William Ambrose Cull letter diary, 1915-1918 - Page 20
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 20]
Just a few Memories, of the Voyage with the 6th Bde – A. I. F.
To Annie & Maggie for Spelling & English
Dear All
Leaving Town pier Port Melbourne about 3'o-clock in the afternoon of May 7th, the T. S. S. "Euripides" with the 23rd and 24th Battns of the 6th Inf. Bde. on board sailed to for a destination, which to rank or file alike, could be no more clearly defined than by the employment of that broad, but acceptable designation, "The Front".
Our sister Troopship the "Ulysses", carrying Bde. Hd. Qrs. and the 21st and 22nd Battns, weighed anchor later in the afternoon.
The "Euripides" Aberdeen line is of 15000 tons and is capable of steaming 15 knots, while the "Ulysses" Blue Funnel line, is of 14 500 tons and is capable of steaming 12 knots. As we drew away from the pier, the Captain of the Ship, who, throughout Embarkation had exercised an excellent outward sufference, must nevertheless have damned most generously that noisy, khaki clad mass of humanity, that clamoured and fought for a position on decks, boats, or rigging, from which they might look the longer on that land from which perhaps fate, and the fortunes of war might decree, that they never return.
That night we lay n the bay, somewhere off Mornington. Early the next morning we passed through the "Heads". Nothing happened worthy of record until the afternoon of Thursday 13th when we anchored for a few hours off Cape Leewin, a steam pinnace taking off our mail. When first we sighted the Westralian Coast, it appeared quite grand, but as we drew close, I found myself wondering what Dad's first impressions were, when some thirty-eight years ago he set foot on that inhospitable looking land About 8 o'clock that night we weighed anchor.
I believe that it was May 21st that we crossed the Equator.
On the morning of the 25th May we anchored at Colombo. Steaming into the harbour a grand picture unfolded itself for the admiration of the seeing.
Far out to the horizon many little objects silvery in the