Item 02: Fred Hamilton-Kenny letter diary, 5 December 1914-26 February 1915 - Page 165
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[Page 165]
I'm mess caterer now – I know nothing about it but I'll come out right – The Chief Engineer takes the Wine – Well this 24 hours at sea is a Godsend we can work quietly – no visitors & no calling – The Fantome is the ship in the harbor that entertains but now we've got to think of ourselves. We had got up a new lot of stores & we're selling every single thing the mess has – We cant sell in Sydney – As soon as we leave Rabaul we shut right down & lead the simple life – Keep all expense down & go for Sydney – Hell for leather – We are going to sell Gramophone & Soda Water machine – You'll get a wire days before we land – Stop all mail – I shall wire when we get to Sydney which cant be before the 20th Feb – (There is a buzz we are going into a new Commission & go to help Africa – E up at Mombasa or W at Walfish Bay Keep this to yourself - Its Buzz - ) The Destroyers go - any time – so I've to be ready – I'm going to get all the Destroyer sick on the Fantome & bring them down – poor chaps – By God it's an awful life on a Destroyer – Work like Hell – nothing much to eat & any quantity of Malaria – The boat is jammed with men - & the sick lie in the turrets of the guns -