Thomas James Richards, Diary No. 1, 26 August - 18 November 1914 - Part 6

As I sit writing these
notes a fellow came in from
the dry canteen with a bottle of
Temen Squash at 2/ he
opened it and drank a considable
 portion as it came from
the bottle, his mates came
along and in horrible language
he told of the lack of [[?]]
matches and cigars at the
canteen, also cakes. He
hardly finished when he rush
away vomiting vigorously
There are a number of these
gluttonly fellows about and the
[[?]] are always squawking
about every think and everybody
I tried to go to sleep last
night before 9 o clock but
my hammock was bumped
an every devil that passed
to lazy were they to stoop
 

then the schoolboy chatter
and shouting went o all
around. I promised myself
that I would never again go
to bed early and therefore be compelled
to lay there and listen to such
tourment.
I don't seem to get any fun
out of things at all. I just want
to read and write. I cannot
find words to express myself
[[?]] and my mind caaves
for peace and quietness, but
alas its not to be had aboards
 

Oct. 30th
Friday.
The troops are feeling very
despondent as waiting around here
jambed in and scantily fed.
They are feeling the war of mental
occupation rems to me.
I seem to be very lovesick indeed
just now, my mind, floats back
to it and us many problems as
soon as I take my mind off my
reading, in fact I am so badly
bit that I compare every female
characters I read of with her
Gambling is now stopped I
dont know how the parson is
getting on without playing the
fool game of House. I have
[[?]] him at it for days
The war news of the past
couple of days [[?]] to be
very misleading - vig, the
Germanys are being [[?]]
 

all along the line yet they
have captured Calais.
It seems to me they are just
laughing at the Britishers and are
working down the [[?]] with
the object of striking at England
on the land and waiting on
opportunity to smash in on the
water. There is no doubt
that Germany has applied her

[[?]], brains to war as well
as to other sciences, and have been
brought to such perfection that
the Alleys are not going to
win for a very long time yet.
It seems quite unreasonable to
attempt any explanation as to
why all these transports are
waiting here in St Georges
found Is it the African trouble,
I wonder!! that we are ment for.
I have not smoked for 2 days &
have taken to cards by way of
recreation.
 

Charlie killed by fall of ground
at the Gleniain Mine Jhamneberry.
Oct 31st
Saturday November 1st
Our brass band seems to
be improving fast, the evenings
programm being highly appreciate
I bought 8 apples for 1/- yesterday
this is the first fruit Ive had from
Sydney. I paid 1/- for a tin of 

Toffee obtainable in Sydney for 6th
sunlight loop cost 1/6 per packet or
6d a bar, which in 3 ½ on shore.
The dinner to-day was very
sadly complained of. Soup as
then as water & salty. Corn
beef as tough & hard as possible
The meals have failed badly
from time to time whether
it is meaness or bad galley
work tis difficult to say.
The xxxxx verneal patient
are still increasing in number
some 40 now.
 

My hair was cut off to the
scalp to-day with clippers operated
by Bob Miller I cleaned his
off also. We are now like
most other fellows round about.
 xxxx     It feels very strange
but will most likely do my
hair a lot of good as it is
going back off the forehead &
also getting gray. My age
however, is troubling me considerably
of late I am too old both in
years and in mind to be
travelling with a crowd of
fellows like these
I washed my dungarees
and other cloths to-day it was
very hard and tiring work,
I will never insist upon my
wife going such fearful work
if it can possibly be avoided
I often wonder how my poor
mother lived through washing
after five boys in North
 

Queensland and keep us
all dressed in white cloths too.
We were, I regret to say
not the most considerate of
boys either.
The censor is getting
very particular about our
correspondence during the
last few days. First we
were notified that letter &
packet &c. must be left
unsealed, later only post
cards and urgent wires
would be received now
we get printed cards with
sentences on and you have
to cross out, leaving
nothing to the effect
I am quite well and
hope you are to same.
Damn nonsense, we
all seem to think
I played solo whist last
night and liked is.
 

A card to W.L.B. in which
I told her to "stick" and promised
to write a little diary for her
I kind of think I am getting
a bit sentimental these times
But it would be hard for me
in this course company not
to have some higher thoughts
to elevate me above the mass.
A concert to-night.
 

Left Albany
Sunday
At 6 a.m. the flagship
"Orvieto "was seen to be
under weigh, other transport
were also animated with
preparation and as the
flagship picked out a course
through the untie of the
35 waiting vessels she was
followed in line by first
one and another until our
turn came to take up the
procession at 600 yd. intervals
We lay 17th. and every
man on the ship stood as
attention as we passed
several of our own transports
and the 10 waiting N Zealanders
The Maorilanders gave
us a haka and many
rounds of cheers as we passed
quickly by, we under instructions, had to remain
at "attention" and not utter
a sound in acknowledgement 

of to our Southern
comrades greetings.
It was a mighty solemn
procession, not a ripple
disturbed the ocean, or
wind the stillness; xxxx
the dull, sulkin hued
surroundings landscape
seemed more disquieting &
displeased even made the
rays of lovely sunshine which
even the bright sunbeams
and the clear blue sky did
nothing to clear up the doleful
scene. The granite rock
formations and islands that
shelter St Georges Sound should
up many fantastical, weird
shapes, but they did not
attempt to break the silence
of the this inspiring departure
 

35 transports and a convey
which we have only seen 4 of)
all running in single file and not
a murmur not a gun shot
or whistle, no, not even a
bugle call, the low sounding
trumpet was used to bring us
to attention. "Attention"
ment every man standing
with head erect and hands
down to the sides, the men
leaning against the rails had
to stand clear, and when
the N Zealanders chured
us it was indeed Trying
to remain still.
There were a few light crap
about, in one a woman
continued to wave her handkerchief
 enthusiastically to give
us encouragement on our
voyage off legalised murder
The whole business seems almost
 unbelievable 35 ship laden
with men and weapons, some
30.000. in number, xxxx including

some of the countrys very best
men and most xxxxx valuable asset 
There is something wrong with the
world.
This is how we sailed out
from Albany, in mournful
procession for a destination
unknown, and [[?]] enshrouded in
mystery making a course Westerly.
It was 6 o'clock where the

"Orveito" first moved off and about
8 am on the last vessel was
also under weigh.
Church service was held
at 11.30 when the Chaplain
tried to justify the Allays position
and asked God for protection
and deliverance. The wrong of
it all. What hypocrisy.
Surely this great God, if he
 

has the power to influence  the
victory in any particular, would
also have had the power to
have prevented it xxx the
very first and before lives
were sacrificed. Lives as
valuable and as necessity to
the very living of many families
as God himself ever hoped to
save when he allowed himself
to be crucified. It seems to
be a difference (present was) that
man alone can settle, and
might taken precedence over right.
We have been anchored
just outside the entrance to
Albany for 6 long days &
never saw a sign of the town
until it appeared on the side
of a hill for some minutes only
as we took the outward
passage
 We are now 8 hours out
from Albany and traveling
slowly in three files, with
the [[?]] on the right
flank "Orvieto" in the centre
and the Wiltshire on the left
As far as we can see there
are three ships of war, one
on each side and one leading,
their xxxxx identify is unknown
at present, to the mass any rate
The day. has been shower
and the decks quite miserable
It is a misty kind of night
and very little of the other
boats can be seen. though
it makes an impressive
sight in the daylight.
We are not running with
masked light. and should
soon be off Cape [[?]]
I am getting quite a look
warm, and play cards to
Break the memology, solo where
 

At Sea 1914
Monday Nov. 2nd.
I find it very
comfortable with my hair cut
to the scalp though I sleep
with my hat on, being [[?]]
of catching a cold, more so, as
there is an xxxxx 

epidemic of influenza going
about the ship.
The men seem much more
cheerful now that we are on
the move
The parade this afternoon
from 2 till 4 p.m. was an
awful drag. The sea is getting
up a bit, worse perhaps than
we have yet had since leaving
Sydney. So physical drill
on a moving deck is very
laughable particularly as our
instructor "Mr Neve", is fond
of balancing exercises, stretching
 one by and standing on the
toes We had a splendid
piece of picked pork for dinner
to-day, my partner Levy, a Jew
(both by name and by nature)
asked what is was I answered
veal with a snigger, this was
quite satisfactory. He said, as
long as we call it "veal" it
dosent matter I suppose.
He then said there was more
[[?]] in pig breeding than
any branch of farming, and
that he was considering the
idea of starting a farm at
Port Hacking a little time
ago. Jones, also a very
pronounced Jew, asked no
questions and had a good
dinner
Our course is now North West
Earlys this morning is was nearly
due North.
 

Tuesday      Nov. 3rd

At 2 o'clock to day several
[[?]] feint patches of smoke
appeared on the Western skyline.
much excitement was manifest
aboad as their some 7 vessels
came into view. 5 war ship
of some kind (and [[?]] to be
a Japanese or two) took up
their position to both East &
West and 2 transports, probably
with W. Australian troops aboard
took up a position in our
lines. We still travel in
three files and making
Northward.
Five packets of cigarettes
were given to each man
yesterday. They are vile xxx
smoke "Hill Oceans" and
some others masked on one
side "five for a penny"
I was smoking about three
Captain cigarette a day at
the commencement of the voyage
but as my throat is now
sore I have not smoked
for days I keep very
much to myself still I dont
seem able to converse freely
at all. The noise and rattle
seems to drive me to my
own humble resources.
Sargent Colman took charge
of H Section for physical drill
this afternoon and proved himself 

an incapable blobb.
He is ignorant and uneducated
There are two other
sargent just as funny and
weak as he. How on earth
such men could obtain stripes
is a puzzle. Sargent
Bulmer is a big bully +&very
much disliked but he knows
 

his work and is readily
obeyed by the men whereas
they laugh & play with some
of the others. There are
6 Corporals in the Corps
3 of whom are mere school boy
and very weak indeed, in
fact it makes the old heads
in the ranks feel quite sick
of things at times.
We are still being taught
flag signaling but making
only small progress.
There is an examination in
first aid work shortly
when I am afraid thare will
be some terrible mugs
discovered [[?]].
We have again been instructed
not to throw overboard anything that
will float. Matches or papers
 

Wednesday         Nov. 4th
The weather is warming up
considerable and the sleeping room getting
more stuffy and uncomfortable then were
I wake up in morning with a dull
[[?]]head and a sore throat.
I have not smoked a cigarette for some
days and as the gift cigarettes are
cased in thick paper I doubt if I will
smoke again.
To day we have fire drill and
I am in charge of N°.16 boat; on the
poop deck, It broke the afternoons
drill splendidly, which is hanging
like hell lately.
I have found "The Canterbury Tale"s
by [[?]] splendid reading. They
date back to 1350 and deal largely
with thinly chivalry