Thomas James Richards, Diaries, Transcript Vol. 1, 26 August 1914 to 24 April 1915 - Part 6

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stern of the ship near the 4.7 gun. As follows is a
copy from the post board :-
Guns projectile 40 lbs.
No.28. Post. Poolp deck.
1. Your tour of duty will be for 4 hours but you
will not leave your post until the relief guard
comes.
2. You will prevent all troops from entering the
door marked "Steering Gear" except the ship's crew
and the gun's crew.
3. You will prevent anyone except the gun's crew
from interfering with the gun.
4. If you see a fire which you are unable to put
out at once, you will go quickly and quietly to
the ship's officer of the watch on the navigation
bridge and tell him where it is and the extent of
it.
5. When you hear the "Stand fast" sound be ready to
h^eave the lifebuoy overboard.
6. You will prevent any troops going up on the
docking bridge.
7. You will prevent all troops other than Hospital
attendants, ship's crew and gun crew from entering
this enclosure.
8. You will allow no smoking on the deck until the
"Charge" is sounded and will stop all smoking when
"Lights out" is sounded.
9. You will not talk to anyone except in the performance

of your duty.
There are 15 of these laws typewritten and hung up at
the post.
(Signed) D. M. King, Lieutenant .
Ship's Adjutant.
T.S.S. "Euripides"
154/11/14/

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Mail day.- Hunter, Broad, Hynes, Neilson, Moran,
Board, Bill Richards, Miller.
The sunsets we have had lately are truly
phenomenal. They have driven my mind all over the world
with their similes - from the Rocky Mountains to
Niagara, to Italy and Switzerland, to the Pyrenees
over to South Africa and back to Western Queensland.
15th November, 1944/ We were ordered out of bed at
4 o'clock this morning to see the "Sydney" steam past
and at the same time we were instructed to stand "at
attention" and not to cheer. However, we did not see
anything of the "Sydney" and lolled about watching the
sunrise, but the rain disturbed my rest, as well as a
hundred others, and drove me downstairs to a restless
night. We saw two lighthouses flashing in the distance
and then land loom up which evidently is a portion of
Ceylon. We have been following the rugged blue outline
of this mountainous country for many hours and intermingling

with the fishing fleets of Katamaran, some
being paddled along on the outrigger side by large
paddles or under the influence of an oblong sail rigged
on two poles fixed close together at the bottom, and
perhaps 8 or 10 ft. apart at the top. The boats are
extremely narrow, and the two pole stays are tied to
either the outrigger or the boat itself. It is a very
crude-looking craft but fairly easy to handle I should
imagine. The sun has not shone today so far and we
are steaming past Mount Lavenia Hotel, of whose lemon
squash and majestic, or rather lavish accommodation,
I very much enjoyed in 1908. It is a wonderful sight
to see the Harbour at Colombo with so many vessels
within its breakwaters including several warships.
We are at anchor outside with 20 others.

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16th November, 1914. We are at anchor just outside of
Colombo. It is a fine sight at night time to see the
number of bright lights that surround us. There are
coloured beacon lights shining from the breakwater and
shore, then there must be 20 vessels inside the Harbour
while another 30 are anchored outside. The 10 New
Zealanders were in the Harbour and many small parties
were allowed to go ashore. There was a craft composed
of 6 planks laced together without ends near our side
this morning. The three natives were a source of much
amusement to our fellows, and as they dived in after
money and got it so quickly and easily the boys gaped
on in amazement, doubly so in fact when they learnt that
the water is infested with sharks. Our fellows are
rather indignant at not going ashore but I think the
authorities are wise as there would be much stealing
at the native stores and generally bad and childish
behaviour that trouble of a more or less serious nature
would be certain to arise. There is a concert being
held on our well deck. Amongst the rather old and faded
programme (admitting that good songs never fade) there
was an item from the bagpipes which was well received.
It was weird and stirring enough but everybody agreed
that it was ^ever the same air.
17th November, 1914. Colombo. We went into the
Harbour this morning at 8 a.m. There have been little
items of interest going on about us all day. As we
are taking in water the natives make both interest and
amusement. There are a number of diving boys about and
they do a fair amount of business. They are also sending
up cigarettes, cocoanuts, etc. The rumour that some of
us are going to Egypt and some to India is in full
blast today. I feel terribly sleepy this afternoon
so much so that I cannot read for fear of going asleep.

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I slept splendidly last night too. It must be in the
air of the East as it is so usual to have an afternoon
nap. Tea from bread, butter and jam did not occupy
many minutes as the mess room is terribly hot and sweaty.
The "Omrah" passed us, outward bound, at 6 o'clock.
The "stand at attention" was sounded and the fellows
stood up after a little bullying. This is the third
or fourth time today that we have had to get the
"attention" and stand with back from the rails and the
fellows were right fed up of it. Many of the "Omrah"
troops were at "attention" but when a section of them
cheered our troops broke the hard rule of discipline
and cheered in return. Nothing has been said but
surely the officers will punish us in some way or other.
Personally it seems to be quite right to stand at
"attention" when a warship or one of our own transports
pass by, as this is a solemn business we are all on
and the quiet ceremony seems more fitting to the occasion.
But I did think it damnably hard when a middling-sized
steamer, the s.s. "Mombassa", steamed into the Harbour
from Africa with a number of well-dressed men and women
waving their handkerchiefs and mildly but whole-heartedly
cheered and when poor Jack Davidson waved his hat he
had his name taken by a policeman. None of us were at
"attention" and it brought the tears to my eyes to see
the fervent good wishes of the women and children going
unacknowledged.
18th November, 1914. We left Colombo last night about
8 o'clock. The band played a fine programme of music.
It was most delightful sleeping on deck until 4 a.m.
when it commenced to rain. We stuck it until the water
came along underneath the blankets, then it was compulsory

to gather the bed up and go downstairs. It was

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after 5 o'clock then so it was no use going to bed
again. I had a salt shower and washed off in a bucket
of fresh water. We took fresh water in at Ceylon only.
I tried to obtain a guide book to the Red Sea and the
Mediterranean but without success.
"Convict Ship
Euripides.
In consequence of the exorbitant prices charged
at the Dry Canteen every man is requested to boycott
the aforesaid establishment.
Of course scabs who wish to go back on their
fellowmen are welcome to do so."
The fellows are indeed dissatisfied at the number of
regulations that have to be observed and which look so
useless and childish but I really do not find much to
complain about other than that we should be encouraged
with our baths and washing clothes than we are. If a
man washes his shirt he had better stay and keep his eye
on it for fear an order is suddenly issued to the effect
that all clothes must not be hung about the deck.
Then the military police take them down and they will
probably turn up in the "scram" bag on Thursdays.
The sunset tonight was one of the richest natural
colour effects I have seen for years - a real molten
gold as rich and as fascinating as the previous metal
itself being turned from the huge crucibles at the Mint,
only this sunset had the advantage of a striking
purple border which made a setting seldom seen and
which I doubt could be seen in other than equatorial
climes. The band is playing again tonight and the
fellows dancing around the well deck in a surprisingly
orderly style. I borrowed a small but good Atlas today
which has given me an idea of our route right along to
England. I would love to know more of the biblical
history of the Red Sea, etc. so that I may see the
actual points of interest.

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There were shoals of ^flying fish skirting the oily
light-reflecting waters. Some fellows said they were
gambolling and having a great time. I began to wonder
if nature was really so obliging as to provide special
facilities for the amusement of her subjects. As I
pondered over this query I noticed commotions that
showed clearly their little wings were being used to
evade the onslaughts of a large voracious enemy.
Nature then had evidently provided these peculiar
species with some particulars which during the progress
of evolution have developed into wings with which to
protect themselves from the most powerful inhabitants
of the mystic depths.
Rations per day on the "Euripides."
Bread per day                                          1280 loaves
Sausages (breakfast only)                    5120 sausages
Tripe                "               "                           896 lbs.
Meat (dinner time)                                 1280 lbs.
Potatoes & beans or peas, per meal  1829   "
Butter per day                                           320   "
Plum puddings per meal                      1024  "
These figures are based on 2560 men and may not be
quite correct as I have only worked it on my own mess
facts.
19th November, 1914. To-day has been an ideal day as

far as weather conditions are concerned. The parades
are of no importance in the morning as the physical
drills have not yet been continued. In the afternoons
there is nothing at all doing. Whether it is the call
of the East or the want of further exercise I hardly
know, but I have much difficulty in evading the afternoon
siesta, and to stave off the temptation I have
given an hour to cards, usually 500, euchre or solo

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whist. It suffices to keep me awake but even then it
seems lost time. I should get down and study figures
so that I may be able to follow a commercial life on
my return to Sydney and hold my own at it. If a decent
position came along I would, I feel sure, marry and
force myself to settle down to a domestic life, which
I now believe I was more cut out for than aimless
wandering, but should I fail in a commercial life I,
being used to solitude, would go into one of the hard
fighting mining countries and try my fortune at prospecting.
A city life on less than ₤4 a week would be no
good at all, then someone may have to look after Mother
when Father is gone. This is indeed an uncertain and
precarious world, and although I have come through it
fairly well still I have a long way to go yet to reach
a desired standard. I sometimes wish I was like the
other fellows around about me so that I could take part
in their cheap, but often humourous conversations.
I seem to have set all social matters to a certain
standard of refinement and honesty which I believe is
really too high for even myself to live up to properly,
then again I am purely a practical, and perhaps a
methodical, kind of person with a sense of taste that
is easily jarred and thrown out of gear. Then again
I am irritable and almost offensive. This trouble -
impatience - leaves many of the fellows wondering
what sort of a case I really can be. Perhaps I should
not regret it as very little hardm can come of it
but I would like to be brighter and freer in my light
chatter. It is often a good point to use light-hearted

banter when fighting a sale. Last night I
slept splendidly on deck and as the rain seems to have
disappeared we will be more comfortable.

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20th November, 1914. We have two lines of transports
with 4 and 5 in each. The others are ahead. I was
greatly surprised at the bagpipe soloist at last
night's concert who played popular airs down to ragtime
in a most fascinating manner, and this after I had said
that there was absolutely no variation in the tunes of
the pipes. It changed my ideas altogether. I humbly
apologise. I am on guard today doing the 12 to 4 watch
which is easily the worst of all. I left the deck
space set aside for the guard room to see the sunset
and to write up a little. My other W.T. diary gets
more attention than this one. During my absence the
officer of the day asked the Corporal to turn out the
guard. There should have been 10 of us but only 3
turned out. The other 7 had their names taken and
will have to answer the charge in the morning. We are
supposed to be in readiness any moment during the 24
hours and not allowed to take off your boots, belt or
leggings to sleep. I have not had boots on at all for
6 days so I guess I won't be able to sleep at all.
The men are getting a little cheeky as the things we
must and must not do are getting altogether too
plentiful.
21st November, 1914. With 6 others we paraded before
the Colonel this morning for leaving the guard-room
without permission. After a little lecture and then a
little sympathy we got away without damage. We have
been travelling at a great rate since leaving Colombo,
there being only 8 ships in our line. This morning at
5 o'clock we all stopped for 2 hours. It appears that
two fellows got or fell overboard from one of our
neighbours. In the attempt to lower the boats the
steamer running behind overtook the "Wiltshire" and
a severe impact took place. The damage did not delay

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us more than 3 hours. I do not know if the men were
picked up or not. We get so much new via "latrine
wireless" that one has to be careful what one listens
to. There is tremendous indignation in the mess room
owing to short rations and the heavy sour/bread. Really
the bread is over the odds. It's just terrible. Plum
pudding and rice and raisins have disappeared from the
menu for the forthcoming week. The weather is still
hot but the sky is clear and full of strange interesting
stars. The Southern Cross is gone.
22nd November, 1914. We were called out at 5.20 this
morning and each man with his two blankets under his
arm marched up to the bow of the vessel when the
blankets were tied onto four long rope lines and drawn
up into the air. There they remain until 4 o'clock
this afternoon. Another order which seems very
ridiculous and which may raise another outcry is that
no cards of any kind are to be played on Sunday. Quite
a lot of gambling has been going on unobserved at
cards but there are also a lot of fellows who play it
for interest and enjoyment. I am beginning to think
with the other fellows that we are being subjected to
unnecessary annoyance. I missed Church parade this
morning as I detest listening to prayers for our own
puny selves and it grieves me to hear prayers for the
defeat and overthrowing of the enemy. I could not
have R. L. Stevenson's essays particularly Pan's Pipes
in "Virginibus Puerisque" which contains the more common
sense religion of nature studies. His "Walking Tours"
and "El Dorado" were real and interesting. I must get
this book and keep it near when I settle down. He says
"falling in love" and winning love are often difficult
tasks to overbearing and rebellious spirits: but to keep
in love is also a business of some importance, to which

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both man and wife must bring kindness and good-will.
All of his essays are very life-like. I have had a
lengthy and elevating discussion with Drummond and
Sommerville on religion. These fellows are well versed
in these matters but I hope we won't get connected with
this subject again. The discussion was founded upon the
Chaplain who said "God will use force; God will use
famine and pestilence .-- It will not be the strength
of Russia or the bitter feeling of the French spurred on
by the bitterness of Alsace Lorrain that will bring
forth victory; it will be God's power alone." "In one
night an angel of God came down and slew before morning
187,000 soldiers of pestilence" he quoted from the Bible.
Which to me does not savour of the way a righteous God
should act.
This epitaph was found on deck with an effigy
of the cook sculptured from a piece of his own made
plum pudding -
"Here lies the body of our old cook
Who from this earth has took his hook.
His bread was bad and so was he
So here we inscribe
R.I.P.
Erected by a few of his victims."
23rd November, 1914. Today is an ideal day, clear and
cool. In the morning land was sighted on our port side.
It is probably Socoatra Island. The fellows are all
writing for their lives expecting to post at Aden
tomorrow. We are now doing our parade work in the
afternoon and idling in the morning. I noticed one
of the N.Z. boats this morning with a target trailing
them at which they were shooting. We could see the
shots hitting the water. There is no doubt the New
Zealanders are thorough at all they take on. We do