Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/1/1 - October - December 1914 - Part 2

Evg.                                                                                             Morng.
March 21. E. 23. The Little Things of Camp Life. Mar. 26. M 24. Trying to keep fresh
Mar. 2

This of course very difficult ∧ indeed a almost
impossible to drag any heavy waggons
across the line of the dunes over
crest after crest as if one wer like a steamer making
way across a head sea. But it is not
to so difficult to

October 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.
1914
1.

21 THUR Wed
Trafalgar Day (1805) Said good bye to mother
at Northampton, 27 acland St. taxi'd to Port Melb
with father taking luggage. Morning tea at Mia Mia with
Father & Tig.  Archie & Father came to Port Melb
& after being held up on pier managed to get onto
wharf thro Col. Wallace & Maj. Dowser
Father left at 1.10 with Archie. Crowd
in afternoon broke line of sentries & reached
wharf. Sailed at 3. Watched St Kilda pier
for father & Mother & thought I saw them
waving a white handkerchief. 6 o'c. - passed
Melbourne coaling close under hills
22 FRI Thurs: Heavy pall of smoke or mist on
horizon ahead at breakfast time.
Sighted Miltiades at dinner time. Passed her 10 o'c.
signalling by morse abt some wireless message.
23 SAT Frid
0h 16m A.M. (Greenwich) Melbourne sighted 8 pm
astern. Passed us at noon. Wireless is
later news sent to us by semophore
finished by wireless (short) sent some message
to us abt saluting our flag when we passed
her in Port Phillip (sent by morse by flag).
24 SUN Sat -21 aft Trin
Bight.     Cricket. beat officers
Smooth.
25 Sund. Bight. Smooth.
Oct. 26 Monday - Reached Albany - wind rising - Geelong (from Tas). came in at 8 am.
just ahead of us. Star of Victoria astern.
About 12.45, after lunch, Euripides from Sydney entered - looked
very well with decks all lined, ship dressed, band playing.
Looked very hard but cdn't make out Jock - wrote to him.
instead In afternoon very heavy wind got up. Southern next to us
seemed to be dropping her anchor at 10 p.m. 18 ships were in port
when we came in - in 3 lines abt 6 in each. We three made
21. [[Two or three?]] arrived since. Very windy night. Finished 1ST letter.
Oct. 27. Tuesday. Moved into harbour ∧coaling - spent most of day writing.
Melbourne outside on guard.
Oct 28. Wednesday. Assistant Purser asked me to box him at 7 am.
Did so, & found he knows something about it - 3 rounds, got
banged in the nose & also knocked down.
At abt 9 am. moving out of the inner harbour we noticed
one two three - 13 distant ships on the horizon. They were
clearly - the N.Z. transports & convoy wh N.Z. had demanded to
bring them over. One smoking heavily - moved in first,
close under hills to west. She had a Japanese flag - 
Ibuki - a much thicker set ship than any of ours in
the Pacific exc. the Australia - broad funnels (?3) She anchored
close under the hills. Minotaur (a smaller ship) and Psyche
& Pyramus following her like terriers came in next.
Afterwards the New Zealand troopship (flagship) carrying
Maj. General Godley. All N.Z. ships were grey - all one funnelled

[* Wednes. Oct 28
(cont) *]
October 28
2. 
with small ∧white letters & numbers "H.M.N.Z.T (up to 10) ".  They anchored
far out. Melbourne came in & went out again in afternoon.
Later - a conference of C.O's on the Orvieto. They were
brought in an Albany tug. It took some of them 3 or 4 hours
to reach the ship - Major Bennett (Clan Macquorquodale)
for example left before breakfast. Others as early as 8. They made
up for it during luncheon on the Orvieto. About 1 hrs conference
in the morning & 1/2 hour in afternoon. Then (except for The Euripides
people who got xxx out of our ships boats lent them) the rest
disc climbed down onto the same solitary tug. It went all round
3 rows of ships, & Col. Sutherland of the Southern (L H Amb.) which
is the nearest ship to us reached his ship last of all - left here
at 3 & got to the southern about 7.40. We got alongside
Euripides abt 7.10 & I hailed a steward and called old Jack out
of dinner & had a good long yarn to him. He was busy as
they had had a good deal of influenza. We got back at 8.20, had
to climb up rope ladder & had coffee & rolls in cabin. Several
exciting scenes took place when men were clambering onto their
ships out in the bay where it was rough.
One man (Sergt Maj.) supposed to have fallen overboard
the Hororata on the rough night (Monday). He has not been
seen since. The horses on most ships were well -  a few
had died of pneumonia. One ship with 500 had only one sick
horse. We took back to ships a lot of men who had overstayed
their leave in Melb. & some for Hororata (after night day she spent at
the wharf, I suppose). One man was taken back to Col. Braund on the
Suffolk. As he was abt to climb up a voice from above sd: What man
is that? What is his name? "Thompson". "No man of that name in this
contingent" sd. the colonel. "You're not in this regiment my friend. You
may be in the second lot." - and the man had to go back. It seems
to me that the C.Os of three of the N.S.W. battalions are the strictest
in the force. There is no ship quite like the Euripides. They fine
a man a cake of soap there for anything that is left abt & the
Ship is like a new pin in consequence. They seem to be far more
rigorous than elsewhere - but I haven't seen Dobbin's lot.
The Euripides was the only ship I saw w her boats out & soldiers
practising pulling; except the N.Z. Ships - plenty of their sent boats
rowed long distances round the fleet. - Staff working

[*Hymettus
& Rangatira
sd to be excellent
horseships.
Katuna only
drawing 6 ft!*]

[*Men always
anxious for
news of war.
Papers 3 days old prized.
Innoculated for
typhoid - very
stiff tonight.]

October. 29. 30. 31    
3
3.
in drawing room damned hard until late at night getting out
orders & getting in parade stalls before ships sail.
Thurs Oct 29. Abt. 4. am several people heard two guns. It turned
out (1 hour later) to be the Melbourne which was stopping a merchant
steamer from coming in to coal here. Two merchant steamers
(one B.I. frig say & this one) want to come in but it's  a question
whether the authorities will let them use the coal till all our
ships have had theirs. Use of water (fresh) is being cut down in this
ship.
Censorship of letters established in consequence of orders from
Melbourne - it is sd from Minister. Letters must not bear date or
name of place. Unless letters from Albany also are censored this
wont be much good. Papers have already had a composition of
this force, New Z. force. "S.M. Herald" had names of transports if I 
remember right (or most of them). Still, it's perhaps better late 
than never.
My arm practically right. One chap today fainted after
innoculation as he was walking back to his quarters.
Frid. Oct 30. Went ashore.  Shuyler had to go to dentist. Motored to King's
River with Col. Ryan. Bought some collars & cricket shirts.
Had a yarn with Minotaur petty Officer in pier.
We sent ashore a man with a septic hand who never ought to have
been allowed to get into the state he reached - at least so G. says.
It seems to me our∧ big number of med. Officers may mean divided
responsibility.
Minotaur, Syd.
Sat. Oct 31. 21 men taken ashore tonight for refusing to be vaccinated!! [[cx?]]
35 sick (mostly those men found to have Syphilis).
Saw Jock coming off v. late in a small launch with a party of
Medical details from the Euripides. He had just been to take
out Lieut. Hinds to leave him in hospital. Ross had to go off &
pick up these men. Every quarter of an hour some small
boat wd. call alongside - Moonlight night, soft air, lights
all over harbour, signal lights continually winking AGX,
AGX, or whatever was number of ship. General walking,
looking rather worried, up & down deck.
9 mutineers taken from Hororata. Men on ship cheered them as they left. (Don't know
the cause
[*news of
Derby
winner
arrived.*]

Nov. 1. 
4
4
Sund. Nov 1st. This day at 6 am. we up anchored. Schuyler & I went to
bed very late; but he was up first & called me. Ship was getting in
her anchor as we left I went up on deck. Minotaur & Melbourne
already moving out. We steamed slowly down line, the old Southern
following us for all she was worth smoking immensely. She is the slowest
ship so she is just behind us & we keep just ahead of her & give the 
speed to the fleet. The 2nd division slowly folld us out - we
had anchored in th xx order of sailing, inshore ship sailing first.
The Southern was dressed when we passed her, but we weren't
dressed in spite of the fact that a convoy order had been given
that ships were to be dressed at attention when passing other ships.
(Sydney  had her decks cleared for action except for rails & flagstaffs
when she passed us.) This was hurriedly after made good; troops
were called to attention (in the bows - they cdn't hear down in the
stern) when passing some of the other ships. No New Zealand
ships observed any formality. I don't mind betting the Euripides
will have stood to attention & had the ship properly lined with
men. One can't help thinking a lot is omitted that might
be done to give the men in this flagship a pride in themselves.
There was a great chance in Albany to get a spirit of
competition going between this ship & others which wd have
interested the xxx men & given them a right pride in themselves
as Victorians and Australians, esp. as agst the N.Z. people.
Maclaurin & MacNaughton in the Euripides have done something
of the sort - you bet they would, & I would stake a good deal on
theirs being the smartest battalions when we land. But
we seem to miss these opportunities through not thinking of them.
They ought surely to encourage the Victorian troops to think themselves
the best. They are splendid chaps most of them - both men & officers.
At the mouth of the harbour was Ive * on his launch - the
sailing had been postponed from 5 to 6 to give him an opportunity
to get a picture of it. He came pretty close to us.
[* Ive
Cinematographer
who came from
Melb. in
Orvieto*]

November.1
5
5.
The 2nd Divn was all out by about 8 & the 3rd divn
coming up on our port side. We went half speed to
let the others pick up. The Euripides at head of 3rd
Divn must have cleared harbour by 8.30. She was
on our starb^d. beam at 10 o'c. New Zealander
came out & took statn astern of our two port columns.
Sydney ws 4 6 miles to port. Melb. 6 miles to starbd,
Minotaur abt 5 miles ahead.
Dexter took service & let men sit down during sermon
wh ws interesting but a little incoherent. He's very
popular on board.
We altered course about 7 - De Bucy * told me earlier
in the day that we were making for S.Africa. Afterwards
he told me the course had bn altered 2 hrs after he mentioned
it to me & that we were now going to Colombo. I don't
know how far this is authentic.
[* I do not suppose de Bucy knows anything abt it.
C.E.B.*]
There is a gap in the port line (Div 2) where
the Ascanius & Medic from Fremantle will come in tomorrow.
The Ibuke & Pioneer will bring them - we may
pick up another cruiser about the Cocos.Is.
The ships are sailing without mast head lights except
the division leaders - the others have side lights. They
are supposed to screen all the rest & the Suffolk Shropshire has
done so. We can only see a dull mass where she is. Some of the
ships look like floating hotels, almost.
Little Capt. Gordon Smith is very anxious - I shd say he has
bn feeling the responsibility for several days. I suppose it
is because some the thing is all new. The lines have been
very well kept tho' occasionally a ship steers out of

November. 1 & 2.
6.
6.
line. I must find out exactly how they keep station at night.
There's not much chance of being seen here - though I think
that if lights are worth dowsing at all it should be done
thoroughly if only for the sake of the practice & the lesson to
the men. Curiously enough the Euripides* is an offender.
Perhaps it is the naval people on board who are responsible.
[* They told us later that our ship the Orvieto was much the brightest *]
Our smoke by day is a much better mark 
than our lights. It simply filled Alban King
George's Sound. I suppose it will hang about for half
a day. If the Emden keeps up her energy she might
manage a fine coup by sighting our smoke before
our cruisers see her.....
We must be nearly to the Lewin & the ship
is rolling very slightly. Southern seems a good way
behind.
One can hardly realise that we're off now on a really
huge hazardous experiment. There is distinctly a hazard in
it - much greater than the hazard which kept the American
transports in Tampa during their war with Spain when the
mere rumour of a hostile cruiser detained them for a 
fortnight. The Admiralty - no doubt rightly - has decided
to take such chance as exists. Any day or night, later
on, we may meet the Emden; or Koenigsberg, if she
is still in this ocean & cares to take a sporting chance.
Mond. Nov. 2.  Line well kept today, but only going 9 knots. At night
Euripides full of lights - rest of her line dark. Lights on other
leading ships. Possibly idea is to make Euripides a decoy.
Of course if they saw her head lights they wd come up in any
case.
Schuyler tells me the N.Z. ships put a target over the side today &
practised rifle firing at it. One of their ships towed it.
News of war being declared by England & Russia on Turkey. Shall
we be stopped in Egypt?

November. 3. 
7
Tues. Nov 3. Today at 3 the smoke of the Medic & Ascanius - two Fremantle
transports - what to which were to join us at sea with
the Ibuki & the Pioneer as escort - was seen on the horizon a
little on the port side. The Ascanius & Medic waited, half
obscured by a rain storm, a little outside our port line (2nd Div)
The Ibuki (burning tons of coal, apparently - they say these
Japanese cruisers simply devour coal) passed across the head
of the fleet & took up a position just about 4 miles away
on starbd beam of the Euripides. The Sydney was opposite
her to port. The Melbourne (starbd) seems to have dropped
astern. The Pioneer could be seen far down outside The
starboard line. The Minotaur always going like a good
old warhorse straight ahead. She burns no coal apparently
 - the Japanese creates an immense xxx mane of it

Hand drawn diagram of position of ships (Minotaur, Syd, Ibuki, Melb)

The intervals aren't quite perfect yet. Wiltshire is 1/2 mile
closer to us than Euripides. Ascanius is not yet keeping
her interval. Little Gordon Smith is very worried you

November 3.
4. 
8.
can see. He was walking up & down the smoking room for
half an hour this morning with his telescope, occasionally
looking through the windows at a transport. The Hororata got
out of place once this afternoon & the Orvieto actually seemed to
pass her, if not the Miltiades also. She got back later.
I think most people feel a good deal more security now
that the two other warships are here. I hear we are to pick
up a French transport & the Mortcalm at the Cocos Is. -
The ships are much darker tonight but by no means
perfect. There's a bright decklight showing on the Wiltshire & 
the Euripides shows several lights though her masthead
lights seems to be veiled. As for this ship very little trouble
seems to be taken. The lights from the Cupola of the saloon
has been veiled with a canvas tied over it, x but any officer
who cares to light his cabin light & leave his window open
seems at liberty to do so. I have not seen the shutters
down over any window except those of the lounge &
drawing room & my own. Plus tard, peut Ėtre.  There's
probably no danger whatever, here, but why not do a 
thing wholeheartedly when you  do do it?
Second innoculation today - a fairly big
swell from the rest - Armadale's rolling is a picture!
Beautiful moonlight tonight.
Wed. Nov. 4. Hear the Pioneer developed troubles in her engine room
& returned to Fremantle. "She'll be much happier there", as the Capt.
said. Also we are not to pick up the Euphrates (French Transport)
after all. But, in order to get a little off the beaten track
we are going E. of the Cocos.
Euripides looking shining like a house on fire tonight - very beautiful
until with the moon rising behind her & the Japanese

November 4. 
5
9.
cruiser battleship fuming like a burning city on the horizon. She
must eat enormous amounts of coal. The Melbourne
can just be seen on the horizon astern; & that same
trusty old warhorse always showing us his heels due
ahead. Mirage made the N.Z. ships appear much
bigger today than yesty. At times the Southern nearly
caught us - I believe this was towards the end of
each watch. At the end of each watch some of her
fires have to be drawn & her speed drops to 7 knots.
We used to put on two revolutions to get ahead of her,
but no longer do so now.
Thurs Nov 5. Minotaur passed down the line about 11
o'c this morning to see for herself the intervals
between the ships. She sent signals to some of them
to close up - with the result that the Benalla
ran right past the Afric. The Hororata is sd to have
bn rather an offender the last few days. The
Minotaur passed us on her way back quite
close, going a good pace, smoking from all
4 funnels & looking splendid. Even doing 16 km
she didn't seem to smoke as much as the Japanese ship
at 9 knots.
The Melbourne yesty reported that we
were leaving a regular trail of boxes,
etc.  There must be a good many dead horses