No Better Death Page 6
At night we started on course of lectures. Col Johnston presided and I read extracts from Ruskin’s Lecture on War ( Crown of Wild Olive39). It was all right and will help a lot of our young officers I hope ... They can’t quite make me out as young Richmond40 (Lt in Artillery) said. They thought I was too much a man of blood and iron to read Ruskin! And yet Ruskin says “Better to slay a man than cheat him”! At night all lights nearly were put out or covered.
October 17th 1914
Wet, cold and rough. P[physical]/drill made difficulties and many sick. We kept work going and I kept well. Enjoyed my meals. The other ships are making prodigious bows and dipping into the sea. We seem to be the best of them. At last I got some wind sails rigged, a great improvement. They take the fresh air to the bottom of the holds. Tonight Home [medical officer] lectures on sanitation. I told him not to forget “the corners”! Lecture off as Home not up to it and very few officers fit to listen.
October 19th 1914
A grey day, the sea smoothing down wonderfully. Everybody shorter faced, none snap. My order for officers to wear belts etc on duty is having an excellent effect. I cannot understand any one trying to argue that it is contrary to King’s Reg. Captain McDonnell has a very limited view. I understand the objection to promotion of NCOs to commissions. Lack of education is a great misfortune. Had a yarn with Captain Greene, SA [Salvation Army].41 He said he was greatly impressed with the idea of reading Ruskin’s Lecture on War to our officers. He had never read Ruskin. I am prompting him to do so. Quotations would be of great help to all preachers. Ruskin knew his Bible better than most of them. Col Johnston is properly very irate at finding many of his artillery officers reading novels instead of their drill books, etc. We are putting up an extract from Ruskin’s Lecture on War – beginning “never waste a moment”, etc. Have just arranged class of instruction for NCOs. 20 might come and will announce holding of an exam at the end.
To my horror Col Johnston tells me that McDonnell holds the opinion that as men get dirty on active service, the sooner they begin to so get the better. He probably is not altogether serious but following on Captain Home’s lecture on sanitation, I don’t like it. Neither does Johnston....
October 20th 1914
A bright breezy day. I have obtained most readily Col Johnston’s permission to put day by day short quotations suitable to circumstances and helping to mould characters of our officers. I have prepared one for each day up to November 15th. Tomorrow’s refers to its being anniversary of Battle of Trafalgar and quotes Nelson’s famous signal. I then quote Wellington on ‘Loyalty’. I hope and think the series will do good. Prepared and got typed synopsis of my lecture for tonight, “appreciation of the situation”. Run 263 miles.
We reach Hobart at about noon tomorrow. All troops land and go for two hour route march. Men washed clothes today as water supply extra. Aired bedding too. Took a cruise round to see what scrapers,42 12 men, do. Nothing. I shall sack Sgt Southam43 and get another man. 12 men @ 5/-per day to do nothing is wicked. I could do the work myself in eight hours easily. QM Sgt Dallinger44 will have to go too I think. He stalks and swells45 about, but he has left the caustic soda in Wellington after all. I feel wild. Find that we join the Australian Division. They have 28 transports. What a fleet it will be, 38 transports and all the men of war.
[MSX 2549]
HMNZ Transport No.10
(S/S ARAWA)
At sea, 20 October 1914
My dear wife,
Here I am in the best of health with all things reasonably well with me. I wish you were here too but it is no use wishing. I look forward to meeting you in England. I do hope that all is going well with you too. I carry with me a lovely picture of you, or rather a series of lovely pictures, going to Government House, being there, returning and staying. You looked so bonny I was quite proud of you and so pleased when Colonel Johnston said he had had the two nice girls, one on each side of him at dinner. He is a fine chap and I like him very much.
I am very comfortable. Have had an extra clean of my cabin, on my own. I get up at 6am and lumber into my bath, which is ready for me, dress, go out and supervise the men’s physical drill 6.30 to 7am then do such drill with the other officers 7am to 7.30am, shave, walk until breakfast at 8.30, attend non-commissioned officer and officer class at 9am to 9.15am then supervise work of men 9.15am to 12 noon, walk, lunch at 1.15pm, 2pm to 4.45 prepare work or lecture etc, supervise men at work or go round quarters and growl at the dirt, walk and talk, issue orders for next day, see all and sundry, dinner 6.30pm. Good digestion waits on good appetite. 8pm lecture to 9pm, walk, to bed at 9.30pm, read until 10pm.
I send you copy of my diary which I hope will interest you.
The only fly in my ointment is McDonnell. I think, however, he is chastened and sorry. I keep him aloof. He is too big for his boots and I helped to make him so.
I hope that Maurice and Norah got down all right and that they are playing the game. I hope that Maurice will get something to do and do it. Molly I presume is quite herself again, the dear little soul. Denis and Barney I suppose are back at school making up for lost time.
We get some war news every day and don’t like to hear of the naval losses.
Just heard that we have a case of measles on board, an Auckland man, one of 20 put on to us at the last day. I didn’t like the notion at the time, of “strays” being dumped on to us. Let us hope that the case can be kept to itself and landed at Hobart tomorrow. I wonder whether you have written and the authorities have sent on your letter to meet me at Hobart or Albany or Freemantle [sic, Fremantle]. I shall look forward to your letters.
I think of you all, you especially, every night before I go to sleep and pray that all may be well with all of us.
This is a great change in our lives but it was to be and we are doing our duty. Edmond is looking well and getting hard, thank goodness. Terry is all right. He was hard. I have got rid of all fat too. Goodbye now, my dearest. Love to you and the children.
Yours
[MSX 2541]
October 21st 1914
Trafalgar Day. “England expects that every man will do his duty”.
Calm morning. We sighted land about 4am. At about 9am as channel narrowed we formed single line. The Japanese cruiser Ibuki impresses me as the most businesslike of our escort. She growls if any straggling or lights too bright. This is in keeping with my idea of the Jap. I understand him, I think in such matters. I took a snap of HMS Philomel as she came up from rear to head of lines. My lecture last night went off all right. Started a class for privates who wish to sit for promotion. S/M [Sergeant-Major] Parks conducts it. Edmond and Terry both well, neither been sick so the family was consistent. We had an interesting run to Hobart with land on both sides. Arrived there about 12 noon, anchored in stream, while 6 of the transports went alongside. I took several photos of shore points. In afternoon boat race, cutters, artillery, mounted rifles, one boat each. Wellington Inf two boats (one of these the Machine Gun section), 16 men to pull each boat. I stroked our boat and suggested that Meldrum should stroke his and Johnston the artillery but they could not see it, so they coxed instead. A hard race. We pulled down to the Waimana about two miles. Started there and finished at Arawa – wind and some tide against us, artillery 1st, MR 2nd, Wellington Inf 3rd but not a 1/2 boat’s length between us. Our cox, young Harston,46 steered on an erratic course and we should have beaten the MR but the artillery were too good for us. Our crew was very scratch, and about three of them didn’t pull near their weight. Hard work but good fun....
October 22nd 1914
Reveille 5am. Route march, starting 8am to Newton and back round over the hill and through town. Most enjoyable tramp but hot and close. Got back at 11am. The Hobart people I believe put us a long way before their own troops, bigger and steadier and better every way. My Regt led coming home. We had no horses so I walked all the way – about 10 miles. Had a good bath on return and enjoyed my lunch! Hobart is a nice town. Houses built of sto
ne and brick mostly. Beautiful flowers, roses especially. At one halt I was just opposite a house covered with roses. An old lady came out and told me to help myself. I did. She said her name was Brent (Miss) and asked me whence I came. She wound up by saying “Give it to those Germans”!! We had no leave so I did not see the shops. A small boy on the wharf sold us 5 picture post cards, all he had. I just managed to address them to the children and then went over to where the crowd of spectators were and asked a girl to post them. The crowd gave us an enthusiastic send off at about 12.30pm.... At about 4pm we sailed for Albany. Lecture by Col Johnston on military etiquette, all right. During night the transport had to sound sirens owing to fog.
October 25th 1914, Sunday
A beautiful day after a calm night. Our good luck sticks to us. Our physical drill is doing us heaps of good. Greene the SA [Salvation Army] Chap [Chaplain] is reducing or being reduced visibly! There are others who can stand reduction including myself. Church parade. Made my men parade in proper uniform with side arms. The others in their denims suffered badly by the comparison. I make my officers wear boots now when on duty and thus be completely properly dressed. I am satisfied that deck shoes, no belts, etc, leads to slackness and demoralisation. I am making the NCOs shave at least every other day and will thus get down to the men. I wonder what Mater and the family are doing. I hope that they are all well and happy.
A Lance Corporal47 on Ruapehu died today and was buried. All transports stopped steaming and all hands were paraded and stood to attention for a 1/4 hour during the burial. The Ruapehu steamed into centre between the two divisions of transports. We started classification of the men into classes (1) preliminarily qualified, (2) unqualified and can thus work up the latter at their own expense. We have started competitions between sections, platoons and companies of the Regt, complete units, not the pick of the men. It is the worst we want improved. We (Infantry Regt) have challenged the other Regts in this brigade to competition at 1st landing. Subjects: 1. Physical drill. 2. Squad drill. 3. Rifle exercises. 4. Firing exercises. 5. Semaphore signalling. My officers are not seeing with me too readily. They each want their own way and have some of them a supercilious air when I am telling them what I want and mean to have done. I call a conference and lay any new proposals before them and consult them so as to interest them and give them a say. But I am beginning to think the only way is to have a council of one, myself and simply issue orders. I have always been convinced that “Councils of War” are mistakes and am now almost convinced that councils of training, etc, when junior officers of ones own unit are present, are all mistakes too. You ask their opinion and 9 times out of 10 can’t accept it. It is a big job the breaking in of a new Regiment. Over 1100 men to handle.
I am not at all pleased with Brunt48 and Saunders49, the only two Company Commanders on this transport. Cook50 the 2nd in command of Hawkes Bay Coy is with us but has only 1/2 the Coy. He is all right. I am convinced that an officer must be a gentlemen bred. The lack of real education is a great misfortune. Brunt I think is a Boer with Negro blood. Saunders is too small in the head. Neither of them are gentlemen. Cook is. Cunningham51 and Young52 are all right, tho’ the latter is too “easy osy and plump[”]. Cook his 2nd is the better man. I am cultivating the younger officers and shall not hesitate to supersede incompetents. I hope I shan’t be too much disliked but I cannot pretend to like people if I don’t. I find myself keeping aloof from most of my officers. I am glad I am with Col [G.N.] Johnston. I like him and I think he likes me so I spend what little spare time I have with him. At 5.30pm he turns on the gramophone for my benefit. He is quite an education to me. His wife is very nice, shrewd, full of tact and common sense. The child is a good little soul – not at all spoilt and she and I are becoming quite friends. I would that Mater and Molly not to mention the others were here. Lecture by Col Johnston “Effect [of] artillery fire on Infantry”. All right.
Major Brunt (right) with subalterns Jardine, Harston and McLernon. Brunt spent 10 years in colonial forces in South Africa. He had family connections in South Africa and emigrated there in 1920.
Morison Album, Alexander Turnbull Library
October 27th 1914
A wet day, grey, warm and misty. I had to go for QM Sgt Dallinger, ship’s QM Sgt. I was very tired of the casual way in which decks were swept, food everywhere ... so at 6.30am I sent for Dallinger and dressed him down. He told me that the decks had been swept. I promptly and most emphatically told him not to lie. I was justly angry. Later he saw Col Johnston and wanted to resign. I had told him that if he didn’t do his work I would get him sacked. Johnston saw me and I gave him the facts and he will back me in my efforts to clean up and keep clean. He gives me a free hand, and is pleased. General Godley53 told him when he was at Wellington that he heard that the Arawa was the cleanest of the transports.... Bar the dirt, everything going well. My officers are knuckling down. Perhaps I have been thinking too hardly of them. I set a high standard I believe but no other is of any use. Worked all day appreciating situation, in tactical problems....
October 28th 1914
Grey morning, ship rolling heavily but sea smooth and little wind. Land not in sight – now 7am. We get up now at 5.45am. Land in sight....
We anchored in King George Sound, Albany at about 10.30am this day – we found some if not all (28) of Australian transports anchored. They look a piebald lot. The Australian Government hasn’t troubled to paint them man of war grey – as the New Zealand Government did the New Zealand transports. They (the Australians) therefore are all sorts of colours and do not look as businesslike as we do. Then they are lettered thus “A” with a number say A.3. We put up “H.M.N.Z.T.” with a number. I understand however that the Australians have plenty of room for men and horses, even sand rolls for the horses. We are dotted all over the sound. The men of war are anchored at entrance and the others in the inner harbour....
Malone quickly made an impression on those under his command. One soldier on the Arawa wittily described him as: ‘a parallelogram, that is an oblong, angular figure which cannot be described, but is equal to anything’. [28 Oct 1914, Memorial book compiled from the letters and diaries of L/Cpl Claude Comyns, Peter Liddle Collection, Brotherton Library, University of Leeds.]
29-31st October 1914
Anchored
November 1st 1914
Combined convoy sails (26 Australian and 10 New Zealand troopships) HMAS Sydney and HMAS Melbourne replace HMS Philomel and HMS Psyche as escorts.
The Arawa in its place at sea in the convoy with some of the Australian troopships ahead.
Malone Family Collection London
[MSX 2549]
28 October 1914
At Sea
Approaching Albany
My dear wife,
....It is 7am and I have a quarter of an hour to myself. I send you my diary which will give you such news as I have. The days pass better now but I do miss you so much. I often picture to myself the voyage if you were with me. It would be lovely. Some day ere54 long we will journey together and I will be able to look back on this voyage with equanimity. I think of you every night and morning and hope that all is well with you and that you are having a good time. I am so hoping that there will be a letter from you for me at Albany....
I am very fit and am looked upon as a wonder when I say I am 55. I certainly feel very active and light-footed. All the better for there will be endurance wanted later on in Europe. I am working hard, learning all I can of my job.
...We saw some whales one day spouting away. Wouldn’t Denis have been delighted. One night we passed a shoal of phosphorescent jellyfish, great blobs of light.
It is warm. We got quite hot during our physical drill this morning.
I sent you a copy of the Arrower, our newspaper.55 Home is Chief Editor. The reference to my hands is consequent upon the boat race. They were not blistered but I rubbed a bit of skin off another part of my anatomy. The thwart on which I sat was very rough! I have kept this fact t
o myself or it might have been “Arrowered”. Do you have plenty of visitors? You must tell me all your doings. Why not keep a small diary as I am doing and send me a copy. These carbon books are good for the purpose....
Do you get any news of us? I suppose not but remember the Honourable Mr Allen said “no news was good news”. Did Mot get a job and how goes the car?...
I hope that Gordon sends you the rents promptly, and that you will be able to manage on the total amount. I have spent 18/- on one dozen films and 1/- on Lifebuoy soap so I shall save money. My washing is all right. Young Okey,56 my batman does it. I gave him a lesson. He is a son of the Fred Okey57 that was on the Papamoa with you.
Breakfast bugle has just gone. I am quite ready for the meal.
Goodbye my dear one. Don’t forget all about me and write as often and as much as you can, but don’t spend too much time over writing. I hope you are well. You will be able to get fat now.... My love to Norah who I hope is helpful to you and obedient. Tell Denis and Barney that I expect letters from them. I hope they got the postcard from Hobart. Give them all my love, and an extra lot to Molly. My greatest love to you who are dearest to me of all.