Diary Entry Saturday 31/7/15

We had the same performance as yesterday at 6am and 8pm and it is to be continued while we are on board the ship. We have been fairly near the African coast today. It looks vary hilly and barren. Sereral men slept on deck last night.

Diary Entry Friday 30/7/15

At 6am this morning and 8pm tonight we had to go up on deck naked to be sprayed with a hose. It was sea water and it wasn't nice to get a mouth full. About 11am we passed the White ???; SS 'Aquatania'. Early in the afternoon I saw land for the first time during the voyage. it was the coast of 'Algeria'. The heat has been intense today. It is a good job we don't do much work.

Diary Entry Thursday 29/7/15

We passed Gibralter about 3.30am. I was fast asleep so did not have the pleasure of seeing land. After coming through the straits we where held up by a French gunboat. Today we where allowed to write letters. They have all to be censored.

Diary Entry Wednesday 28/7/15

Nothing worth writing about happened today. I forgot to say before but there as 50 Red Cross nurses on board.

HMS Southland

Diary Entry Tuesday 27/7/15

Today nothing happened worth writng about. We had an hours ????ish drill and in the afternoon we had an alarm and we paraded with our lifebelts on. In the evening was had a concert and it was great.

Diary Entry Monday 26/7/15

I came off guard at 10am and went to my bunk and had a sleep. We had no parades. I forgot to say before but the Destroyers left us at midnight last night. The ship is not keeping a straight course but sails first SW and the SE, for what reason I don't know.

Diary Entry Sunday 25/7/15

I did not wake till 8.30. I expected to be out at sea but when I went up on deck she (the ship) was still in dock. At 11am we began to move. Out band played several tunes encluding the girl I left behind ?? and Auld Lang Syne. The were no civilians to see us off only a few ???. ??? gave us a cheer. We had two Torpedo destroyers as an escort, one being the "Louis". At 11.30 100 men, myself being one, were issued out with 50 rounds of ammunition. We were placed all around the ship. We were the submarine guard. Not very far out we passed the Eddystone Lighthouse. Soon we lost sight of land and then I began to feel a bit funny. About 5 oclock a ship was sighted, it had no flag flying. One of our escorts soon went after it and after going around her 3 times she came back. After this it went and I had my tea. By the way so far we have had plenty of food and it has been realy good stuff. It was after tea I felt the sea sickness most and about ??? I fed the fishes. Being on guard what sleep I did get was on deck and the wind wouldn't let us sleep in comfort.

Diary Entry Saturday 24/7/15

We were paraded at 11.45pm on Friday night. The battalion marched down to the station. I and the rest of no 4 Platoon were left behind for baggage guard. The Battalion left St Albans about 2am but we did not leave before 3.50am. The first part of the journey I don't remember as I had a good sleep. When I awoke we were just 86 miles from London. We hadn't the faintist idea where we were going. When we got to Bristol some children came around the train (it had stopped for water) and sang to us. They made ??? good ??? too. Our nest stop was Exeter. Here we had a surprise. The mayoress of Exter gave us a bag of eatables and some tea. After 8 1/2 hours riding we arrived at Devonport. We where taken right up to the troop ship. The troop ship is docked by the White Flag pub. The name has been painted over, but from what I can find out it is 'Southland'. We were soon put on board and shown to our cabins. I was lucky and got in a 2nd class. After we had dinner we set to and loaded the ship. We worked in shifts and she was not loaded till late at night. At 10 oclock I went below and settled down for my first nights sleep on a ship.

A card presented to Lionel King from the Mayoress of Exter