Bowler war diary, 21 May-July 1917 / William (Bill) Gordon Bowler - Page 28

[Page 28]

Bay. At 11 a,m, the Auxilliary Cruiser "Orama" weighed anchor and instructed us to do likewise. During the morning the Jap. Cruiser with the Ullysses" "Clan McGilvery" and "Suffolk" arrived. They had left Durban about two hours ahead of us, and arrived a day later. This Convoy now consisted of H.M.A.C. "Orama" with H.M.A.T's "Ascanius" "Benalla" "Shropshire" "Marathon" and N.Z.T's "Turakina" and "Tofua". The other ships remained behind and formed ahat was called the 'slow convoy'. The weather was very cold and cloudy. During the night the ship rolled heavily and a stack of plates fell on deck making a L of a row. Someone sleepily asked "is it a torpedo, or only a mine?"
Saturday 23rd. The ships of the convoy are rolling heavily. At breakfast everything slipped off the tables, and the decks looked fine with a mixture of stew, porridge, jam, butter, sugar, etc. The 24th, 25th and 26th were fine with the sea smooth again.
Wednesday 27th. We sighted a strange Steamer on the horizon, port bow. The "Drama" turned and went full speed to investigate. At the same time the convoy turned a point to starboard. The Cruiser looked very fine as she raced through the calm sea, with all her teeth showing. She went out to the horizon and evidently the stranger was O.K. as we soon saw her turn and steam back to her station at the head of the line. The weather is getting much warmer again.
Thursday, 28th. The vessels of the convoy practised with their stern guns. One of our night Orderlies was sleeping aft, and when our 4 in. gun went off, he bounced clean out of his hammock, grabbed his life belt, and bolted for his boat station. He said he thought it was the