Thomas James Richards, Diaries, Transcript Vol. 1, 26 August 1914 to 24 April 1915 - Part 4

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men, two of whom are appointed permanent mess orderlies.
They draw the food and serve it up from the head of the
table. As they have hard work to do we each put in
½d. per week and give them 10/- each. They are Hucking
and O'Sullivan. The first-named is a raw North of
Englishman and a rather slow-thinking, dull-witted type.
He carries the troubles of the whole mess in his heavily
burdened shoulders, and is in his most congenial mood
when he can get the fellows asking for things. He then
airs his officiousness in a majestic manner. To growl
is a special delight, and to be short of food and
complain of the fellows eating too much is a boon to him.
His off-sider, O'Sullivan, has been a much sworn at
fellow ever since he joined the ranks, that is now 8
weeks ago, and he cannot march in step to save his life.
I thought it quite impossible for any man not learn his
right leg or hand from the left after having an
instructor and everybody who marches behind him calling
out 20 times each parade. Yet "Sully" is a cheerful,
optimistic sort of fellow without a hard word to say
about anyone though I have heard him telling Hucking
he was worse than an old woman and that he was full of
working with him. Sully is left-handed and can never
serve out either the porridge or the tea evenly. The
first few plates are filled up then the quantity
decreases until the last few get but very little and a
possibility of nothing at all being left f or himself.
This often occurs and then it is a funny pantomine
to hear Hucking and Sully in wordy warfare. Sully is
always satisfied - the other man is never so although
he is surprisingly conscientious, he is extremely
jealous. I just had a glass of beer in the Sergeants'
mess. They have a barrel there and are allowed a glass
three times a day. The Sergeants' mess costs 3/6 per
day, the privates' 1/9. I am on guard today.
 

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Dressed in full uniform we are on 4 hours and off 8
hours but we must remain in the stuffy guardroom all
day long.
28th October, 1914.  I finished up guard at 8 o'clock
this morning having spent most of the day indoors and
the night on deck. At 4 a.m. I went on the hospital
door for 4 hours and lovely Orion and his train of stars
overhead. My first watch was from four to eight in
the afternoon on the poop deck. My duty was to keep
men away from the isolation areas which contain 30
venereal patients with three already discharged. This
seems terrible on one ship only and gives an idea of
the prevalence of this disease even in Sydney where
prostitution is prohibited. 91 outdoor patients
attended the hospital chiefly with influenza. The sun
has shone in patches only today. There have also been
showers of rain. The evening came on with a pretty
variety of daube coloured clouds when there appeared a
bluish light in the west which grew and grew first to
purple and on to crimson which in turn gave place to
real gold effects which reflected a yellow haze all
around us, and gave the regular wavelets from the ship's
side to the shore, some 400 yds., the remarkable
appearance of golden stairs. It was a glorious sunset,
and the remarkable part was the short space of time
in which it all happened - about 15 minutes only. I
tried to sleep on the open deck until 4 a.m. when I
went on duty again, but matters were very quiet and I
enjoyed the coming of the day. Day commenced to break at
4.30 with a set of pretty greys changing every moment,
but unlike the sunset of the previous evening, its
coming progressed slowly and surely with changing greys
and wonderful soft shadows. Gradually the stars disappeared
 

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until even those of the first magnitude had
melted out. The 22 well-lighted transports at anchor
making a fine show during the dark hours of the night
now faded into insignificance and left the huge hulks
standing out against the skyline in such irregular
fashion that they seemed to spoil the tranquil beauty
of the Sounds and the sun's dainty preliminaries to
another day's work. The powerful lighthouse on a huge
granite boulder island which marks the entrance is
struggling fitfully, almost painfully to sustain its
proud brilliancy but the surrounding sky grows lighter
and offers no background or assistance and it slowly
sinks beyond recognition. As the "two bells" proclaim
the hour of 5 o'clock the twilight at last gives way
to the day. The cold looking transports show up their
adornments and graceful ease once again. This business
of guarding hospital approaches seems a very pung
business indeed for a fighting spirit to contend with.
The New Zealand contingent arrived in St.  Georges Sound
at noon today accompanied by some four war vessels.
There appeared to be 8 transports while I believe their
number is about 8,000 men. The whole ship seems to be
settling down in good style at present. There is much
gambling going on, the "Top of the House" being the
most popular pool game. Poker and banker (on the quiet)
still go on and it is common to hear of men winning and
losing anything up to £60. Notice is now given that
all gambling must cease.
29th October, 1914.  It is astounding how carelessly
fellows leave their bits of personal property lying about,
and after the orderly officer or cleaners have placed
things away in tidying up, the fellows come in and in
very coarse terms accuse them of stealing their towel
or hat. As the "cleaners" are tired of picking things
 

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and placing them on one side a notice now appears on
the board. It runs -
"Article No. 1 Scran bag :-
All articles of clothing or equipment found lying about
the ship in unorthorised places or hanging on clothes-lines 
after their removal has been ordered will be
collected by the ship's police and placed in the "Scran
Bag." This bag will be opened every Thursday afternoon
at 4 p.m. in the aft well deck when owners may claim
their property on payment of a bar of soap, which will
be utilised in cleaning the troop deck to which they
belong."
Today we did our bandaging practice as usual (in the
morning) in charge of Bill Summer. Bill is a raw
Debyshire lad with a thick dialect. He is strange
to say a driver with the transport section and was
given no credit for knowing much first aid, but dear me
he is easily the best demonstrator we have in the Corps.
Today he lectured on the circulation of the blood and
in such a practical (though by no means fluent) way
that he did much better than any of the doctors have
yet done. He is a surprise packet although his power
as a wrestler were known. The afternoon parade in full
marching order was very dull indeed. A few of the
fellows drew their pay of 11/-. I would have done so
but am leaving it run. I am very worried over "Telda"
today. I try to talk and keep away from her but alas I
cannot! Yet I don't quite know whether its real
affection or longing, but it's got me down. All sealed
correspondence has now to cease and much speculation
exists as to what has become of letters posted days ago.
They are mighty particular just now and since the
New Zealand fleet came in. Their transports are painted
the same colour as the convoy while Australian ships are
any old colour at all. As I sit writing these notes a
 

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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 gluttonous
fellows about and the wretches are always squeaking about
everything and everybody. I tried to go to sleep last
night before 9 o'clock but my hammock was bumped by
every devil that passed - too 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 it's not to be
had aboard.
30th October, 1914.  The troops are feeling very
despondent at waiting around here jammed in and scantily
fed. Seems to me they are feeling the want of mental
occupation. I seem to be very lovesick indeed just now.
My mind flouts back to it and its many problems as soon
as I take it 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 don't 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
Germans 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
 

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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 Allies are not going
to win for a very long time yet. It seems quite unreasonable
to attempt any explanations as to why all
these transports are waiting here in St. Georges Sound.
Is it the African trouble, I wonder!! that we are meant
for?  I have not smoked for two days and have taken to
cards by way of recreation.
31st October, 1914.   Charlie killed by fall of ground
at the Glencairn Mine, Johannesberg. Our brass band
seems to be improving fast, the evening's programme
being highly appreciated. I bought 8 apples for 1/-
yesterday. This is the first fruit I've had from Sydney.
I paid 1/- for a tin of coffee obtainable in Sydney for
6d. Sunlight soap cost 1/6 per-packet or 6d. a bar,
which is 3½d. on shore. The dinner today was very
sadly complained of. Soup was as thin as water and
salty; corned beef as tough and hard as possible.
The meals have failed badly from time to time. Whether
it is meanness or bad galley work it's difficult to say.
The venereal patients are still increasing in number -
some 40 now. My hair was cut off to the scalp today
with clippers operated by Bob Miller. I cleaned his off
also. We are now like most other fellows round about.
It feels very strange but will most likely do my hair
a lot of good as it is going back off the forehead and
also getting grey. 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 clothes today.
It was very hard and tiring work. I will never insist
 

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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 clothes 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 and packets etc. must be left unsealed,
later only postcards and urgent wires would be
received. Now we get printed cards with sentences on
and you have to cross out, leaving something to the
effect that "I am quite well and hope you are the same."
Damned nonsense, we all seem to think. I played solo
whist last night and liked it. A card to W.T.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 tonight.
1st November, 1914.  Left Albany. At 6 a.m. the flagship
"Orvieto" was seen to be under weigh. Other
transports 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 yds. 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 New Zealanders.
The Maorilanders gave us a haka and many sounds of
cheers as we passed quickly by. We, under instructions,
had to remain at "attention" and not with a sound in
acknowledgement to our Southern comrades' greetings.
 

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It was a mighty solemn procession, not a ripple disturbed
the ocean, or wind the stillness; the dull,
silken-hued landscape seemed more disquietening and
displeased, 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 showed up many fantastical, weird shapes,
but they did not break the silence of this inspiring
departure. Thirty-five transports and a convoy (of
which we have only seen four) all running in single file
and not a murmur, not a gunshot or whistle. No, not
even a bugle call. The low sounding trumpet was used
to bring us to "attention". "Attention" meant every
man standing with his head erect and hands down to the
sides. The men leaning against the sails had to stand
clear, and when the New Zealanders cheered us it was
indeed difficult 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. Thirty-five ships laden
with men and weapons, some 30,000 in number, including
some of the country's very best men and most valuable
assets. 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
when the "Orvieto" first moved off and about 8 a.m.
the last vessel was also under way. Church service was
held at 11.30 when the Chaplain tried to justify the
Allies' position and asked God for protection and
deliverance. The irony of it all! What hypocrisy!
Surely this great God, if he has the power to influence
victory in any particular, would also have the power to
prevent it at the very first and before lives were
 

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sacrificed. It seems to be a difference (present war)
that man alone can settle and might takes precedence
over right.
We have been anchored just outside the entrance
to Albany for six long days and 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 eight hours out from Albany and travelling 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 identity is unknown
at present - to the mass at 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 they make 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 bookworm and play cards to break the monotony -
solo whist.
2nd November, 1914.  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 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 leg and standing on the other toes.
 

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We had a splendid piece of pickled pork for dinner today.
My partner, Levy (a Jew both by name and by nature)
asked what it was. I answered "Veal", with a snigger.
This was quite satisfactory. He said "as long as we
call it 'veal' it doesn't matter, I suppose." He then
said there was more money in pig-breeding than any other
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 it was nearly due North.
3rd November, 1914.  At 2 o'clock today several faint
patches of smoke appeared on the Western skyline. Much
excitement was manifest aboard as some seven vessels came
into view. Five warships of some kind (and reported to
be a Japanese or two) took up their positions to both
east and west and two transports, probably with West
Australian troops aboard, took up a position in our lines.
We still travel in three files and are making northward.
Five packets of cigarettes were given to each man
yesterday. They are vile - marked on one side "five for
a penny." I was smoking about three Capstan cigarettes
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. Sergeant Coleman took charge
of A. Section for physical drill/this afternoon and proved
himself an incapable blobb. He is ignorant and uneducated.
There are two other sergeants just as pung and
weak as he. How on earth men could obtain stripes
is a puzzle. Sergeant Bulmer is a big bully and very
much disliked but he knows his work and is readily