Sullivan letter diary, 27 October 1915-9 October 1917 / Eugene Sullivan - Page 91
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[Page 91]
Notes: H.M.S. Kent, escort.
Here we picked up our first escort consisting of H.M.S. Kent, famed for her work in the Faulkland Is. fight, where she chased and ultimately sank one of the German battleships.
Towards the end of the chase she ran out of fuel and fed her engines on the boats and other woodwork dipped in oil and on this fuel maintained a speed of twenty-four knots. I saw this little bit of information in a magazine we had on board and it helped us to a greater feeling of security when accompanied by so famed a bloodhound.
About ten days after leaving Cape Town we crossed the line and as is usual held a grand days sports to celebrate the event. Large canvas baths were rigged up on the well-deck at either side of the ship. One of the Officer, dressed as Father Neptune, and his subjects done up in all kinds of attire then took possession and everyone was ducked. The Officers and Sergeants were done Officially, having first been tried and sentenced by Father Neptune and the rest of us ducked one another when the Court was over. Father Neptune himself did not escape, despite his fine attire, and neither did his subjects as the mob turned round and flung them in when the court was dismissed.