Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 9]
On board transport "Lake Mitchigan"
4.15am April 25th
We are all mustered in lower deck awaiting orders, none of us know what is going to happen, but we think that we may be going ashore at some place or other. Suddenly we hear firing from guns a long distance off, and almost immediately our ship vibrates as if something gigantic had taken hold of it & shook it, evidently a warship has fired from a position quite close to us. I manage to elude the sentry on the gangway & get up on deck. What a glorious sight meets my eye, never shall I forget it, in the distance, about seven miles, I should say, but I can't be sure as it was dark, I could see tiny flashes from the Turkish guns on shore, it must be their shells which are dropping in the water about 200 to 300 yards on either side of us. The Russian five funneled cruiser "Arsnold" which we christened "The packet of Woodbine" on account of it having five funnels, has taken up a position alongside us, in fact she is so close that we could almost jump on to her deck. None of her crew are visible, I expect they are at their gun stations. She has started firing & the roar of her guns if deafening. The Queen Elizabeth has joined in the bombardment. It is truly a glorious spectacle. The flash from her 15" guns as they are fired, casts a vivid red glare over the water for about 150 yds. Our boys are thoroughly enjoying the scene; to see them leaning over the side of the ship, smoking, laughing, & talking, one would get the impression that they were enjoying a first class cinema show.
5AM.
We have all been ordered below. As I am acting signaller to the Machine Gun Section, I must remain near them, till further orders. Our ship is travelling at the rate of a few miles per hour. We can hear rifle and machine gun fire, but we have not the faintest idea as to what is taking place. Our Warships are firing more rapidly now. An order has just come along to the effect that we are to prepare to get into the boats. The sun is rising and we are now able to see some hilly country in the distance, it reminds me of the scenery in Loch Lomond, Scotland.
The boys have now started getting down the rope ladders into their alotted boats, each which hold 26 men. In a few minutes a naval pinnace suddenly appears and having fixed a line to the foremost