Item 01: J. E. Morrison diary, 13 October 1917-29 October 1918 - Page 48
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[Page 48]
4th [Apr]
Coaling ship this day. This day a party came over & boarded the ship, in RN Lieut Comm.-uniform our Quarter Master being in charge of gangway with a soldier armed with rifle & fixed bayonet. This officer ignored the Q.M. & guard & was stopped by our Q.M. who asked him his buisness. He refused to devulge same. He asked the Q.M. if that was the way the Merchant Service approached Naval officers. The Q.M. told him his instructions were to stop anyone from coming aboard without a pass. So the Naval officer asked for the Ship's officer. The Q.M. told the Naval officer to wait at the head of the gangway whilst he found a ship's officer & also advised the soldier to see that the officer did not come aboard until such time as he would come back.
The 4th officer came along. The Naval officer complained bitterly to the 4th re being barred from coming aboard & said I shall report same to the Battleship Hannibal he being an officer off her. The 4th told him he could do just as he thought fit but that the Q.M. was doing his duty & no one was allowed aboard whether in uniform or not unless he could prove his identity. The matter ended to the disgust of this party. By his attitude one would think he was Lord Jellicoe or Beatty.