State Library of NSW
[Page 39]
twenty fifth of May our destroyers kept up their unceasing chase of the hostile craft or crafts. They were sighted more than once beneath the surface but at too great a depth to ram and after 4.40 pm were seenno more. Throughout the day the old Majestic remained defiantly at her post with the Admiral's flag proudly flying from her foremast. At eight o'clock that evening we were told we were not to remain at anchor off Cape Helles but were to run to shelter to a certain destination which must be nameless. Escorted by four destroyers we dashed at top speed across the moon lit ocean the old vessel doing wonderful time considering her age and the wear on her engines. In fact someone remarked 'She never did as well as this on her original trials'. That night at midnight there was another scare that the enemy's submarines were trying to get through the boom. The crew were called to their stations but the alarm came to nought and probably only belonged to the vivid and harassed imaginations of those on the destroyers guarding the entrance. On the following day the last of her existance the Majestic returned to her old anchorage off Cape Helles to resume her chaperoning of the troops on shore. I do not think we had any submarine scares that day and towards evening there seemed to be a general feeling that at any rate for the time being the enemy had been driven off or forced to retire to some base for oil and stores. But everyone on board felt our security was only temporarly and that very shortly the Submarines would again shoe their periscopes in our neighbourhood. That evening May twenty sixth we did not go back to a sheltered port but moved in
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