Item 02: John Duncan McRae diary, 11 December 1916-9 February 1917 - Page 36

[Page 36]

amusement of the crew.

The "lights out" bugle call tonight was the signal for a series of bombardments of hammocks and sleeping soldiers. Of course it is very easy to tumble out of a hammock, especially when you are assisted by a gentle push from below, and many of the boys had prepared for such emergencies by supplying themselves with batons and perhaps for this reason other means of amusement were soon sought. A great number of men now sleep on the troop-deck & upper deck floors in preference to swinging in a hammock and these next attracted attention. De-Winton-Jones is always looked upon as a good hit for any joke, being regarded as somewhat simple in some ways. He spreads his hammock on the floor & sleeps in it there. So, when he seemed quiet, a chap crept up to his feet & tied a rope about 16 feet long onto the corner of his hammock & three of them took the rope & began to clear across deck with it.