Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 3]
Saturday Aug 29 - 1914 -
H - M - A - A - S - Upolu -
His Majestys Auxiliary Steam Ship Upolu
At sea
Dear girl
Day by day I am going to write & tell our tale and post when I can - you had my last from Newcastle - Elms (Chief Officer) Herbert [indecipherable] & I had aft t at the Café Rawson & were back on board by 4 - 45 – at 5 a general muster was held – not a man missing - 'Fall out' was heard & the crew went off – a small party of blue jackets from the Naval depot cast off our ropes & by 5 - 30 we were clear of the wharf - no crowd to see us off - All was quiet - silent – no one knew in Newcastle -
Now we paced the deck to see which way her bows went – presently we saw our Bows swing North & we all fell [indecipherable] & one or two cheered -
Dinner at 6 - 30 or rather 7 - 30 & as this was our first dinner on real active service we had some wine - we have but one toast – The King - Before that toast all is decorum but after that – gag time & any man can tell his worst yarn & generally things are lively -
I turned in at 9 - 30 & slept - - One had a slight feeling that things weren't quite normal - not one of us has seen war or been on active service & the bigness of the war & the fact that we were are a unit in it & have to do our small part gives one a sense of responsibility - However feelings of that sort have to go - we are all of us going to see the game thro & do our level best for Australia & the Empire -
Sat 10 am - Breakfast & deck - All well – 9 - 30 'Submarines on the starboard bow' was reported - I got my glasses & there – 6 miles out – just above the water – were our darlings - I haven't named them yet - I took some time picking them up - Very little to be seen - Very little freeboard - I saw the Conning Tower - What there is of them when sunk must be mighty little - Infernal things - Our game is to smash any German cruiser & their game is to sink us & the submarines - Jolly sweet game isn't it??
(By the way nothing I say must get to the papers - to tell friends but no paper