Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 57
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[Page 57]
the ship pushed off in the evening for Malta.
We entered the Mediterranean in the blissful calm days before the coming of the Submarine and sailed in peace.
At night now, we began to get broken news through from Eiffel Tower in Paris a sure sign that we were fast approaching the war zone.
On the 2nd of December just after daybreak the Sydney entered the Grand Harbour at Malta & we soon saw why the Austrian fleet was bottled up in the Adriatic. As we steamed in we passed through the French battle fleet drawn up in two neat lines and the Frenchmen manned their ships and turned out their bands to play in the ship from the Antipode which had just made her debut into the war.
It was a great compliment to Australia, and as an Australian we couldn't help being feeling proud to be of the party as we passed each great ship with her cheering crew and her band playing God Save The king and the Marseillaise.
The only other British ship in port was the Melbourne which had arrived a few days before and on our arrival, as usual, she left.
It was refreshing to meet the French Officers, they were simply bubbling over with joy at having our Navy with them. In their hearts they probably knew that without us and Russia the tragedy of '70 could have been replayed.
Malta was handed over practically in toto to the French. As a Naval base The British Fleet having had greater work at hand further North.
Malta had gone into war routine, the fripperies and gaieties of peace had departed, and where it had relapsed into the condition for which the Gods designed it a land of Crosses Cats and lace and after seeing the place one should say goats too.
Crowds of the latter parade the main streets and mingle freely with the populace and pick up a scanty living in the gutters