Your husband
[MSX 2541]
November 2nd 1914
The concert last night given by men of Hotel Cecil and was very good. Carbines58 of Taranaki Coy (my Regt) at the piano was facile princeps.59 His accompaniments improvised are really wonderful. There was a tenor (one Harrison), baritone respectively AI. There was a comical side to their singing too. Harrison a small podgy, no figure man in dirty deck shoes, Chinaman’s denim trousers and a no cut denim tunic singing “Come into the garden Maud” like an angel and was as to dress too absurd for anything. Smith the baritone had a grand voice and almost a perfect enunciation.... Fine day but we are not steaming as fast as before we joined the Australians. Only 228 miles in this 24 hours. Heard today that we go via the Cape and not Colombo. Everybody very disappointed. Still it is all in the days march. We may it is surmized call at the Cape or somewhere [?] there and then at Durban or Port Ely [Port Elizabeth] both for water, etc.60 ... Though we little thought it would be under such circumstances. About 18 days voyage, weather warmer but plenty of bracing wind.
I had trouble with McDonnell again. Young Lepper61 complained to me that McDonnell had called him a b_____ ass in front of the men and refused to apologise. I spoke to McDonnell and said he was to apologise. He tried to excuse himself on plea that [on the] occasion [he] was not “on duty”. I ruled the plea out. Today I found that he had done nothing so I saw him again and expressed my astonishment at his attitude and asked him if he was going to apologise or not. He said no. I at once reported the matter to Col Johnston as O/C Troops and said the matter must be settled. He quite agreed with me and told McDonnell to apologise or we would report him to the General. McDonnell caved in. He is a fool. He thinks I am hard on him and doesn’t seem to understand that I command my Regt and not he! If I have any more nonsense from him, I shall get rid of him. He is an ungrateful beast anyway. Lack of education is his misfortune. The Australians were a blaze of light last night. They don’t seem to understand. The New Zealand ships were in absolute darkness to the outside world except for side lights (red and green) which cannot be seen many miles away. We carry no mast head lights at most times. On certain occasion (weather) the Maunganui carries head and stern lights (white). Sea somewhat rough.
November 4th 1914
Calmer. Last night we rolled famously. Kept most people including myself awake until about 2am. The skipper seems inclined to think that we go Colombo after all. He says we are not steaming a course to fit in with crossing to the Cape. Wrestling match this afternoon between J. Robertson62 of 2 MR and Hine63 of Wellington Inf Regt, 10 stone 10 and 11.5 respectively. Robertson is a light weight champion of Scotland and elsewhere a tall lithe piece of steel. Hine the typical wrestler, short broad and round. Urquhart was referee. Prize £10, 25% going to Regtl Fund. 1st bout, 18 minutes, a splendid go. Robertson won it. 2nd bout, 6 minutes. Robertson ruled too much for Hine and won. He is a sport. He at once divided the purse with Hine. Col Johnston not well, stomach trouble. I don’t care about telling him but he goes through the menu too freely. I told him to diet. Suggested no meat or soup and such things. He and his wife are most interesting people....
November 5th 1914
A calm, warm morning. It is now 6.45am so I write up remainder of yesterday’s events and await physical drill at 7.15am. I think Colombo is our next port of call right enough. I had to give a man field punishment yesterday for insubordination. He was up before me two days ago for same offence – after repeated appearances before his Coy Commander. I had given him 24 hours detention – which he, it was reported, said he enjoyed. I did my best to get him to promise to mend his ways and would then have not given him field punishment. He said “I promise nothing”. So I had to inflict it. 24 hours in handcuffs, two of which to be passed attached to a fixed object. Before I turned in I sent Cox to tell the Sergeant of the Guard to give the man bedding and free him of handcuffs until daylight if he behaved.
Corporal ‘Jock’ Robertson of the Wellington Mounted Rifles, the victor in a wrestling match on the Arawa, 4 November 1914.
Malone Family Collection London
November 6th 1914
A grey calm warm morning.... The Commander of whole fleet (HMS Minotaur) complimented the New Zealand transports on their obedience to convoy orders and especially to their darkening all lights. He gave the Australians a good dressing down. Time too – nearly every ship is full of lights. They are endangering the fleet or rather some part or parts of it. Why will not people take their job seriously? Even on this transport I go round every evening and find a carelessness and want of thought. Ports and doorways unscreened! A concert last night on boat deck in the dark and consequently not a perfect success. A glee party appeared and sang beautifully “Farewell”.... I spent a couple of hours developing. I have only one film now to do. I hope the printing will be a success. I started to read Strategy by ... [sic]. Spent two hours and propose to set that time apart every day 4pm to 6pm for it. No lecture last night being an off night. Awnings put up, a great boon to the men drilling all day. A most lovely sunset last evening. A wonderful study in greys and pink.... I look forward to them but how I wish that Mater was here to enjoy them too. Nelson was the last place where we saw them together.
November 8th 1914
...It was very hot last night in bunk. Even a sheet was too much covering. Our trouble is that the salt water bath water is quite hot. It has something to do with the condenser. I must try and get some water drawn from the sea. Its temperature is possibly about 70°[21° C] but the bath water is over 100°[38° C]. I am in splendid condition though. I gave my officers a strong hint yesterday as to their diet. They were wanting my permission to go about in shirt sleeves and Lord[?] knows what. The MR and artillery officers are allowed to do so. But I have been insisting on my officers being properly uniformed and until the doctor tells me that health demands less clothing which I shall not readily believe they will have to be. I told them to eat less! That three full meat meals a day in the tropics was absurd. It is appalling the way most of them eat. They know no better I suppose. The inspection by Col Johnston went off all right. Some of the Company Commanders came asking as it was so hot would I put off the parade! No!! We have just received word of the naval disaster at Valparaiso.64 Very bad management. We understand that we have 70 ships in the Pacific, the Germans only five and yet we cannot concentrate in superior numbers. The first principle of war neglected. I remember the Germans in their official account of the S.A. War were saying the British Generals dearly love dispersal and detachment of their forces. The navy has come badly out of the war so far. Everybody was saying the navy is the one up-to-date show of the British Forces, yet it is the army that leads. It is splendid, more power to it. The knowledge that the German ships are at Valparaiso make our minds easier here. The Minotaur left us this morning. I finished my developing on Friday. On the whole the photography is a success. I am going to do a print of each and send them to Mater from Colombo. Our run yesterday 249 miles. Today ought[?] to be a lot better. Col Johnston gave us a most interesting lecture last night. Comparison of British, German and French artillery. He is a good lecturer and knows his job. He was very complimentary about the Regt yesterday. But I told my officers that we would have to begin again, not thorough enough. They had to agree but they have been thinking that we were going too slow. The competitions opened their eyes. Still the men are keen and all will be well. I am writing this under most comfortable circumstances on the ship’s deck in my deck chair – a lovely breeze is blowing. The temperature however is 93°[34° C] in the shade. How Mater would revel in it. Would that she were here....
November 9th 1914, Monday
...It is now cool on the weather side of our shade deck but as soon as we walk about and go into meals we perspire! I am reviewing the training and am going to begin again! More work for the NCOs and officers and less for the men until the officers and NCOs are better able to teach, Festina lente.65 Concert last night. I didn’t go. I don’t
think the average soldiers comic song should be encouraged on Sunday. It is generally a bit risqué. Sunday with its three or four divine services to wind up in the evening with double entendre canticles is wrong. I don’t mean that those songs are right at any time but the world has them and the authorities cannot very well interdict them on weekdays but it could on Sundays. Every day I know should be holy but Sunday is the Lord’s day and there is a special command regarding it. I proposed to the O/C Troops to censor the programme but he didn’t think it feasible. I will have a go at the concert directors....
November 10th 1914
Fine hot. Sea smooth, rolly morning. Yesterday was an interesting day. The Emden (German a/cruiser, which has done deeds in this ocean for months passed) was smashed at Cocos Island by HMS [sic, HMAS] Sydney, one of our escort. The circumstances are somewhat extraordinary. At about 6.30am the acting wireless operator (one Private Falconer of my regt) was on duty and got the call SOS (distress signal) from Cocos Island which we were then passing at a distance of about 50 miles. The call was repeated about 50 times – some other operator (the Emden) breaking in and trying to jumble the signal. Then the words “a strange man of war entering the harbour” were made out. Our operator was the only man who got the signal message, the reason being that one of the assistants to the wireless officer on the transport had brought with him a privately constructed detector of a very sensitive nature and had attached it to the ship’s instruments. It was owing to this that the signal message was got and made out.66 This assistant is a signaller in the army Signal Coy with us. We tried to get our flag ship by wireless. She is only a mile away but...
[MSX 2542]
Nov 10th 1914 [cont]
but as she was busy signalling on these matters – we didn’t succeed. We tried to get HMS [sic, HMAS] Melbourne – but same result.
At 6.50am we got by semaphore the signal to Maunganui (HMNZT No.3) our flagship.
At 7.4am – The Maunganui got HMAS Melbourne.
At 7.10am – HMAS Sydney left for Cocos Island.
9.32am – Sydney sending code messages. Emden trying to block by sending at same time.
9.47am – Everybody ordered to stop signalling.
11.7am – HMAS Sydney to HMAS Melbourne. “Enemy beached to save herself from sinking”.
11.27am – HMAS Sydney “Pursuing merchant collier”.67
11.29am – HMS Minotaur, (which left us on 8th Inst on some other service) first spoke asking for movements of enemy.
11.41am – HMAS Sydney to all stations. “ Emden beached and done for.”
Noon – British casualties – 2 killed, and 13 wounded.
At 6.15am today we got word per Ibuki that the Emden had her foremast and 3 funnels down and surrendered. Sydney intact – she is remaining to take off guns of Emden and the wounded and prisoners. She will rejoin us after 24 hours bringing the prisoners. Smart and good work. The Emden on night of 8th Inst must have been within 10 or 12 miles of us. But apparently didn’t know of us. She is well out of the way. It was an extraordinary bit of bad luck for her our passing so close to Cocos Island and to our picking up the message from that island....
It was amusing to see the Australian Transports last night. Hitherto they were a blaze of light. Last night hardly a light showing anywhere – the NZ Transport[s] have always been in dark – muchly to our discomfort. Still we were playing the game. How the Emden would have enjoyed a fling amongst us. I had been hoping that she would strike us. We are waiting to get full details of the “scrap”.
Yesterday was very hot 90°[32° C] in the shade in our cabins – the worst is that we cannot get a cool bath in the morning or at any time. We mean to make the captain do something. Our physical drill takes the sweat out of us and then we have to cool down the best way we can.... I wonder how our horses will get on. They are just shedding the last of their NZ coats! Things are going smoothly – our beginning again will bear good fruit. I got all the NCOs together yesterday and bucked them up to redoubled efforts. More thoroughness. The effect was good I feel sure. Things have to be tightened up – not slacked – even if the weather is hot.
We served out our hammocks today but that wooden headed chump Dallinger, could only produce 130 instead of the 200 which I bought and the Wairarapa people paid for – and which Dallinger had to see on board. That is the last straw – when he takes up his Regimental duties again I sack him from QM Sgtcy. He is now Ship’s QM Sgt and should be sacked from that job. Another of McDonnell’s bad picks. The latter, by the way, is very sweet to me now but I don’t mean to trust him very far all the same. I can very easily run the Reg’t without him and really would prefer to do so. Capt Cox makes a very gentlemanly Adjutant and is attentive to his job and keeps his place.
Capt Hume lectured68 last night ‘Ammunition Supply’ – It was a good lecture. I lecture tonight on The Attack so have been busy preparing and drawing on the blackboard – diagrams etc, etc.
Another lovely sunset last night. Greys and golds and yellow pinks. If only I could paint.
November 11th 1914
...My lecture tonight went off all right but it is a great strain for the listeners to sit in the saloon at temps 88°[31C] and pay attention for 3/4 of an hour. Instead of formal following of textbook I gave them the Battle of Driefontein69 – with maps – on the Blackboard and from it made all the points relating to the attack, from a Division down to a section of Infantry. Plenty of diagrams I hope made the matter clear. The Australians were alight again last night. They seem a slack lot. Perhaps it is my prejudice against Australians. I have it I know but cannot say why. I must be juster – and only judge on 1st hand evidence. Yet there is evidence of slackness on their part and a comparison unfavourable to them can be made every day. Our run yesterday was 250 miles. Good!
November 12th 1914
...We pass the Equator tomorrow and Neptune is coming aboard in state.70 Heard yesterday that all correspondence is to be censored. We can write nothing about the Convoy or Expedition. That means that I cannot send Mater the duplicate of these notes or any papers that I have been saving up for her. It is a dashed nuisance but still I suppose it is necessary. Mater will be content, so long as she knows that we are all right. When we get to England I presume we will be able (allowed) to send the news of this voyage....
My Regt competitions (finals) are held today. It is now 6.15 and I can hear the various competing sections drilling all over the ship – practising. I am glad the men are so keen. And there are no prizes, except certificates. We will go on holding competitions. Every week. We will divide the sections into 3 classes and have competitions in each – so as to give all hands a chance to do something.
I am sorry to find that the Sports people have put on an event called a “Bun and Treacle” race. One of those more or less degrading things that the world still thinks good fun. I hate “scrambles” etc. They sort of teach the competitors to act like brute animals. I shall try and get my men not to enter for the race...
Electric fans are being erected in the men’s holds. The good Wairarapa people put a dozen of such fans on board. I shall never forget them and Morrison their chairman.71
November 13th 1914
...Our competitions yesterday were a success. Some 100 men completed in sections and were quite good. We got the machine gun men to compete between themselves. They gave a good exhibition. In the Rifle Exercise a Ruahine Section was first, Taranaki filled 2nd, 3rd and 4th. The winners had decidedly more snap and vigour and so won. [Major John W.] Brunt the Taranaki Commander is a somewhat heavy thick slow man and conceived this notion that a stately action was the proper thing. I gave him the tip after the show was over to wake his men up then they could win. The Ruahine commander [Major Edward H. Saunders] is a somewhat puny man with little go, but he let his Sgt-Major run his men and they coming from a drier, harder country beat the mud plodders from moist, soft Taranaki. Australia can play cricket and New Zealand cannot for the same reasons.
This afternoon Neptu
ne’s advance party of Bath assistants – the proper ceremony owing to the rain being postponed to tomorrow, took charge and ducked all in sundry. They were a merry good-natured crowd – and all hands except Col Johnston and myself and one or two Majors took part. Personally I don’t think any officer above rank of Subaltern should allow the men to collar and pitch them into the bath – a big canvas sail – still it is difficult I suppose to draw the line. A most unfortunate accident happened. Lt Surgeon [Ernest] Webb72 lost his head and of his own accord took a header dive from the top of the horse boxes into the bath about 3ft deep and “broke his neck”. He is not expected to live for more than 2 or 3 days. He is paralysed from the shoulders down. A really good able fellow. I like him and we often took a walk together. We are all very sad. The Maunganui sent 2 of their doctors over, but nothing could be done. Webb was unmarried, had no-one dependent on him. He is a Dunedin man. Had he been shot in action it would have been so different. Still is, was to be. We have another chap73 in a dangerous condition. He had appendicitis and was operated on last night, a complicated case Home says.
In his diary entry for 13 November, Corporal George Bollinger of the Wellington Battalion comments that the ‘show got out of control and all ranks from Colonel downwards were dunked’. [George Bollinger diary, 13 Nov 1914, MS Papers 2350/1 ATL.]
November 14th 1914
The rain is over. We have a calm sea and grey morning. We left the main fleet yesterday, and are going ahead as fast as we (the New Zealanders) can. This to save time and we are more in want of water etc than the Australians owing to our longer journey. We are pleased and we expect to arrive at Colombo tomorrow morning. It has been announced that correspondence to New Zealand can be closed but closed letters will be delayed. They may be opened and censored but it is unlikely. I will therefore write Mater a formal open letter with practically no news and send another closed.... I am very fit – have reduced my waist by 2 1/2 inches. A 1/2 hour physical drill in a temperature of 84° to 88°[29°–31°C] gets rid of fat. A large number of the officers have dropped out. They however are not proud of themselves. Yet they seem to somewhat resent the action of those who are sticking it out!! I am 10 years older than the oldest of them [except Brunt, who was 52] and am glad of the chance of getting really fit. The campaign in front of me is bound to be one of hardship. The fit man is going to do the best work. Our run yesterday 259 miles we crossed the Equator – about 11am.
No Better Death Page 7