 (Vol. 7) - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG0001148
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

17/3/19. & Fabucks Han tho fewofs realised it in our for at Commencing our houseward joulnly we spent the morning mostly disguessing the eon and Marssite" both of which werebay along side and heaving sicks of Rreat repret at not beeng able to no over them and ae What Elmained of their Battle sears. At Noon precsely here to report we cast toft and moved out into the harbour Toied all the way down by a lugand treading our war thro' the hencrom buogs. Toon we were in the Chard and Graduall the Coast of England which all of us were anxous yet sorry to leave because it meant hout- receded from view as we made. the Open Sea Soctock was fust Soudio as Lands End-Somewhat appropriake disappeared on the harison. We quite expected trouble it the Ban of Discay and few of us went t steek exsertty to passt placefuldar you te mrrow
18/3/19 Phange p retak the Tea ws comparativel Calm when we agpeared on deck just as the breakfast gone was sounding and ho one renembered being petched out during the night and no one with Tewexteptons complained of sea Likress sohere wass hope of coming the with flye tolons. By Mriddan we here in the ter Cere by the Bhn and a beautiful blue thy recgued suprence and how the expreciated it after so many dark day Sen London. Ther were soon 130 Officers aboard moste Hospikl cases to L Sprinkli of Light Horsemen rhrning from Sulough and Uinversi Caas and the latter natually hive yoilen in for duf Bride choskle is favored and deyen iudulged in a gaine myself during thee afternoon tho Komallk norice It was apreat day and many more sich will poon but the Hospital cases unto the 28 calteron 30
19/3/19. Duerig the night be had 9 passet the Ban and by moriing were rusking down the coast of Shain and gouhgal. We were too for off to see the Coast line and well umanined io whatdereshor it lay. We confinually passed other traft going in both Herechars and dibrity the afternoon too dishoyers with a sutmarine between passed within a mile of us young home. on the hoop seck Mad him across three of our old Bly hank poof whom had been bounded on ne memorable 8th Aujust and the hie by a boub on the equally memorable no. Just as the sun disappeared we saw the lighthouse off hisbon wistence that we were reavingth miles behindly. 20/3/19 Owing ts the dan fer from Mines we were wi the Gasta wide berth his during the morning ben close enoush t set take sircent as we made for the hark of wrotter
105 Bno in the afternoon onouth3 Harboard bow was the outline of the Moroccan Coast and our first flimese of Another Confinent. Aswe came closer by the sid of lasss could be distugnished the white dwellings of anker which report has made a Britist possession ask result of the pace Conference and in exchange for Gibralker dist Ag the Tan was disdepearing below the rongon there appeared thevolving lick of Gbralker and Eepret was reec that we were distried to pass so histric a place in the darkness 21/3/19. Placid seas bluckies and lasy hours had so far characterised one tus and now that we were plonghing our bythers the blue Mettforsmean a Contnnance of Those conditions could conpidently be exfected. That prediction was haidly true ffor the Afternoon at least for alyst wusk I ai bepe Whall which had the effect of kecaiy no nidoors and bridge
scored. Byg tho it had cleared 30 and we were able to prominade the deck in Tearch of exercise just before tring in 22/3/19 We had sofor since passing rot Sharts Kept in sight of the Aprican Coast out merely the dimontine could be seed sowas w all infenk and ficreoses of litte interest. The day certainly was one we would long remember I speak from Arfricnd Tuuch and Mself for tit was fast I months M/o fince we were forced to take Rlest from the line and what was restponsible for our presence on this hansport. The day itself passed without interest and we found ourselves Specufatig on whether we would tall at yor said or Alexandria and whether we would hanshis t anothe boat owing to adverse medical reports tat had bin sent in on the Suitability of the Carity for passin tis. the Trofics; bit if hs not of suffciant uportance to disturtour ither r
MORI 23/3/9 Mr first fundan on boardt under the old conditions we would havehad a full dress Church parade but wouldded Cases are responsble for much relavation and the service Was Cohntan and most of the hurses, praced if with them presence. Just at Bnoon we Camea light of the Island of Fantellana under Walian wule and longused by him as a Convick Attlement It was tpical of istands hereabout Killy and meged and on the Northen stope could be seen a farsiged villak with a pretty harbour nestling below it. We hoped to pass Malta by day but again we were unporhak for it was wite dark when the lifhte on the Island were seen. We were of course notm akiig it a porto call so we mercl said farewell and mored off ho Kats to enjoy another good nighpslep
163 24/3/19. How that we are well on oust way to the suez Caual the chief subect for discussion is thety We aret to call at Alexandra or ot said and whether we are to hauship or not. Noone seems at all certain about it tho the Captin assuresns that he is somy on to ondi whether we are to be his carge is tofcnise aw entirely different matter The dan was perfoct and an indolent. life on the upper deck we were more immediatly concerned took We saw nothing upon of land and for all practcal ipurposes we might Justa well have been out on the foundless Occan. Toker bridge. Canker aird other money Changinge devices wile supremce Amongst the more comrageons out tuyh for the aesemant of he murses messi competitions were wnsttuted in the Huiny Galoon and it was wellon towards kndnight before anyone decived it advisable to krn in 2573/0. A still more perfeedan downed and for a thange I hound ont early to fade full advanpleofit nd
SA A 50 s wo N D wot was oroE but one of our Medigo Colonels we have 3 on boald was ancad ofine so we rounded the deck tcam. It was a day abenseqned the sun was a Nifle warin but we had so gradned worked uptoit that vim few or as were tnburnt is a woult of a day on dick. No wonder Berale tck for the soath oaon t refiet frome the colk andfo for the horth of this is ar eyduple and een in the Red Sea. we don't expect much worse it certainle sont be tubearable as at other tiures of the year itthg we Were Aose on Alexandrra or the tine it was lights out the Eptain did not alter his Course for the Caual so natiable ns instructions to the Contam he was ong on. We sould Neach Port said Couretime in the afternoon and there bang our pte as legards hanshepping ersoally no to that we are aill comppble I should prepr t remain on me Chankat 2/po. When we came on deak thene was nothing to be seen but he ole Meditenaucan and sort said is
AUS 1077 MANSN as hebwot into dgred awatding dos S Shsneba o Werar A At that wod I canht anerait to ti 55 OAAA mo only an Shours Tie from Alexandria but the Captain had plowed o3 considerble with the result that it was well fn in the affernoon before we sighted and Justas it Was dark, the lpp oubede the harbour begands wrntle b the distnce aud we were taken dishessed if was sodark aswe were unable to see the remains of he y boat that had been kind by submarine frst butside Nore over the deLass thhe we vere all anxiou to bee but -alas! If do beared to be a difficult i the totauthor in the laul with the larrow enhance and inmence amount of shy about but we had a pilot aboard, and that tcoutever thin. It was a pleasurable feeling to be reaching Cvrligation afi and we evruced peat itegt in the town and Anes of Sheping we had to tegob to beach ou verty at the arkeed 27/2419. The Closenise of the Hhuigishu all night proclaimed te ralethat we thereut on the movet still it was not exhaordinarily hat died if
we were comfelled to remain heze for a day, or so we wouldet mond Agglance round saw the Bercal banet on all sides and for miles Yabberiy 1os vigng for coms and liarettes and the feculiar Feluccks, staiting well out in the bay rishing. We were to Coal during the lar and the Co proposed to Gorshore thascertain, whether we were to hauship or what was to be done so he contented busselves by remaining to Hessfil Guorance chebl he returned. He then elow Hodshow halgh the L.H officers Hasborand muchfs then refret hey had been on leave in angland pdys and were repuniny to then requvents in the desirt 28/3/19 Still another morning at Auchor died to the day advanced all kinds ofvague Eunoms were spread thro out the Transport as to what should hagpetus and it even totso for that someone predicted We should be taken backt Alexanden and hausheiped there. That a hapeless was of Maledaunchaton on

30
17/3/19. St Patrick's Day tho' few of us
realised it in our joy at commencing
our homeward journey. We spent
the morning mostly discussing the
"Lion" and "Warspite " both of which
were lying alongside and heaving
sighs of great regret at not being
able to go over them and see
what remained of their Battle
scars. At Noon precisely here to
report we cast off and moved
out into the harbour towed all
the way down by a tug and
threading our way thro' the [[?]]
buoys. Soon we were in the
Channel and gradually the Coast
of England which all of us
were anxous yet sorry to leave
-because it meant home -receded
from view as we made. the
open sea 5 o'clock was just Sounding
as Lands End-Somewhat appropriately
disappeared on the horizon. We
quite expected trouble with the Bay of
Biscay and few of us went to sleep
expecting to pass a peaceful day
on the morrow.

 

31
18/3/19. [[?]] to relate the sea was
comparatively calm when we appeared
on deck just as the breakfast gong
was sounding and no one remembered
being pitched out during the night
and no one with few exceptions
complained of sea sickness so there
wass hope of coming thro' with
flying colours. By Midday we were
in the very centre of the Bay and
a beautiful blue sky reigned
supreme and how we appreciated
it after so many dark days in
London. There were soon 130
officers aboard mostly Hospital
cases tho' a sprinkling of
Light Horsemen returning from
furlough  and University Cases
and the latter naturally have
fallen in for duty. Bridge mostly
is favored and I even indulged
in a game myself during the
afternoon tho' a complete novice
It was a great day and many
more such will soon put the
Hospital cases into the G.S.
category
 

 

19/3/19. During the night we had 
passed the "Bay" and by morning
were rushing down the coast of
Spain and Portugal. We were
too for off to see the Coast line
and well imagined to what direction
it lay. We continually passed
other craft going in both directions
and during the afternoon two
destroyers with a submarine
between passed within a mile
of us going 'home'. on the hoop
deck I had run across across three of
our old Bty [[band]] two of whom 
had been wounded on the
memorable 8th August and the third
by a bomb on the equally memorable
24th. Just as the sun disappeared
we saw the lighthouse off Lisbon
evidence that we were leaving the
miles behind us.
20/3/19 Owing to the danger from mines
we were giving the coast a wide
berth but during the morning were
close enough to see Cape St Vincent
as we made for the Straits of Gibralter
 

 




  

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