Thomas James Richards, Diary No. 1, 26 August - 18 November 1914 - Part 7

Thursday November 5
Thursday
The sea is now extremely
flat with but a very light breeze
blowing. Last night the wind
went around behind the transport
and it was a hell of a night
lying with hammocks swing a few
inches from each other and the smells
that poluted the already stuffy atmosphere
was tremendous I have had I cold,
or rather, a sore throat which only
affects me in this full sleeping.
chamber.
I am fixing up a diary for
W.2.B. and I am seemingly paying
it too much attention as I dont get
time to give to this book.
To day several first war vessels
arrived upon the scene, one of which
ran through our lines. or files.
in an exciting manner.
To-day we had Colonial Goose for dinner
The first voyagers were lead
by the older men to great expectations
but when boiled rabbit appeared
they swallowed their anguish and
made quite a good meal of it.
I went down a hold to
hunt up some cooking "dixies"
and found a case of books
opened, they were very old volumes
mostly I found one that had
been condemned from the
Newcastle Library named
"The Gay World." I will go
ahead with this, then I think I
should continue reading light stuff
and by to rouse my conversational
ability so that I will at least
be able to take my active part of
the ships affairs also do some
boxing and card playing to liven
myself up somewhat. I have
notices for years that whenever I

 

??ocondly ??? concentrated upon either reading or writing
I lose my power of speech, and
that it is at any time brilliant.
This evening as I leaned over
the ships rails to take in the
beauty of the sunset my though
likened the furnace like glare of
the suns surroundings to the
forge fire at Brennand and
Andrews on Charters Towers
where I was blacksmithing at
an early age. The sunset as
I stood staring at it was
exactly like the fire of coal
that I laboured to keep aglow
with a big bellows when where
was a big job in hand such
as a large axle or tyre to
weld. It used to attract
my eyes and make me almost
blind when I turned towards
the daylight it was jolly
hard work for a youngster
 

but it was worth 17/6 a week
and there was a lot of fire to
be got out of it by practical
jocking which I was extremely
proud of. I worked for
a horse shoesr named Badford
for 7/6 a week which I did
not always get as he was
a drunkard though I good
tradesman. He used to
coax me sometimes to go
and get bottles of beer for
him, I went willingly
enough if it were counter
lunch time otherwise I often
refused him. I am compelled
to sleep on the deck to-night.
Horse shoeing is hard &
heavy work for a man let
alone a long, splinters like boy.
I must have been long &
weedy about this time as I
remember Father warning me
against athlitics.
 

Friday Nov. 6th.
Friday
An Orient ^ liner passed rapidly
up on our starboard side just
before dask yesterday evening
It was evidently moving thre
There was
miles to our two.
a tremendous ovation for her
from out men, and much
tione excitement prevailed.
I am on guard from 12 to 4
p.m. and 12 to 4 a.m. We are
always to be in waiting for the
whole 24 hours and sleep will
all of your cloths on
It is most humiliating o me
to have to stand guard over
the isolation area or in other words
the pox patients, of whom there are
still some 40.
I should be studding my
ambulance work instead of spending
 

so much time reading and
writing other stuff.
I find that this slaping in a hammock
and sitting around the deck tends
make a fillow more round
shoulded than ever. I will have to
to some boxing and all other kinds
of exercise to keep me straight
at found a winderful pinc of
poitery by C. W. Wileox called
the Will Born. I admire both
immensely
its spirit & pankness imenrly
and have planed it at the cord of this
book. It is ostounding what
lovely and perfect ideals we fl
pagile, puny penes of humanity.
sometimes conjure up in our minds
and sum prepared to act in on
almost opposite direction. viz.
this poem and my intentions towards
Manty
 

Pay Das
I did not draw.
Saturday
Nov. 7th
Satday
I was on guard from 12to
4 a.m. at the tip of the stairway
in the sleeping comportment. The
to
night was very slack of air and
the heat and smell that arose was
very tough indeed. I finished
20
reading The Gay World, which
turned out to be nothing more gay
Sor
that a leader of London society
is
with a lovely house on the Thames
a
being a forger and a swindler.
and wrote a little in W.2's dany,
taking a grave risk of being iug
to
by the inspecting officer who called
i
around three times when I
s
throw the book into the
rulbish bin just in time.
i
I have read from Wasks Magazin
so
be some of Hall leaines book
The Woman Thow Gavert Me.
th
It seem an astounding slory, and
the
 

much open to question as to
whether it is a desirable subject
for the general public to read
One of the Infantry Battalion had
some sports this afternoon, I saw
only the boxing and it was reslly
good going, very full of fight.
I also did a bont with Rilly
Summers, but his boxing is very
weak indeed.
At 8 p.m. the fire claim
was given and every visable light
was put out even the port &
turboard lights were oblituate
Tooking
on the whole fleet

over one portside at any time
the number of lights reminds one
of passing a fair sized fishing
village and here we were
lined up by the side of our boats
with blibuays on and boots off
with absolute darkness all acound
us it was strange, almost startling
in fact.
 

to
4
to
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to
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Nov. 8 th
Sundan
I slept on dick last
night but could not withstand
the timptation of using my hamman
and so sweng it quite 10 ft from
the deck and over the liss of the
The chatter that
other chapo.
goes on around both before going
to sleep and before getting up in
the morning is most vulgar
and miserable to listers to
We learnt that a private
named Kindell, a policuman, from
Bathurst had died of pricumonia
Our ship pulled out of the line a
little and burzed the body off the
will dick, it was a sitent and
impressive ceroming. Hendell
has a love affair on at Bathmiss
It must go very hard, not
having even a fighting chance
for his life
 

Anyhow, Glory, is after all a
poor and anh unsubstantial
Why the whole of this
thing.
earths globe is as compased with
the expanse of heaven no bigger
than a point, and of this insign
freent world only a forth part
is embabited by living creatuns.
vast portions of that past are
usuiped by sea, marsh and
desirt, so that very littleof
ace is left for human beings
Of this how narrow is the
area for human fame.
just as well
Win
perhaps that every man is a world
unto himself and a world no
other mon or creature has explored
The Church service this morning
was again without a sermon and
yone through in a tenific heat and
we poor At. M.C. were fully dressed
and melting not.
 

to

to
So
is
6
4
To
i
ii
6
i

be
th
te
 

We must be in the loiality of
the Equstor judging by the depresshie
heat and extrime humidity we are
but I have but lt
experiencing
knowledge of our whereabouts other
than
that the Ostisly pasted us, and
I persume she was on the regular
course to Colombo, therefore we
should put into Colombo but when
is a myshy as we have noidea
of the daily sun or the distance
But I do
already covered
know that we are travelling dead
slow no more than 9 knots-
 

Monday
Nov 9th
130 a.m. news is
being puely incutaled that the Sydony
has encounted the binden Gernas,
troubbome wasship
It took me a long time to get
to sleep on the hard deck last
mght but I am sure it will make
me stand up stroighter than when
sleeping in a hammock.
There there, there you will
find Aastiates there
Mid the smote & tirn of bunit
Whre the connon roar & ratte
ther
Our boys will kup thing moving
There. then.
Great excetement pervail men are
cheiring wildly at the news of the
Taneys depat of the bonden We
have had three different messages
dusing an hour telling us of the
tyaney's vistery.
 

2
i
40
 

The men are singing and cheesing
still. The band plag God have the
King with all standing at attention
and midst perfet silence. Very
striking untrast to the proent
joy of a second ago.
A man has just this minat
died, Lowe by name and another
man is
pighting hard against death in bed
Pneumonia.
We were given on afternoon off
to-day on account of the Sydney
great echewement.
And what of them? The colours reversed
the drums muffled.
The black nodding plumas, the
Dead Tarck, and the polt,
The steen faces, soldier- like
whnt, unruffled.
The slow saired music that
floot over all
 

Nov. 184
Tuesday
Yesterday was a day of great
excilement. It first parted when
the japanese crusser, who is protecting
our right wing, went past
our ship like a steak crossed
over in pont of us and made
at a trimindous paie towards
Them followed
the Weot.
news that the Emden was engagea
on action; a little later, victory
then the death of one of our
exorrades, a half holidag
a burial, at which the 16
ougus I called the last poss and
brought tean to the exes of many
including the ship Captain.
ind 5 pmm we were ordered to
sleep on dick with overcoat only
and a bpe belt and near our
life bit bosts. At 7 mick
not a light could be seen
 

t
to
 

on one of the 40 ceamers around
us; sumour had it that these were
German war ships about also
that mines had been laid.
and so many of the fellows were in
a very excuted state. The decks
were crowded with men in every
Why men
possible corner.
were not allowed their blankets
to sleep on is beyond me tltogether
I have now learnt that
there was a Germay man of was
or armed muchant boat in compar
with the Conden, which escoped
and last seen making in our
direction.
The weather is very hat again
to day and we have another
half-holidag to-day
As I now sit writing it seem
hardly like a ship road of English
at all. Their costumes are
so remarkably vaned some have
The two 4-4 guns were maned all night
 

shirt on, others have nothing at
all on, the part vary in
both colour and length to a rimed
able degree. and very few have
rook on at all. And the noises
ony God, could anything possibly
he wosst; midst the harsh
enmour of the eaid players, and
the vands of arquirs, the roars
and vived enrses of the practical
jokers and this viclines can
repeassing
be heard a hundred kinds
impromptic
ofnsing choral societis;
the gramophone, given to the
At M.C. by a Manly resident, can
be heard gunding out its dicordand
opposition in no ummistatable
-manner, while a winit month
organ and an accordion are
heaping on the agony from differes
preaster of the dick.
 

6
4
 

Pested to-day.
Wednesday
Nov 1est
Notice
ay
The cannas swimming All matter from the A.I.I
4
to tank in the well dick is quite dransport will be sent to the
as institution, though I believe is Irvicts for rensonship
a has been necessary to compell t Plain posteard and open letter
we whole of several companys to mesnd urgents telegrams will pass
p use of it. One would haidly unsor for immediate
a expect it to have to make respatch provided all reperence
to bathing compulsior this meany places and dates are omitted.
There are no matches tobe
20
in aboard and whenever sime
or body or other strikes a mateh
wto light a weed tthere are
a ofter 6 men beging for a light
d off of it.
some ingenious fillows
to are selling regars, but the
t best genius is employed by
the lemnon squash sillers
he who are increasing in numb
a from day to day
20
7
 

i
4
 

Thursday
Nov 12th
It rained again last nigh
and drove us all down from the
Poop duk helter-skelter this is
the second night now
I find on the order board that
we are to have no more afternoon
parade until the weather cools of
The Prvieto caused a lithestire
when it was noticed at 5.30.a.
right out of her line and
communication with two warskips
the Abuke and Milbourne. bn
rowing boot. After which the
I wiets took up his position at the
head of the middle fit again
This action caused all kinds of
sumours to be seattered so usu
I had a glouous surmm and
knock about in the canvas
tank before 6 o'clock this mornion
a hose full of water is running
into it the whole time.
 

It is remarkable the number of
yudlers of one kind and another
we now have worked up from the
ranks. The barbers started doing
business immediately the ship left
but the ugar setlers, bisint and
lemon squasher, have not been long
One of our men
with us.
told me he sold 14 buckets of 21 mugo
at 5 per mug. Squask is 2f per
votile and sugar nearly nothing, one
oothhe makes a bucket full.
I am trying to get up a
discciptive story for one of the pepers
which I find diffirutt work.
I find that one meat of
r pudding, waking ate Ebbean
2o men, take 1240 lbs to gocound
we get it twice a week