Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 22
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[Page 22]
with the Padre about it is bad for his morals.
Some wardrooms have a notice up "No gentleman speaks at breakfast".
In this wise all went on till the ship was nearing Albany.
The night before reaching port two ships were sighted with all lights out about a mile or so away, and with thoughts of Emdens and Konigsbergs in our mind it was as well to be suspicious. Signals were made and no reply received, so we closed in and sounded off general quarters. Guns were swung out ammunition got up Ammunitions got up, guns swung out and loaded and we went to battle stations in good earnest. Those of us whose duty lay below sat down and waited for the bump which never came, for just as our Skipper was meditating a shot across their bows the enemy switched on lights, answered our signals and proved to be a couple of coasters steaming in company for protection. They thought we were a German raider. So all hands went peacefully back to bed.
Next day we made King George's Sound and on steaming into the Harbour found ourselves the last to arrive.
Both the inner and outer harbour were full of ships, and the ships were full of troops - Australia's and New Zealand's first contribution to Armageddon. The seven New Zealanders, and fine big grey ships they were, had arrived the day before under the wing of the Minotaur a big armoured cruiser from the China station. The rest, thirty three ships, were Australia's share, and they were of all sizes from the Orvieto, the Orient company's newest liner, to the Southern, an impossible little ditcher which carried horses, of which more anon.