My grandfather George Townesend's journal
Transcription
Transcription history
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(There was a diagram here)
A broken rope ladder to first yard arm & roped second yard-arm he climbed this hand over hand secured rope A down rope C then instead of coming down ladder D he went along the lower yard arm A being entangled with B.B. & disentangled & then came down B.B. with the end of A held in his teeth!
Too rough for Physical Jerks. Several officers including DC Troops sick I am still all right at present. Our steering gear went wrong at about 8 o'clock tonight but was soon put right again. It was bad enough for "Ship out of control" to be signalled all round. The ship is & has been all day rolling quite a lot but I know we shall soon strike smoother weather. It is getting much hotter now I had to throw off a blanket last night I hope soon to sleep up on deck. Lights out 7:30.
May 11th Friday. 247 + 1442 = 1689
Paid the DUS 327 up to date today also Pt Kealy up to Wednesday 9th May. He Kealy is a queer man he does not seem to want any money. I have put on my drill clothes today for the first time they were much cooler. It is getting stifling down in the cabin and the sun goes down much more quickly so I suppose we are getting toward the tropics. I also inspected the rifles of my Unit they they rifles are a rotten lot. All four electric fans are going in this room & the place is stuffy in spite of this. The water is much calmer and the wind has gone down. I find I have only 4 pounds on me so I hope I shall be able to draw some money in Cape Town.
May 12th Saturday. 260 + 1689 = 1949
Sweltering heat today awnings put up on Upper Deck and NCOs & men ordered to wear helmets. No parades today as most of the men were inoculated against cholera yesterday. Had photo taken in group today by Brett KAR. Hope it will be good. Passed many Portuguese Men O'War little fish who float on the surface of the water and stick out a large dorsal fin to act as a sail. Had hair cut by an ASC man who has set up as a barber. Lights out at 7 o'clock tonight the days & nights are getting of a more equal length now as we approach the equator. Time at Greenwich 17.15 am time here 10.35. 1.40 - 100 min 10 min = 60 miles : We are about 600 miles W of Greenwich.
May 13th Sunday. 268 + 1949 = 2217
Nothing doing today service (voluntary) on deck about 400 men present. Lovely weather smooth sea I am watch officer tomorrow so most likely shall not make an entry on from 4-8 pm & 4-8 am Tuesday morning.
May 14th Watch Officer. 264 miles 2317 total 2481
May 15th Tuesday. 263 + 2481 = 2744.
Was somewhat disappointed in the sunrise this morning as there were some clouds in the way. There have been seen large numbers of flying fish round the vessel today & a few shark. There has been a large swimming bath in the aft well deck for the men to swim in. Several men on F deck have been found to be lousy so the deck is closed off and is being fumigated & the men made to bathe & wash their clothes. Lights out at 6.40 tonight.
The steering gear went wrong again today but as usual was put right in two or three minutes. A chap named Jervis has been telling me taht when he was in France he came across Anthony Wilding's grave on the La Bassee Rd N Neuve Chappelle it was in a bad state & he set his men to put it to rights and decent. Hope to get to Sierra Leone on Thursday next. Inoculated against cholera.
May 16th Wed. 249 + 2744 = 2993
Hear that at 12 noon today we were 570 miles from SL so taht we may get there at about 4 o'clock Friday with good luck. There is a selling sweep-stake on I have 3 shares in it which cost me 13/- my times are 4.30-4.39 4.40-4.49 & 650-6.59. We fired our practice 5 rounds today the second shot smashed up the target a box & the 3 last were all close to the 2nd target sent out. This is good shooting indeed.
-
(There was a diagram here)
A broken rope ladder to first yard arm & roped second yard-arm he climbed this hand over hand secured rope A down rope C then instead of coming down ladder D he went along the lower yard arm A being entangled with B.B. & disentangled & then came down B.B. with the end of A held in his teeth!
Too rough for Physical Jerks. Several officers including DC Troops sick I am still all right at present. Our steering gear went wrong at about 8 o'clock tonight but was soon put right again. It was bad enough for "Ship out of control" to be signalled all round. The ship is & has been all day rolling quite a lot but I know we shall soon strike smoother weather. It is getting much hotter now I had to throw off a blanket last night I hope soon to sleep up on deck. Lights out 7:30.
May 11th Friday. 247 + 1442 = 1689
Paid the DUS 327 up to date today also Pt Kealy up to Wednesday 9th May. He Kealy is a queer man he does not seem to want any money. I have put on my drill clothes today for the first time they were much cooler. It is getting stifling down in the cabin and the sun goes down much more quickly so I suppose we are getting toward the tropics. I also inspected the rifles of my Unit they they rifles are a rotten lot. All four electric fans are going in this room & the place is stuffy in spite of this. The water is much calmer and the wind has gone down. I find I have only 4 pounds on me so I hope I shall be able to draw some money in Cape Town.
May 12th Saturday. 260 + 1689 = 1949
Sweltering heat today awnings put up on Upper Deck and NCOs & men ordered to wear helmets. No parades today as most of the men were inoculated against cholera yesterday. Had photo taken in group today by Brett KAR. Hope it will be good. Passed many Portuguese Men O'War little fish who float on the surface of the water and stick out a large dorsal fin to act as a sail. Had hair cut by an ASC man who has set up as a barber. Lights out at 7 o'clock tonight the days & nights are getting of a more equal length now as we approach the equator. Time at Greenwich 17.15 am time here 10.35. 1.40 - 100 min 10 min = 60 miles : We are about 600 miles W of Greenwich.
May 13th Sunday. 268 + 1949 = 2217
Nothing doing today service (voluntary) on deck about 400 men present. Lovely weather smooth sea I am watch officer tomorrow so most likely shall not make an entry on from 4-8 pm & 4-8 am Tuesday morning.
May 14th Watch Officer. 264 miles 2317 total 2481
May 15th Tuesday. 263 + 2481 = 2744.
Was somewhat disappointed in the sunrise this morning as there were some clouds in the way. There have been seen large numbers of flying fish round the vessel today & a few shark. There has been a large swimming bath in the aft well deck for the men to swim in. Several men on F deck have been found to be lousy so the deck is closed off and is being fumigated & the men made to bathe & wash their clothes. Lights out at 6.40 tonight.
The steering gear went wrong again today but as usual was put right in two or three minutes. A chap named Jervis has been telling me taht when he was in France he came across Anthony Wilding's grave on the La Bassee Rd N Neuve Chappelle it was in a bad state & he set his men to put it to rights and decent. Hope to get to Sierra Leone on Thursday next. Inoculated against cholera.
May 16th Wed. 249 + 2744 = 2993
Hear that at 12 noon today we were 570 miles from SL so taht we may get there at about 4 o'clock Friday with good luck. There is a selling sweep-stake on I have 3 shares in it which cost me 13/- my times are 4.30-4.39 4.40-4.49 & 650-6.59. We fired our practice 5 rounds today the second shot smashed up the target a box & the 3 last were all close to the 2nd target sent out. This is good shooting indeed.
-
(There was a diagram here)
A broken rope ladder to first yard arm & roped second yard-arm he climbed this hand over hand secured rope A down rope C then instead of coming down ladder D he went along the lower yard arm A being entangled with B.B. & disentangled & then came down B.B. with the end of A held in his teeth!
Too rough for Physical Jerks. Several officers including DC Troops sick I am still all right at present. Our steering gear went wrong at about 8 o'clock tonight but was soon put right again. It was bad enough for "Ship out of control" to be signalled all round. The ship is & has been all day rolling quite a lot but I know we shall soon strike smoother weather. It is getting much hotter now I had to throw off a blanket last night I hope soon to sleep up on deck. Lights out 7:30.
May 11th Friday. 247 + 1442 = 1689
Paid the DUS 327 up to date today also Pt Kealy up to Wednesday 9th May. He Kealy is a queer man he does not seem to want any money. I have put on my drill clothes today for the first time they were much cooler. It is getting stifling down in the cabin and the sun goes down much more quickly so I suppose we are getting toward the tropics. I also inspected the rifles of my Unit they they rifles are a rotten lot. All four electric fans are going in this room & the place is stuffy in spite of this. The water is much calmer and the wind has gone down. I find I have only 4 pounds on me so I hope I shall be able to draw some money in Cape Town.
May 12th Saturday. 260 + 1689 = 1949
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- Hazel Townesend
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