Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/264/1 - 1914 - 1938 - Part 4

M S
I had a small sketch in my diary of
the fuze it was something like this
[*original hand-drawn image, to be copied and inserted here*]
Probably the reasons why the incident never leaked
out are as follows.
(1). The bad loading on the part of the
the shell room crew would call for an enquiry
(2) The removal of the fuze should have
been done under the direction of the Ordnance
Department (vide Admiralty Instructions) and
a considerable amount of red tape entailed
which would [[partly?]] cause a reflection on
the efficiency of the gunnery staff of the
Australia.
A simpler way was to clear the thing & say
nothing about it.
Darley made his mind up in five minutes
and took the whole responsibility
 

Now that he is dead he wont mind
my saying that he deserves the credit.
I daresay there are many incidents
if I could get the time to look up my
old notebooks which have long since been
forgotten, comic [[&?]] serious too.
Have you heard of the incident when the
1st & 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron[[s?]] were quietly
creeping out of the Firth of Forth one dark night
Submarines were known to be hanging round [[&?]]
the order was given "All quns to be brought
the "Ready" after passing the net defence (which
was a huge net suspended from the Forth Bridge [[&?]]
reaching the bottom of the sea, to keep subs out.)
One of the armourers had been testing the electrical
gun circuits of one of the guns and had foolishly.
tied back the trigger for convenience but had forgotten
to untie it when the order came to proceed to sea
Consequently as soon as the breech was closed
the gun went off & landed a nice little
lyddite shell plonk into Lord Rosebury's estate
in Dolmeny Park. The squadron thought of
 

CHELT. 180
"Minart"
Kingston Rd.,
Cheltenham
4. Feb 1927
 

Dear Mr Bean,

I wonder if the enclosed letter
to me from the mother of the late J.C. Darley
Commander R.N. contains any material which
you would like to extract for historical purposes

I refer to the last hours of his life
wherein he wrote a farewell message to his
parents and described his method of doing
the right thing for God & Country.
 

I will be obliged if you would
send the letter back to me after making
what use you want to of it

Yours [[truly?]]

Arthur .C. [[Neishi?]]
 

Longheath,
Little Bookham, Surrey.
Nov. 24/26.
 

My dear Mr. Newton,
 

We cannot thank you as we would like to for your beautiful
and touching testimony to our dear son, F. Campbell Darley. No
words could be more comforting to parents than yours, who were so
constantly with him for 5 years. We never before heard of the
lyddite shell incident, and I feel it was simply marvellous how you
were all protected in H.M.A.S. Australia during the war when I look
at the chart he gave us of the Australia's courses, specially in
the North Sea.

I hope next week to post you a photograph he had taken
when on the "Australia", which I feel you might like to have. He
wrote just a few weeks before that he hoped his father would live
to see him Captain of the new H.M.A.S. "Australia". He and his
wife always loved the Australian navy.

1 think you will like to have some extracts from his last
letter written to us not quite two hours before he did pass on.
"If you ever get this letter, 1 will have passed on before you, and
I pray God that I may do nothing that may bring discredit on the
white ensign under which I shall fight. This morning I read to my
men the 1st and 2nd prayers for those at sea, the confession and
the Lord's prayer, and I have done my best to persuade my men not
to kill unnecessarily, but to have no compunction if it is the case
of a Briton versus a Chinese pirate. The following is a copy of
a "chit" given to all my men to learn by heart in Chinese: "Don't
shoot. We don't want to hurt you. Dont' be afraid. Put down
your gun". If they are understood by the Chinese, which is hardly
probable, it may help to reduce the numbers of casualties - but I'm
not going to risk the life of a single British bluejacket by being
too squeamish."

The H.M.S. Despatch torpedo-lieutenant very kindly wrote
to tell us when he fell: as accounts in the China newspapers dif-
fered. His aim was, as you can see by his letter, if possible to
rescue the officers without bloodshed. As they found the Chinese
on board the captured vessels having their evening meal, when the
"Kiawo"  arrived he, with Lieut. Ridge, led some bluejackets to board
the first captured steamer, and as he stepped on board they were
both riddled with bullets. So the end was quick and almost pain-
less, I am thankful to think. While both bodies were being wrapped
in a Union Jack, the shooting began in self-defence.
 

So, during his 26 years in the R.N. he never shed a drop
of human blood, and yet the guns he had charge of did some valuable
defence work, showing the truth of our Saviour's words - "A strong
man armed keepeth his palace and his goods are in peace." My
greatest comfort is knowing he always loved his Saviour and tried
to serve and obey him; and now there is no chance of him making
the mistakes that might so easily be made, and which to a sensitive
nature like his would have been a terrible trial to bear; and he
is now beyond the chance of being a helpless, suffering wounded
man, as so many brave ex-service men still are. It is they who
really need our sympathy. If you have a "Daily Light", read the
evening portion for September 4th (his lastnight in this world).
They are most prophetic verses - for he was forty years old, and
they are also comforting and inspiring. He told me, the night
before leaving for China, that he carried his "Daily Light" everywh
where with him. ....
 

Yours sincerely and gratefully,
 

(sgd) Leila Darley.
 

2.

A sub-lieutenant wrote to his father in England, and this
extract was kindly sent to us. "Our commander was the most
wonderful man I have ever seen. He worked morning, noon, and
most of the night for the betterment of the ships company.
He delayed the expedition fifteen minutes and sent me to collect
boxing gloves and games for the use of the troops when steaming
up river, and this was just typical of him."
 

Naval Notes.

1915                
 

May 2-4 British Grand Fleet Light forces. carries out a
sweep of the Scandinavian routes.
G. minefield laid on Dogger Bk. May 17 18
High S. Fleet suppts. Danzig [[re?]] mine.
May 17 [[Admlty?]] orders Brit fl. to sea.
Gd Fleet sent to sea. at 4am
May 18.
11 am. news [[G.?]] ft [[retg.?]]
Swarte Bk discd. on Ap 17. D Bk few
days later.
 

May 29. 30 [[gs?]] H.S.F. out. to cover departure of [[armed?]] minelayer.
BF & BCF [[ordered?]] went out. to night. E [[&?]]
Ordd back afternoon May 30 - when [[Gs?]] known to
be going back.
[[Gs?]] noted [[to?]] on this [[&?]] prev. occn
Brit movts coincided followed closely on theirs.
[[three dots arranged as equilateral triangle - shorthand symbol for "therefore"?]] judged that there must be spies in high places.

From End of May [[Gs?]] quiet. All minefields now laid
In June GF went to sea only
once - June 11- for firing & battle Exs.
 

July 28-31 Cruiser & Flotilla sweep
to Skagerrack
to stop the passage of Swedish iron
ore from Norway to Gy.
On G. trawler sunk.
 

[[Aug?]] [[Gs?]] laid mines in Moray Firth
Gd F. [[cdnt?]] go out again
As [[Gs?]] mine laying Jellicoe sent a light cruiser sweep [[?} in hoped [[stopping?]] minelayers.
[[Cruiser?]] sweep N sea [[Aug?]] 16-18

G. air raids frequent [[that?]] summer,
Give way in Sept to Seaplane raids
 

Sept 11 another Brit minelaying expedn.
suppts by L. crs, Harw. Force, & B Cr. Sqns. (not 2nd)
Laid by Orvieto. Nothing seen. Remarkablebec
[*arrow drawn linking to Sept 12 entry below*]
 

Sept 2 whole Gd fleet went out for Exercises
SW of [[Faerol/]] Bank.
 

Sept 12
G. High Sea F unknown to
Brit laid anor minefield
on Swarte Bk. by Stralsund &
Regensburg
& [[ran?]] into Brit minefield
on returning, being only saved
by fact [[that?]] mines wdnt keep
their depth.
 

End of Aug. unrestricted Subm. Warfare
ended by Kaiser.

[[?]] as the wind was too strong for Zeppelins

Oct 23 G H S [[Flt?]] came out but returned before GD [[Flt?]] had bn
warned at 10.45pm

Nov 2-5 Fleet Exs.
 

Nov 6-7 Lt crs swept to Skagerrak without result
Supptd by 1 & 3 BCSs.
 

Nov 17. G. Destroyers swept the Kattegat.
v. proud of it

[*to interfere w
Scand. traffic to Engld)*]

Nov 29-Dec 2 B. Cr Fleet exercises in N Sea during sweep
by Harwich Force in Skagerrak.
[*Nov 30 G Destrs
in Kattegat.

Gs feared they might

be discovd & retired*]

Dec 1-5, Gd Fleet went out to exercise.
 

Dec 16 - 18 Larger G. sweep in Skagerrak & Kattegat.

22 [[dyrs?]] & 6 LCs.

[*not [[inferred?]]

from [[S.20?]]*]

L. Cruiser patrols during new moon nights to prevent minelaying
off bases.

Jan 2

Early Jan 1916 Moewe mines part of approaches to Pentland Firth & then off F. Coast.
(W.250)
& then left for Atlantic.
Mines near Scapa Discovd Jan 6.

Jan 17 H.S. Ft came out. Admty knew but J not told. [[Adl?]] Scheer
in C now (his first sortie) supposing (from messages
[[received?decoded?]]) tt Brit were going to sweep Bight w [[dyrs?]]
Fleet came out, practiced, [[&?]] returned.
 

Jan 25. G. fleet Auxiliary known to be sailing from Kiel on 26. Admty advise J. to sweep

across to Skagerrack. 1st & 4th LCSs suppd by 2BCS, Rosyth

nothing suspicious seen.
 

air attacks on [[Hage?]] airship sheds frustrated by weather Jan 18
2nd attempt Jan 28 stopped by submarines.
Jan. G. air (Zepp + seaplane) raids resumed.

Grand Fleet.

 

1916

 

Feb 10 Gd Fleet comes out on hearing tt
expecting raid by High Sea Fleet
but Germans return.
Lt Cruiser Arethusa mined,
Sloop Arabis sunk by G. Destroyers.
Adm Scheers first [[move?]] active [[movt?]].
[*U.1012*]

 

Mar 6 Ger fleet out.

 

Mar 26 air raid on [[Hoyer?]] air base

Mar 26. [[Medusa?]] sunk after [[collision?]]; Undaunted [[damd?]] by colln.

G. fleet out

Grand Fleet out.

 

Ap 21 [[Both?]] out. but not 2 BCS.

2

Feb 9

That night
Jan Feb 10  Admty Expd a G. BCr. raid; Ordd. GF to
move south in anticipn. Then Cancelled as [[?]] [[waiting?]]
this fog; then destrs (Harw force) moved out.
Minesweepg Sloops met G. torpedo craft Feb10 night abt11pm.
B.Cr fleet & 1 Destr. flotilla left Rosyth atonce (1 am)
& Harw Force (2am) As G. fleet [[coming?]] out
B Fleet add S.
As [[G.?]] Fleet known to be returning. Grand Fleet
& Bcrs retd tt night. Arabis sunk by tbD
Arethusa hit mine.
Adm. Scheer had obtained leave for more
active policy - but not reopening of subm. war on commence.
After loss of h 19 in Feb. Gs decided tt airships must
be suppd by destroyers - & rest of fleet ready if
powerful Engl forces came out.
short airsh recssce TBDs then to go on to
raid Dogger & Swarte Bks & fleet to
come out in suppt.
 

Feb 26. Gd F & B Cr Flt Ex. - weather too rough
for an intended sweep together w Harw. Force.
 

March 1 [[Defensively?]] armed Strs to be torpd without warning
End of May Ap. 25th G.Govt again gives way to U.S.A.
(Prevly on a/c of Lus. & Arabic)
Sussex torpd on Mar 24.
[*2nd sub

camppn.*}

 

March 6. 5.30 am
Mar 5 Zepps raided Hull.
HSF out. [[8.4?]] am GF ordd out H [[Force?]] out.
out abt 12-noon
[[meetg?]] B Cr Ft
on news tt Gs had gone back Brit also went
back. All channels from Harw Down to
Thames previously mined by subs.
Gs turned back at 9.30 am Mar 6.
G. scouting force almost met the Harw. force.
 

Mar 11. sweep to mouth of Skagerrack - abandoned by B Crs
when it ws found tt destroyers cd not keep
up w BCs [[thro?]] bad weather. No result.

3

 

Mar. 15 sweep across Skagerrack by Roxbrgh & 2 Destrs.

March 24 aeroseapl. raid on Hoyer airsheds (near Sylt
-26

on Schleswig Coast)

Vindex got away 5 seaplanes. Only 2 picked up

Medusa sunk (by colln) Undaunted damd.

G Flt came out. For 27 hrs the BCs were

near Horn Reefs - (15 hrs without destrs)
our air raid did no damage - found nothing to
drop on.
Coincided w sortie of G HS Ft had intended a sortie

G. Destrs

in dk ran into Brit Crsrs. + on [[S-D?]] sunk
(Gs lost 2 tbds in this opn) Gs HSF came out
G. retirement partly due to reading Brit sigs

Mar 31 U74 mines the Forth. [[Drp?]] 34 mines.
 

Mar 31- Ap. 5 Air ship raids
Ap 2-3 one Zepp (L14) meant for
Rosyth bombed Edinburgh.

Ap. 21-3 Sweep of Skagerrack to stop iron
ore traffic (& to tempt out G HS Ft)
Subs. statnd to get G ships coming out.
2BCS. 2LCS in suppt. of Destrs.
2 B. Sqn to suppt 2BCS. (whole BCF out)
Before BCF sails we learn whole HCF on
move. We [[symbol - therefore?]] change our plans (abandong sweep)

[*(possibly [[?]]

our orders)*]
to meet it Rendezvous for GF. 5.[[71.?]].30 N 1.20 E
Hear tt Gs HSF to be off Horn Reefs at daylight
But at 9 am we hear Gs had turned back.
Admty [[symbol - therefore?]] order L Crs to go into Skagerrack
next mg to draw HSF out again GF rems
at sea.