WITH THE TROOPS AT SEA

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2317, 26 November 1914, Page 6

WITH THE TROOPS AT SEA

THE VOYAGE DAY BY DAY v : : r AN:INmSTING MARY \ : v ; .. 'An/interesting record,of the voyage v' ■ fof the Main Expeditionary Force to its : ' jEceond port of call is contained in the -PfoUowing diary.fronia Wellington'non- ;! (commissioned officer:— .;;■ '■■' x : ■'■'.' ! ' : ■;-,:• i. We received, a splendid' from . • ltnb".wna"rf ,;and : after: backing -out "slowly; \ .J wo:steamed:past;the- warship's, the- men , on'which gave us a etirriiig cheer; which ... U'as, answered by every; throat oh pur ; / • ■' ■'■•'■■• .'.-'■ ■:' •; '■'•■ ' .< ■ .'.-;■:■'i ■;■' Every man on our ship had a look ■;. ef. subdued excitement, for-it was: gen- ;- '. erally known .that,we we're 'to-..sail, at . |6 a.m. -next .day; ,af tor •anchoring .in, .;■ >the stream overnight. ' V.- • • : ', ; -Amongst :"us thore; are; several good /-■pianists (one being especially good), and v;iu;piano.that had been, sent aboard 'for -'■■'. Hhe use of the'men bad a most trying ' "-■• Ultimo until flights out" waVsouuded. i;A The six p';clock reveille next day had >: '.quite a new.'interest.to everyone. One ■ ;Sad hardly, time to spring out' of .bunk .and get some 6prt of clothing" on before : ' tho; , ;.twoi.,'large! .'.ibattlashipu' .began to , : ' ;move off from their moorings.. As soon ' as,they had passed our ship,!Np. 3, we . .-i'started to move,-.and: it .was not long ■ ibefore iho anchor chains" were, clank.';ing on.;,tho other troopships.'! -J , ■ vV! While bno" detected ,'aV.. few;.; seribUß ■:. "faces, the : majority;, of < the ..men were ". .in great spirits, and highly delighted ■■ (to.find-themselves actually bithe way. ■•.,;, '_;•;The-' weather '.'was , cloudy, 'and ■' a "light; ■".■? blowing.,;;' *!-.:,/;;:' "".'/'■'■ .': V : ; ..'.;.-.The'"order, of iforraafcion , -leaving the V -'ibarbour. was sirigie fiio. ■■'■■■■;:"• ".''■'■'■ ■ .. >'.'■'. Our ehip was. Svell clear of Sinclair : Head before the r ,last; of ;the; line : was . i..'outside of,.Wellington Heads, and it ' :.:■ was 'mi 5 great /"sight, to) see the'line of .- : '■troopships..; We' contiiiued ,in*,6ingle file" '.•■ .'■'. until we;passed-Tlie.-Brothers ' and:theii ■ the speed of our line was reduced, and .'•.'•■; the -fleet.formed up Jnto double line. :.''. The weather was delightful,.anditho sea v'-'as'calm "as;a rivor.. ;;■. •; •• ■ ..• ■; ■ >.-■, ■'■■'. : ■•■ A' ■ meeting, of'* the ■• sergeants' 1 mess' : "was held' to discuss; 'accommodation, .•'■..'■ a»ess,orderlies,- and. matters in general .': Cifo'f-the voyage.' Some menfounithem- .'■■-"-'■ selves without bunks,-but this was to be •;..•'^remedied.to-day. ..,;....'.•."■:.'■ \ '.;■';'.!At dusk be seen : ; '. closer into vis; and then orders . were sent through tbo.'ship that lights "were tp bo but .by' 8 p.m.-f-no bugle; • :■:,would be obvious reasons.; ;; ,;Our porthole's are ; all heavily masked i.v'-withvwobden- discs,:' especially made for. ;: ;-the: .-'...':.:;,■",. v' '" '"■'; -. ■.; v;During '.the, .nest .night,.a. brisk wind ; . got; Tip,"; and'the; morning, broke with -a ■; 'fair sea running, Snd the ship was .roll-'. ! : : ing'- a. good -.deal. ;:: This'found out :the : ; indifferent mariners, .'and qnite a jium- . ' ber- of men. who : had persuaded them-'.., •..■'■.'•'■■• selves..at tbo outset that, they were ex- : '.:'' cellent. sailors were badly disappointed. ■:.'.-. ;'■': -All parades', and drill areout of the ;■'■; question tb-'day. .'.'Th'e; transports are '...keeping together. remarkably well, con- .•■■■-; sideringthe sea, and it is a splendid •'!■.'•'-. sight to see them ploughing, their .way '■~ through, dipping their bows'gracefully . ~ 'to the waves, and.throwing off clouds :':' " of spray as they'rise'again. • . ._ _ V /; ..An item of .interest, is the provision •'". 'made foi - keepuig the lines intact during, a-fog, which, is in the ..shape of a [:. ;lai'ge .'barrel, suspended on the end of : .a rope,, and in the event of, a fog this i;. ; would.be towed behind at a given.dis- " Stance, and although the following ship , : ,■'.■.": w^iil^iiiot;| see 1 ithe - ship"jm:front of hev : : slie.jwould see tho barrel—this strikes • oiie as being very simple and effective. Lights w.ere ordered out to-night at 7' .o'clock—the reason. being, -I suppose, .-'' S on .account of 'getting near : the -danger-zone. .'. . ■'. . .--' ■ ' .■■■'■;■■; The first edition of "The Eleet Post" ■was issued, to-day, giving the hews of ':.' .; the capture' 'of'tlie. .two colliers:, that- '. '■' have been,:supplying the Emden with ''-, coal, andaJso other news regarding tha [Allies' operations on the .Continent. . .-.;-■.'.' Sunday.'—lt'wasidistinctlyinovel get- ■ .ting to bed. at 7 v ;p,in.—the .hour .orie . usually finishes ■'dinner. { 'There" is ".still a good swell, on, .but the wind haß : abated spmewliat, and the-.sun is now : r'shining,- which has enticed the bad Bailors out on to the decks —the fresh , . air being preferable to the stuffy cabins. ; : Our horses are doing remarkably well, ,only;cne,has been down 1 so far, and it ' ; 'was ; got up i again, without- much diffi- . i.oulty. ; .Sp'manyjirienare sick that, tho ; . 'fatigue duties ; have,'to .he , .done ,by those '.-■ v-T7hd : are:ablev.to., _ gej> : ;abouV; : 'v-''''..- ..';,■ .; Monday.r—The , sea is now : quite calm ■'■vagain, :and'theday : has'been spent with: :. iTOUch drillvand various .lectures.' -At 3. • sp.m.an address wa'i given by; Captain ;.-'.;■'ilorton to the; non-coms, of:!this' ship ■ on' duties ' generally, the. handling'. of . ; Bien, and .discipline, ; .etc..!;.' : T':'C";:',"-;'. .': -.Tuesday'.-r-A 'fine', day .and.'.the"'• iSea ,;very calm. The troops, have been busy , -.'• all ;day,iat signalling, lectures, . and. ■ ■■. drill;' I ' , '.'■.-.-..■ •_•:■,. .•'.'■; ■■:.■ ':■■.

.No leave is to be. given" at ..way ports, but, the whole expedition, was taken = .ashore, -for;, route ".marching •at the first stop. ■■'■■ ' ■'' v ' ■;-■•' "■'■ ■■>:-'.': ' ' ■ ;j; Wediiesda'y .■<— At .the -first ,'po'ft 'of "call w.Oouhd hot.'only,.'a" : half-holiday oh tha,: W.edne.sd&y; but ..the town also was e.i fete on account of the. annual show, aiid consequently ■ all: -the inhabitants

we're'.out'"at.,'the "showgrounds. The itrppps off_Jhe troopships that , berthed ..went , for a-route .march..'-; '.'■' ■ '■. Thursday.—Early .'. this morning anj other' route march'- was', held. The

i people turned out to-day, in , , great "force, land .gave us a right royal welcome. iAU along the march they'simply del'uged;'us with apples and. flowers, and /the. way in which they cheered and i cheered ; as we passed will live long in our memories.; -..;'. . . Shortly after 1 p.m. the barriers at the end of the wharf /were taken down, and the crowd flocked down to our ship, and for.,nearly hours continuous, singing and shouting was car/ried on, until we finally left the wharf ;and proceeded "down "the 'liarbour. The othcr.,ships graduallj; fell..into, line and -w. are now once again , out to sea. AVhile in port four -men l were sent ashore to• ilic Civil' Hospital, "three suffering from pneumonia, and-one, with appendicitis. I-don't, think any of them are yeiy senous and they will no doubt join the reinforcements when they come along.- . . ...■■■• . ... .. . .-". _ .Friday.—During the night we ran ■■•mm a 'dense'fog-and I was awakened ■in. the early hours of the■ morning bv our fog horn. Our ship-was evidentlV doing .the "horning" for the whole o'f the Expedition,'the signal, being two short blasts and then five long ones. One;had to be a.very heavy sleeper to , sleep, through this.: With the exception, of one case -of: measels turning up oil: our ship,-nothing- of much interest.: happened during the day.-The wen-; ther Jβ still, very fine and the sea' smooth.- , ■ -. ■■ • . . Saturday.—Preparations. were mado to-day for the removal of about 400 tons of'coal from No. 3 hold (aft) to the bunkers forward., v ;. .'.■-: . Sunday.—Churoh parade was held at 10.30 a.m. on the boat-deek: Tliere was not sufficient room for everybody, so two services were given, the second being attended by the General and staff. The. afternoon was taken up by the; men in writing their letters, and every''where a.nTiting-blockcould be seen. Monday.—News came from one of the ships this morning that Corporal Gilchrist had died during the night from ptomaine poisoning, and needless to say quito a. gloom was cast over, our ship when the- news became known. Orders wore then given that evory man was to parade on the boat-deck at 3.40 p.m., when the funeral service would be read. Tho funeral was a most impressive cer&.

mony, and I hope we will not Lave another ono. At about 3.15 p.m. the transport on which Corporal Gilcbrist was could bo seen slowly drawing out from -tho lines of ships to the centre of the squadron (that is between the two lines of,ships), and at a,given signal I every engine on the transports was stopped, and every man stood at attention. Tho body was then committed to tho deep, after which a volley was fired, followed by the playing of the Dead March by the bands of the Expedition Duiing the morning the coaling operations mentioned on Saturday Were commenced, the men being .chosen (principally, I think) from the 7th Wellington Regiment, each of whom was medically examined before starting. The baskets of coal are being placed on trolleys, and are then wheeled along boards that ha?e been laid on the deck to tho bunkors. The men are paid two shillings .per ,day extra for the work, and sav that'they are thoroughly env loying tho exercise. It was mentioned in routine orders that it would take nine days to move coal, but as almost' 100 tons were moved away to-day, it looks as if four days will do it, which is a decided compliment to tho men. Tuesday.—The morning broke with a moderate gale blowing, creating a nasty sea," but fortunately we are running with it, and making good progress. Wo expect to make port again to-mor-row, but I cannot say which port it is to be.

Wednesday—We arrived at our second port of call about 12 noon, all being well on board • '