Brewster 'A Glimpse of War through a Private's Eyes', a retrospective account of experiences in World War I, 1915-1917 / John James Brewster - Page 611
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[Page 611]
However it did not take long to surmise that the "Tommies" were being sent to reinforce the troops who were "cleaning up" East Africa from the ravages of the pestilential Huns.
Three days, both vessels waited in Plymouth Harbour, but the time did not appear to "hang" for there was always something of interest happening in this place famed in song & story, the Plymouth Hoe of Drakes days.
One of the sensations almost depressing was to see what was, in the Boer War time, a splendid up-to-date battle Cruiser the celebrated "Powerful", whose naval gun played such a prominent part in the defence of Ladysmith, now deemed so obsolete that she was being used as a sort of Naval Barracks
What a come down in a couple of decades! Or to put it more optimistically What tremendous strides in Naval advancement have been made during that time!
The most powerful gun then on the Cruiser "Powerful" would be looked up now as a mere "pop gun" even in the Army let alone the Navy.
The appearance of the docks at Plymouth full to overflowing with Naval & Military Stores. Guns, some fifty or sixty feet long, numbers of them, Guns of all descriptions small guns field guns etc Machinery Ammunition, vehicles etc all waiting to leave for the front.
Every vessel leaving England for France (excepting Hospital Ships) takes away its portion of these never ending supplies of Military stores. Several "Old Time" warships of Great Britain the "wooden walls" of Nelson's day were moored in this Harbour.
Drakes Monument could be seen over the "Hoe", and in the present warlike atmosphere of the place it was easy to mentally depict the scene of Drake insisting on finishing his celebrated game of bowls, – just over there –, although tidings had been brought to him