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[Page 12]
of jam. Dinner, the meat is first cooked as soup, so as we have boiled joints & soup at the one cooking, everyone complaining. Wednesday 31st May weather good, sugar issued (but no milk) with porridge, stewed apples for tea, we often see transports & small patrol cruisers. Thursday it rained a bit last night, but the morning broke fine, the Orderly Officer stated better food was going to be issued, bacon for breakfast bread still sour, dinner as usual, we have another escort they work in relays, we are only without an escort for a few hours at a stretch. We have since leaving Alexandria, been steaming a very zigzag course, we have been having a couple of lectures on first aid, sometimes by our Sergeant & by some of our more experienced comrades. Friday 2nd sea very choppy a head wind blowing, it was pretty cold in exposed places.
Though we wear lifebelts all day & have boat drill sometimes 2 or 3 times a day, we received a genuine alarm at 2 PM, a transport which left Alexan. about same time as we did was torpedoed (we were told something had happened close to us) so we had to stay at stations till 8 PM. we were allowed to go down for tea ½ hour being allowed, but on no account whatever was anyone allowed downstairs. After tea a French battleship appeared, coming in the opposite direction, she had no stern above water, 2 D. turrets were in the stern & one D. in bows she looked very impressive. Saturday sea very calm 9 AM a French T boat (very low lying, looking at a distance like a Submarine until her funnel smoked) appeared off the starboard side, she came on until she was about 100 yards off & then a gun sounded in the distance, her crew immediately ran to stations, uncovered her guns while she turned right round & went like the wind, something appeared to be doing. I met Mr Antill this morning & had a yarn with him. Wreckage passed us this afternoon. We were told to read in papers when we had the opportunity