Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/265/1 - 1916 - 1938 - Part 2

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TELEPHONE.
CENTRAL 4780.
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE.
MELBOURNE. 8th December, 1925
21195
Dear Bean,
In reply to the request contained in your letter
of 23rd November, 1925, I forward the attached list
supplied by the Navy Office.
The officer who looked after the transports has
furnished Macandie with the following additional information:
"Masters. To my own personal knowledge Masters
were changed very frequently. It would
not therefore be possible to show any
particular Master as in command unless
the column be headed "Master when
vessel requisitioned". In the case of
the ex-enemy vessels many changes were
made - two or three in one voyage on
one occasion.
Numbers for which fitted. This varied considerably. For instance
a vessel fitted for horses carried these
for one voyage only, being subsequently
used for Troops. In other cases a
vessel fitted for say 800 men would
be refitted on a later voyage for say
1000 men. The figures given therefore
represent the maximum numbers for which
fitted even though such were not carried
on one and the same voyage."
Just let me know if this information will
be sufficient. If not I may be able to do better.
Yours sincerely,
W A Newman
C.E.W. Bean Esq.
Official Historian,
Victoria Barracks,
SYDNEY.
N.S.W.
[*List of transports completed
for Vol IX & copy
sent to Mr Jose
10/12/25
AWD

 

Australian Commonwealth Line of Steamers
T.SS " Largs Bay"
Port Colombo
Date 10th July 1926
C.E.W.Dean. Esq
Victoria Barracks.
Sydney.
Dear Sir,
I am in receipt of your letter No 853,of the 30th March,
asking for certain particulars. regarding the Naval volume of the
Australian Official History of the War.
Unfortunately I have very few particulars with me on board
the ship but as far as possible will endeavour to supply you with
the information you ask for.
(1) With regard S.S.Bakara I took over Command on 11th April
1916 releiving Capt.J.Buchannan.
(2) Captured at outbreak of War at Brisbane.
(3) Original name. Constatt name of Line unknown.
(4) Served between Australia and United Kingdom.
(5) Trooping and general service
(6) Australian Crews Throughout.
(7) Troops carried were Australians, British, French, Colonials,
and South Africians.
My Command in the S.S.Talawa was from February 1915 to 1916
she was named the S.S.Wotan previously to being captured.
In the case of the S.S.Barunga my Command was from March
the 1st to April the 9th 1916, her previous name was the
S.S.Sumatra.
The only addresses of Master's are as follows.
E.McMillan. 311 Cleveland St Redfern
S.G. Robson. Gleneden, Bothwell Lanarkshire Scotland.
A.R.Pascall. "Mahid" Coogee St.Ranwick.
S.G.Clutterbuck. "Barregowa" Mount Dandenong. Vic.
C.M.Rowley. Leiutenant in U.S.A.Navy.
W.McGowan. Commonwealth Navigation Dept. Melbourne.
A.A.Burns,C/o M.S.Guild.Sydney.
J Beighton
Commander.
 

TEL NO. CITY 1740 EXT
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS:
"CROTONATE, ESTRAND, LONDON."
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.
ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATION TO
THE OFFICIAL SECRETARY
AND QUOTE
No...
AUSTRALIA HOUSE
STRAND: LONDON W.C.2.
Committee of Imperial Defence,
Historical Section,
Room A.7, Audit House,
Victoria Embankment,
E.C.4.
8th July, 1926.
Dear Mr. Bean,
I regret that the information, in connection with
the war service of the vessels of the Commonwealth Line,
asked for in your letters Nos. 716 and 772 of the 24th
February and 9th March respectively, has not been forwarded
earlier. It has, however, taken some time on account of
it being necessary to interview certain officers, for the
Commonwealth Line Authorities to collect the information
supplied in the attached copy of a letter from Mr. H.
Perryman - private Secretary to Mr. Larkin. From his
letter it will be seen that the records of the war-time
vessels of the Commonwealth Line were transferred to the
Defence Department, Melbourne, in 1921 and, it is thought
that they are now in the custody of Paymaster C.A. Parker.
Mr. Perryman is now endeavouring to secure an
account of the loss of the "Conargo” and this will be
forwarded as soon as received.
Yours sincerely,
T M HEYES
C.E.W. Bean, Esq.,
Official Historian
Victoria Barracks,
Sydney
New South Wales
Australia.
 

Extract from "The Times" London. 7th August, 1918.
LAST WOMAN TO LEAVE THE WARILDA.
MRS. LONG'S DEATH. STORY OF THE DISASTER.
We regret to announce that Mrs Violet Long, O.B.E., a chief Controller of
Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps was the commandant of the corps, who,
as stated in The Times yesterday, lost her life when the Ambulance Transport
Warilda was torpedoed and sunk last Saturday.
There was a feeling of great desolation in "A.G.11." yesterday, on the news
of Mrs Long's death being placed beyond doubt. When her sister
Mrs Burleigh Leach, was recently made controller-in-chief of Queen Mary's
Army Auxiliary Corps, three chief controllers were appointed of whom
Mrs. Long was one, and there was not a more loved figure in Devonshire
House.
When she was drowned last Saturday by the submarining of the Warilda she
was on her way back to give a full report to her sister-chief of how the
W.A.A.C's detailed for service with the American Army overseas were
progressing. About a month ago the first W.A.A.C's for this service were
sent to France, and Mrs. Long had herself taken over the last draft on the
previous Saturday. Her death leaves a blank in the working of the
great organisation, for her administrative gifts, were as notable as her
modesty and her lovable, happy personality.
Since the outbreak of the war she has worked unobstrusively, but with
great result, for everything she did was well done. In the early days of
August 1914, she took out the necessary certificates and, later, started
and practically ran a voluntary aid detachment. Mrs. Burleigh Leach was
at the time working with the military cookery section of the Women's
Legion with Miss Lilian Barker, and when the latter went to Woolwich
Arsenal to take up the post of lady Superintendent, she handed over this
section to Mrs. Leach, who asked her sister to help her. From January 1916,
until this part of the Legion came under W.A.A.C. administration Mrs. Long
worked for it, the two sisters making perfect colleagues. Mrs. Leach said
yesterday "the great success of the section was due to her administration.
She controlled all the office work and never spared herself. No one has
any idea of how she spent herself in the service of the country; no trouble
was too great and no hours of office work too long if it meant that something
practical resulted". In January 1918, her name was in the O.B.E. list as
late Secretary of the Women's Legion, Military Cookery Section".
WORK AMONG THE POOR.
When the W.A.A.C. was formed Mrs Long became Controller of Administration,
and afterwards Deputy Chief Controller, and then, as already stated, one of
the three Chief Controllers. But, while the great idea at the root of the
work at "A.G.11."-the dilution of the bases with efficient women to r eplace
men required for the line - was the motive of her chief work, her wonderful
sympathy with the poor and the suffering would not allow her to make it the
limit of her energies. She found time to go among the poor at Chiswick,
where she was a wellknown and loved figure, and she did a good deal of
maternity nursing work, having attended between 100 and 200 maternity cases,
for which she was recently thanked by the Chiswick council. Her orderly
mind allowed her to find time for what would have seemed several women's
work, but which to her came easily, being a labor of love.
Though a handsome woman in the early thirties she was shy of the outward
symbols that meant so much to others and only wore uniform - and then under
laughing protest - for the first time on April 20th when 1,200 W.A.A.C's
assembled at Wellington barracks to hear the Chief Controller read a message
from their Commandant-in-Chief the Queen.
A wounded soldier who is at St.Thomas's Hospital told Mrs. Leach that when
he last saw Mrs. Long, she was absolutely calm and collected and was the last
woman to leave the ship, after having given every help she could to the
wounded.
Her husband Major William Long, Hussars, who has seen service in France,
Egypt and Palestine during the war. She leaves two little girls aged
14 and 6. Everyone who knew her was her friend, and her sister, who was
devoted to her, said yesterday "she was always my best and wisest
counsellor. She leaves a most awful blank in Devonshire House". She had
finished, almost to the hour, her fourth year of war service, generously and
always unselfishly given.
HER ORDERLY'S STORY
Miss. Charlotte Allen Trowell, Mrs. Long's orderly in the Warilda, in
conversation yesterday said:-
"There was no warning of impending disaster when I retired to my bunk at
a quarter to twelve. Mrs. Long came to my bunk just before retiring herself
and inquired 'Are you comfy?' and gave me some chocolates. When the
torpedo struck the vessel I was thrown out of my bunk. I hurried on deck
 

2.
and just as I got up there the stairway was blown up. There was no
panic. Those wounded boys, although dying, were splendid. I was put
into a boat filled with wounded, but as the vessel sank, our boat was not
level. A davit rope was cut, but the boat capsized, and we were thrown
into the water. I clung to a rope and a wounded American Officer and
an Australian pulled me into another boat insisted on wrapping their
saturated blankets round me."
"I shall never forget the end of Mrs. Long. She clung to the boat into
which I had been dragged, and I caught hold of her by the hair, She
exclaimed 'Oh save me, my feet are fastened, I have lost a foot!' Her feet
had become entangled in some rope. Strenuous efforts were made and
succeeded in freeing her limbs, and a Southampton sailor tried hard to get
her into the boat, but she collapsed suddenly, fell back, and was drowned
We were about two hours in the boat before we were picked up. When the
rescuing vessel came alongside, an officer on board called out, 'Lift up
wounded first' but the wounded soldiers shouted in reply, 'There is a girl
on board, You go up missy'!"
Miss Frowell added that she recollected that a wounded officer helped her
along the deck of the Warilda when she came up on deck from below. It was
quite impossible to reach some of the cot cases in the lower part of the
ship. The groans of the drowning men were terrible. I felt like
collapsing" she said, but a sudden feeling of courage came to me. Strange
as it may seem, the thought that lingered with me was that I should like
men who strike to have seen this. I shall never forget the heroism and
self-sacrifice of the wounded men. All who survive deserve the Victoria
Cross.
 

Extract from "The Times" London. 6th August, 1918.
AMBULANCE SHIP SUNK
WOUNDED MEN KILLED BY TORPEDO. HEAVY DEATH TOLL.
The Secretary of the Admiralty makes the following announcement:-
Homeward bound Ambulance Transport Warilda (Captain James Sim, master)
was torpedoed and sunk August 3. The following are missing, presumed
drowned :-
Military officers                      2     Casualties among crew:-
Commandant Queen Mary's     Officers           1
Auxiliary Army Corps.           1       Crew                6
Other Ranks.                       112
                                                             Total             123
U.S. Troops, other
ranks                                          1
                                                 II6
The next of kin are being informed.
MURDER OF HELPLESS MEN
ATTACK WITHOUT WARNING.
The sinking of the ambulance transport Warilda, in the early hours of
Saturday morning was attended by terrible results. The death roll is
estimated at over a hundred, the majority being wounded soldiers who
were lying helpless in one of the wards, which was formerly a well-
upholstered saloon.
The Warilda which belonged to the Adelaide Steamship Line, had taken
on board at a foreign port about 600 wounded men, the majority of whom
were so seriously hurt that they were quite unable to help themselves.
In addition there were on board a number of W.A.A.C's, as well as the
usual complement of medical officers and men, while the crew numbered
115. In the most favorable circumstances it would have been a trying
task to transfer this large body of persons from a damaged and sinking
ship; in the circumstances that actually prevailed it was almost a
superhuman task.
The attack occurred in midchannel, miles from land. The night was
pitch dark and the sea was decidedly choppy. Very few of the 800
persons on board would have survived had not the ship, although badly
knocked about and with a tremendous hole in her starboard side, been
able to remain afloat for a considerable period, which some of the
, survivors put at two hours.
Ward Hit by a Torpedo.
The loss of life among the wounded is attributed to the effect of the
torpedo, which completely smashed one of the wards occupied by the men.
They were all cot cases. Many of them, it is thought, must have been
killed by the explosion, but it is difficult to get a connected story
of what happened in the ward. Six members of the crew, all belonging
to Southampton and the districtm are also among the missing, and fears
are entertained for the safety of some of the medical orderlies. It is
believed that the W.A.A.C's were saved, but at least one was seriously
injured, while others on board were also hurt more or less seriously by
pieces of woodwork and other fragments which were scattered in all
directions when the explosion occurred.
While the balance of the evidence seems to show that only one torpedo
was fired, some of the survivors are convinced that the submarine made
doubly sure of seeing the ship down by releasing a second torpedo. At
any rate, the damage was of an extensive nature. On the starboard side
in the vicinity of the engine room a great gap was torn, and it was the
force of the blow that was the first intimation of the attack.
"We were all turned in at the time", said one of the survivors, "and I
must have been fast asleep. It was a frightful awakening I had. I seemed
to be lifted out of my bunk and I had a nasty smack against something or
other which dazed me for a moment. Then I heard orders given loudly.
did not know what was said, but at once I made for the deck just as I was,
with scarcely any clothing. Then I heard someone say, 'The blighters have
done it this time', and I could tell by the motions of the ship that she
had been badly hit. My first thoughts were how long we should float,
and then the vision of the wounded men came to me. That seemed to pull me
together. The ship's officers were at their posts in double quick time,
and the crew Knew from the first moment exactly what they had to do and
where they had to go. In a ship, as you may know, the order is always
'Wounded First'
 

2.
and I shall always remember the rescue work that was performed during two
terrible hours.
BRINGING UP THE WOUNDED.
"It was a good thing that everyone kept their heads. The medical
officials were wonderful; indeed the whole of the staff did fine work in
bringing the wounded men from the wards to the deck. Man after man had to
be carried just as he lay on his cot, and it was a very trying task to get
them into the boats. Everyone who could lend a hand went below time after
time to bring the wounded to the decks, and I must say that some of the men
were bricks. They seemed to know that their safety was our first duty, and
they remained perfectly calm".
"It was a rotten experience" said a sailor who was in the act of
exchanging the blanket in which he came ashore for a suit of clothes. "it
was all so dark that it was difficult to see what was going on. There
was no warning that I know of. We had a big bang, and we knew that we had
been hit. I should say that we were attacked about an hour and a half
after midnight. The explosion made the vessel almost helpless. They
caught us in abad part, and I am afraid that the engine room got it badly,
as well as the one of the wards. A tribute should be paid to the work of
those who tackled the tremendous job of helping the wounded. From what I
was told the ward in which they were lying on the cots was very badly
knocked about, and that nearly all the casualties were confined to that
part of the ship. We were picked up by destroyers. Many of us lost all
our clothes and belongings, and we were grateful for the warm articles
they were able to let us have"
So far it is known that themissing include the third engineer, W.Milne
a greaser named Maidment, a fireman named Jordan, and four members of the
stewards' department, Harris, Newman, Phillips and Courtney. Several
of the crew were injured as well as some of the medical orderlies.