Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 79
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[Page 79]
steaming food we lost more than we took in.
Some Officers came to dinner in their singlets and one wag painted his shoulder straps on his bare shoulder and came in naked from the waist up but was ruled indecent by the President.
The ship was now infested with cockroaches and fleas which inhabited everything especially the food.
It was impossible to keep them down in spite of daily "Cocker strafes" to which all hands turned to. Every night the insects had to be fished out of the soup and any one who failed to get a bag of two or three was voted unlucky by his messmates.
The weather in these parts except for the heat was always delightful and calm enough to please a soldier and in daytime in the shade we just drowsed the time away.
So we crept like a phantom
So at night we crept like a phantom upon the face of the waters and into many an innocent British ship did we put the fear of Hades.
We stopped and searched nearly every ship which appeared suspicious or at any rate which was not idenifiable on sight and at night when a four funnelled cruiser was seen looming dimly in the darkness then all ships British and foreign went for their lives as fast as their propellers would take them.
One night we chased a ship for miles - as she increased we did and she refused to answer signals. Her skipper was perfectly convinced that the Huns were at his heels. At last we overhauled her & fired a shot across her bows & came up with out any lights.