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

Thursday November 5^th
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 fresh 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 try 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
noticesd for years that whenever I

 

soundly for concentrated upon either reading or writing
I lose my power of speech, not
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 thought
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 ^x  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 fun to
be got out of it by practical
josking which I was extremely
proud of. I worked for
a horse shoer named Bradford
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, splinter like boy.
I must have been long &
weedy about this time as I
remember Father warning me
against athletics.
 

Friday Nov. 6th.
An Orient ^liner passed rapidly
up on our starboard side just
before dusk yesterday evening
It was evidently moving three
miles to our two. There was
a tremendous ovation for her
from out men, and much
actione 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 with
all of your cloths on.
It is most humiliating to me
to have to wait 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 sleeping in a hammock
and sitting around the deck tends
make a fellow more round
shoulded than ever. I will have to
do some boxing and all other kinds
of exercise to keep me straight.
a I found a wonderful piece of
poetry by C. W. Wilcox called
"The Well Born." I admire both
its spirit & frankness imensely immensely
and have placed it at the end of this
book. It is astounding what
lovely and perfect ideals we people
fragile, puny pieces 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
Manly.
 

Pay Day.
I did not draw.
Saturday Nov. 7th.
Sahday
I was on guard from 12 to
4. a.m. at the top of the stairway
in the sleeping comportment. The
night was very slack of air and
the heat and smell that arose was
very tough indeed. I finished
reading "The Gay World," which
turned out to be nothing more gay
that a leader of London society
with a lovely house on the Thames
being a forger and a swindler.
and wrote a flittle in W.2's diary,
taking a grave risk of being caught
by the inspecting officer who called
around three times when I
throw the book into the bin
rubbish bin just in time.
I have read from Nash's Magazine
some of Hall Ceaine's book
"The Woman Thou Gavest Me."
It seem an astounding story, and
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 really
good going, very full of fight.
I also did a bout with Billy
Summers, but his boxing is very
weak indeed.
At 8 p.m. the fire alarm
was given and every visable light
was put out even the port &
starboard lights were obxx obliterated
on the whole fleet. Looking
over our 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 lifebuoys on and boots off
with absolute darkness all around
us it was strange, almost startling
in fact.
 

Sunday Nov. 8 th,
I slept on deck last
night but could not withstand
the temptation of using my hammock
and so swung it quite 10 ft from
the deck and over the top of the
other chaps. The chatter that
goes on around both before going
to sleep and before getting up in
the morning is most vulgar
and miserable to listen to.
We learnt that a private
named Kindell, a policeman, from
Bathurst had died of paneumonia.
Our ship pulled out of the line a
little and buryed the body off the
well deck, it was a silent and
impressive ceremony.  Kendell
has a love affair on at Bathurst
It must go very hard, not
having even a fighting chance
for his life.
Anyhow, Glory, is after all, a
poor and ansbe unsubstantial
thing. Why the whole of this
earth's globe is as compared with
the expanse of heaven no bigger
than a point, and of this insignificant
world only a forth part
is inhabited by living creatures.
vast portions of that part are
usurped by sea, marsh and
desert, so that very little of
space is left for human beings
Of this how narrow is the
area for human fame!
Why  s in just as well
perhaps that every man is a world
unto himself and a world no
other man or creature has explored.
The Church service this morning
was again without a sermon and
gone through in a terrific heat and
we poor A.M.C. were fully dressed
and melting hot.
 

We must be in the locality of
the Equator judging by the depressive
heat and esxtreme humidity we are
experiencing but I have but little
knowledge of our whereabouts other
than that the "Osterley" pasted us, and
I presume she was on the regular
course to Colombo, therefore we
should put into Colombo but when
is a mystery as we have no idea
of the daily sun or the distance
already covered. But I do
know that we are travelling dead
slow no more than 9 knots.
Monday Nov 9th.
11 30. a.m. news is
being freely circulated that the Sydney
has encounted the "Emden" Germanys
troublesome warship.
It took me a long time to get
to sleep on the hard deck last
night but I am sure it will make
me stand up straighter than when
sleeping in a hammock.
There there, there you will
find Australia there
Mid the smoke & turn of battle
Where the cannon roar & rattle
Our boys will keep thing moving there.
There. there. —
Great excitement prevails, men are
cheering wildly at the news of the
Sydney's defeat of the "Emden". We
have had three different messages
during an hour telling us of the
Sydney's victory.
 

The men are singing and cheering
still. The band play "God save the
King" with all standing at attention
and midst perfect silence. Very
striking contrast to the fervent
joy of a second ago.
A man has just this minute
died, Lowe by name and another
^ man is fighting hard against death in bed
Pneumonia.
We were given an afternoon off
to-day on account of the Sydney
great achievement.
And what of them? The colours reversed,
the drums muffled.
The black nodding plumes, the
Dead March, and the pall,
The stern faces, soldier- like
silent-like, unruffled.
The slow sacred music that
floats over all.
Tuesday Nov. 10th
Yesterday was a day of great
excitement. It first started when
the Japanese crusiser, who is protecting
our right wing, who went passt
our ship like a steak crossed
over in front of us and made
at a tremendous pace towards
the West. Then followed
news that the Emden was engaged
in action; a little later, victory.
Then the death of one of our
comrades, a half holiday
a burial, at which the 16
bugles /  called the last post and
brought tears to the eyes of many
including the ship Captain.
At 6 p m we were ordered to
sleep on deck with overcoats only
and a life belt and near our
life belts boats. At 7 oclock
not a light could be seen
 

on one of the 40 steamers around
us; rumour had it that there were
German war ships about also
that mines had been laid.
and so many of the fellows were in
a very excited state. The decks
were crowded with men in every
possible corner. Why our men
were not allowed their blankets
to sleep on is beyond me taltogether
I have now learnt that
there was a Germany man of war
or armed merchant boat in company
with the "Emden", which escaped
and last seen making in our
direction.
The weather is very hot again
to-day and we have another
half-holiday to-day.
As I now sit writing it seems
hardly like a ship load of Englishmen
at all. Their costumes are
so remarkably varied  some have
The two 4-7 guns were maned all night
shirts on, others have nothing at
all on, the pants vary in
both colour and length to a remarkable
degree. and very few have
boots on at all. And the noises
my God, could anything possibly
he worse; midst the harsh
clamour of the card players, and
the bands of arguers, the roars
and vivid curses of the practical
jokers and their victims can
be heard the rehearsing a hundred kinds
of impromptu rehearsingsing choral societies;
also The gramophone, given to the
A.M.C. by a Manly resident, can
be heard grinding out its discordant
opposition in no unmistakable
manner, while a cornet, mouth
organ and an accordion are
heaping on the agony from different
quarters of the deck.
 

Wednesday Nov. 11th.
The canvas swimming 
tank in the well deck is quite

an institution, though I believe is

has been necessary to compell the
whole of several companys to make 
use of it. One would hardly
expect it to have to make
bathing compulsion this weather.
There are no matches to be
got aboard and whenever somebody
or other strikes a match
to light a weed there are
often 6 men beging for a light
off of it.
Some ingenious fellows
are selling cigars, but the
best genius is employed by
the lemon squash sellers
who are increasing in number
from day to day.
Posted to-day.
Notice

"All matter from the A.I.F

transports will be sent to the
"Orvieto" for censorship.

Plain postcards and open letters
and urgent telegrams will pass
censor for censor immediately
despatch provided all reference
to places and dates are omitted."
 

Thursday Nov. 12th.
It rained again last night
and drove us all down from the
Poop deck 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 off.
The "Orvieto" caused a little stirr
when it was noticed at 5.30.a.m
right out of her line and
communicating with two warships
the "Abuki" and "Melbourne." by
rowing boat. After which the
Orvieto took up her position at the
head of the middle file again.
This action caused all kinds of
rumours to be scattered as usual
I had a glorious swimm and
knock about in the canvas
tank before 6 o'clock this morning
a hose full of water is running
into it the whole time.
It is remarkable the number of
pedlers of one kind and another
we now have worked up from the
ranks. The barbers started doing
business immediately the ship left
but the cigar sellers, biscuit and
lemon squashers, have not been long
with us.  One of our men
told me he sold 14 buckets of 21 mugs
at 3^d per mug. Squash is 2/- per
bottle and sugar nearly nothing, one
bottle makes a bucket full.
I am trying to get up a
descriptive story for one of the papers
which I find difficult work.
I find that one meal of
plum pudding, working ate 8 lbs each
20 men, take 1240 lbs to go round.
we get it twice a week.