Item 01: Eric Susman war diary, 1 January 1915-4 April 1916 - Page 50
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 50]
Tuesday 26 January 1915
Now that we are in closer touch with the Old World, and able to make use of the wireless more freely, being in comparatively safe waters under British control, we are able to get smatterings of war news. War bulletins are issued daily, and are posted around the ship in conspicuous positions, in the lavatories, for example. The news, generally speaking, is uninteresting and incomplete, due in great measure to the wireless operator being interrupted by unearthly noises of the rowdy element outside the Marconi room.
We have been out of touch with the rest of the world for a month now, which under the circumstances, is a very long time. And it is marvellous how you get used to going without anything – even if it is war news or rather "war lies". So that, taken all round, the bulletins are not appreciated. But even in camp, in both New South Wales and Victoria, war news was always unpopular. So it is not to be wondered at that, being so unaccustomed to hearing anything of the war in which we hope to take part, the sinking of a German dreadnought fails to arouse much enthusiasm.