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[Page 9]
9. selves to the Senior Sub-marine Officer on board H.M.S. Adamant. Commander Venning, who was the Senior officer Sub-Marine Officer, collected us all together and took us on board the Destroyer "Hind" and conveyed us to his ship anchored in the Gulf of Ismidt. We got a splendid reception from the men of the sub-marine flotilla, and were for five days their guests. At the end of that time Commander Venning had arranged a passage for us under orders from Vice-Admiral Gough-Calthorpe, on board a small mail boat bound for Malta. We boarded her at noon and steamed past Constantinople on our way home; next morning we passed through the Narrows straits passed the old fortress of Chanak which had been the means of holding the British Fleet from entering the Sea of Marmora. We also passed sub-marine E.15. lying high and dry on a bank Kephez Point where she had been destroyed by our own ships after an unsuccessful attempt to force the narrows.
At length we got clear of Turkey and as the land gradually dipped below the horizon we felt that an awful nightmare of our lives had at last passed and that soon we would be among our friends.
We arrived at Mudros and were transhipped to another small ship to be conveyed to Malta; two days later we steamed into the grand harbour at Malta. We disembarked and were taken to Fort St. Angelo; we were given some money and were allowed to go on shore. Next morning we embarked on board the "Izonza" Isonzo and left Malta en route for Taranto in the South of Italy; we were disembarked and taken on board H.M.S. Queen and were told that next morning we would commence our overland journey to london. However, we did not leave until midnight the following night. Four days later we arrived at Paris, and were met by the ladies of the Army and Navy Leave Club. They conveyed us by motor cars to the Club Rooms and gave us a right royal reception. That night we left Paris en route for Bologne, at which place we arrived at daylight next morning.