– high gales
Seas frightfully rough, ship rolls heavily. We only make 4 knots an hour with a very strong gale blowing. Many stormy petrels to be seen.
*Its association with storms makes the storm petrel a bird of bad omen to mariners; they are said to either foretell or cause bad weather. A more prosaic explanation of their appearance in rough weather is that, like most oceanic seabirds, they rely on the winds to support them in flight and just sit on the water surface when becalmed. The birds were sometimes thought to be the souls of perished sailors, and killing a petrel was believed to bring bad luck.
Archives for 2018
Tuesday 1 October 1918
– high wind
Misty in morning. Heavy seas. Ship rolling heavily, needs much ballast. The rolling is detrimental & agonising to the poor cripples.
Monday 30 September 1918
– high wind
Very bad weather during the night. Heavy seas swept the decks & some water came down hatches. Rained heavily. Ship rolled heavily, also much pitching.
Sunday 29 September 1918
– fair
Fair weather.
Church service on hurricane deck given by Y.M.C.A. chaplain @ 10.30 am & again at 4.30 pm.
Saturday 28 September 1918
All of our destroyers leave us & we now depend on the auxilliary cruiser the Kildonan Castle which has many guns on board.
Friday 27 September 1918
Rough weather. Two of our destroyers turn back & leave us with 4. They are sturdily built & weather the rough stormy weather marvellously. The lookout man has an unenviable job for tis raining & misty.
Thursday 26 September 1918
– misty
High seas running. Misty with fine rain. Breakfast at 8 am, dinner 12, tea 5 pm. Some of the men down with mal de mer. Boats pitching heavily On S.S. Kyber Pass.
Wednesday 25 September 1918
– fine, rain
Clear in morning but turned to light rain in evening. Dirty night. Slept well during night. I am put in charge of Boat no. 6. We have 9 transports with a camouflaged cruiser & 5 torpedo boat destroyers.
Tuesday 24 September 1918
– fine
Up at 5 am. Breakfast prepared by Sister Gerard at 6 am. Said goodbye to Sister who burst into tears. She was amiable, generous & kindhearted. We leave Orpington Stn. at 7.50 am for London. Go to Tower of London to assemble. There are parties from Bearwood, Epsom, etc. Take train for Tilbury Docks at [Mark Lane!]. Board transport (ambulances) at No. 64 at 1 pm. Move down Thames & anchor till morning. S.S. Kyber Pass.
*SS Khyber was a 9,000 ton ship operated by the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P & O Line).
Monday 23 September 1918
– showers
Nield and I are warned to be [med.] inspected at noon. Draw kits at 2 pm. We go to Bromley in afternoon & make purchase returning at 7.15. Nield is last on waiting list & is told he is going.
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- …
- 27
- Next Page »
