Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 166
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[Page 166]
Australia are having now the decent people of the country such as could possibly get away had gone into camp and nothing would shift the remainder who preferred to sit at home and shirk.
One day two of us were ashore in plain clothes and a recruiting officer came up and said "Say what about you two young guys going to the war". We told him we would like to enlist but our boss wouldn't let us. He volunteered to see the boss on the understanding that if he got permissions we would forthwith enlist. We felt pretty safe and led him down town to the wharves then we entered the dockyard and he thinking we were dockyard hands still suspected nothing. At length we bustled him over the Sydney's gangway rang the wardroom bell for a drink and explained that this was where we had been working since war began. Well boys I'm glad to know you and I guess you've put it over me this time.
We showed our guest over the ship and parted the best of friends. He showed no malice for our little joke.
After eight days in Harbour during which being as we were away from the flagship we contrived to get a little brave and wonder of wonders go to a theatre we got orders to sail for the West Indies again.