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
Lemon Squash at 2/- he
opened it and drank a considerable
portion as it came from
the bottle, his mates came
along and in horrible language
he told of the lack of cigarettes
matches and cigars at the
canteen, also cakes. He
hardly finished when he rushed
away vomiting vigorously.
There are a number of these
gluttonly fellows about and the
wretches are alway squeaking 
about everything and every
body.
I tried to go to sleep last
night before 9 o clock but
my hammock was bumped
by every devil that passed
to lazy were they to stoop,
Then the schoolboy chatter
and shouting went on 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
torment.
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
freely and my mind craves
for peace and quietness, but
alas its not to be had aboard.

Friday.  Oct. 30th.
The troops are feeling very
despondent as waiting around here
jambed in and scantily fed.
They are feeling the want of mental
occupation seems to me.
I seem to be very lovesick indeed
just now, my mind floats back
to it and its many problems as
soon as I take my mind off my
reading, in fact I am so badly
hit that I compare every female
character 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
seen him at it for days.
The war news of the past
couple of days seems to be
very misleading:- viz, the
Germanys are being defeated
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 Coast with
the object of striking at England.
on the land and waiting an
opportunity to smash in on the
water. There is no doubt
that Germany has applied her

scientific brains to war as well
as to ^other sciences, and have been
brought to such perfection that
the Allays 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
Sound. 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 Glencairn Mine Johannesburg.
Oct 31^st
Saturday November 1^st
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 I've had from
Sydney. I paid 1/- for a tin of 

Toffee obtainable in Sydney for 6^d.
Sunlight Soap cost 1/6 per packet or
6^d a bar, which in 3½^d on shore.
The dinner to-day was very
sadly complained of. Soup as
thin 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 venereal patients
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.
 now  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 dungerees
and other cloths to-day it was
very hard and tiring work,
I will never insist upon my
wife doing 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 letters, &
packets  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 it.
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 coarse company not
to have some higher thoughts
to elevate me above the mass.
A concert to-night.

Left Albany.
Sunday Nov 1^st
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 centre 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 at
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 solumn
procession, not a ripple
disturbed the ocean, or
wind the stillness; even
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. George's Sound showed
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 cheered
us it was indeed trying
to remain still.
There were a few light craft
about, in one a woman
continued to wave her handkerchief
enthusiastically to give
us encouragement on our
voyage of legalised murder
The whole business seems almost
unbelievable. 35 ships laden
with men and weapons, some
30,000. in number, and including

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

"Orveito" first moved off and about
8 a.m. the last vessel was
also under weigh.
Church service was held
at 11.30 when the Chaplain
tried to justify the Allay's position
and asked God for protection
and deliverance. The irony of
it all. What hypocisity.
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 in 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 war) that
man alone can settle, and
might take 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 "Euripides" 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 identie identity is unknown
at present, to the mass any rate.
The day has been showery
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 lights and should
soon be off Cape Leeuwin.
I am getting quite a book
worm, and play cards to
break the monoteny, solo whist. 

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

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 "M^r Neve", is fond
of balancing exercises, stretching
one leg and standing on the
toes. We had a splendid
piece of pickled 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
dose'nt matter I suppose."
He then said there was more
money 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.
Early this morning is was nearly
due North.

Tuesday      Nov. 3^rd
At 2 o'clock to day several
feint feint patches of smoke
appeared on the Western skyline.
Much excitement was manifest
aboad as their some 7 vessels
came into view. 5 war ships
of some kind (and reported 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 "Hills [[Occasion?]]" and
some others "marked" on one
side "five for a penny".
I was smoking about three
Capstan 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 don't
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 him
self an incapable blobb.
He is ignorant and uneducated.
There are two other
sargents just as puny and
weak as he. How on earth
such men could obtain stripes
xx 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 there will
be some terrible mugs
discovered It 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 than ever.
I wake up in morning with a dull
sickly 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 Tales"
by Chaucer splendid reading. They
date back to 1350 and deal largely
with chivarly chivarly