Monday December 21st
Parade 9 o'clock. Wet. Saw Dr. about heel. Parade 9.45 and got remainder of kit. Dismissed 4.30. Wrote to Ede, Ma and Bert and Fred.

Tuesday December 22nd
Wet and dull. Parade 9.30 dismissed 10 o'clock. Parade 11 o'clock dismissed 11.30. Letter from Ede. Postcard to Ede. Letter from sister Edie. Parade 2.30 inspection in Sir Marcel Samuels Park. Dismissed 4 o'clock told to parade with full kit tomorrow 9 o'clock ready to start off. Wrote letter to Ede. Wrote letter to sis Ede. Went to pictures in evening and just as we were back and finishing our supper at 11 o'clock was called out to guard baggage at railway station, until 4.30 am. Very cold. Parcel from Ede Xmas pud, cake, biscuits, choc, butter.

Wednesday December 23rd
Dull. Parade 8 o'clock went to stores and got boots. Marched with full kit and kit bags to station and entrained at 10 o'clock. Wrote letter to Ede and postcard to Ma to be posted at Southampton. Arrived Southampton 3 o'clock. Embarked on RMSP Avon and soon moved off. Rather packed as yet, sleep in hammocks. Supper stew and tea.

Thursday December 24th
Had a restless night owing to not being used to hammocks and rolling of ship. Up at 6 o'clock. Dull morning. Breakfast 8.30 haddock and coffee. Dinner 10 o'clock roast mutton spuds. Plenty sick in afternoon which was splendid and sunny. Heel very bad. Caught up with escort 1 cruiser. No wash since yesterday, kit bags locked up. Tea haddock and tea and bread. Went to bed 7.20. Very rough night.

25th Friday Xmas Day
Dull and wet. Up 6 o'clock much better sleep. Got kit bag and washed. Breakfast kippers, coffee. Church parade. Dinner Roast Beef peas spuds Xmas pud Oranges and nuts and cigarettes. Tea, tea bread and butter and jam also had Xmas pud Edie sent. Bed soon after 7 o'clock. Very rough during night. Now in Bay of Biscay.

Saturday 26th December Boxing Day
Dull morning. Up 6 o'clock. Splendid sunrise at 7.30. Breakfast coffee stew and bread and butter. Saw Dr. about heel which has been so painful that I cannot wear boots very long. The other troopship is the Neuralia and the escort is the light gunboat HMS Eclipse. Dinner broth mutton spuds. Tea bread and jam and butter and tea. Now about opposite Lisbon.

Sunday December 27th
Fair. Up 6 o'clock. Breakfast soup coffee bread and butter. Church parade. Posted letters to Edie and Ma. Land sighted 12.30 am. Portugal. Posted another letter to Ede and one to Alf. Dinner rabbit stew and spuds and xmas pud. Tea pickles and cheese bread and butter and tea. Splendid sunset light until 6.30. Morocco. Slept out on deck being so close below.

Monday December 28th
Had a fair nights sleep under canopy of stars and moon. Woke 6 o'clock to find land on either side Morocco and Spain with Gibraltar in front. Tangier. One of the most glorious sunrises ever seen, mauve, pink, red and crimson, yellow and corkscrew clouds. Entered Trafalgar Bay 7 o'clock pilot came 8.15 Morocco. Saw Carmania in Dry Dock the armoured liner which sunk German cruiser and plenty of other warships in bay. Light at 7 o'clock broad sunlight at 8 o'clock. Stopped in Trafalgar Bay and pinnace called for mail left again at 9 o'clock. Splendid scenery of Spain on left. Took 2 photos of Gibraltar Rock. Parade full kit in morning. Breakfast bread and butter and coffee. Thousands of gulls. We now enter the Medditerean (sic) Sea and the sea is now a light green afterwards dark blue. Dinner boiled beef and stew. 2 o'clock saw snow on very high mountains in distance on left. Another fine sunset slept on deck. Tea bread, butter, marmalade and tea and mouldy ships biscuits which were mostly used to throw overboard.

Tuesday December 29th
Dull morning. Up 6 o'clock. Dreamt that I saw Dorrie and was overwhelming her with kisses. Was told she had a bad cold. Breakfast soup coffee bread and butter. Passed coast of Algeria but being dull couldn't see much. Just before dinner whilst 10 of us were playing cards porthole opened, all drenched. Dinner boiled mutton, stew and spuds. Afternoon some good sunshine showed up Algiers and another city very plain. Soon dull again. Tea horrible potatoes and cheese bread butter and tea. 380 miles yesterday. Slept on deck but at 1 o'clock am it rained and we had to shift to deck below.

Wednesday December 30th
Woke 6 o'clock. Dull but getting brighter, still near African coast. Breakfast tea, bread and butter and pickled herrings no good. Since very early this morning the ship has been rolling a great deal. Since left Gibraltar the daylight hasn't lasted so long or the sun rise so early. All watches this morning 20 min lost. Saw island of Cambra on left. Posted letter to Ede as mails are being taken off tonight 10 o'clock. Boat rolls so much that many are sick again. Close again to Algeria shores. Fine afternoon. Dinner stew beef soup and Haricot beans. Tea jam bread and butter and tea. Slept again on deck although it was very cloudy.

Thursday 31st December
Up 6 o'clock. Fine morning sighted Malta 7 o'clock and reached Malta 9 o'clock. The Neuralia which had left Gibraltar half an hour before us had evidently been passed during one night by our ship as she didn't reach Malta until 11 o'clock. Entered port and anchored at 12 o'clock, clusters of bum boats and gesticulating natives surround us and offer fruit, cigs, shirts etc. for sale. However as we have orders not to buy off them they seem rather disappointed. Some large French warships are here and the French Tars gave a good imitation English cheer. "Eep eep ooway". Altogether very exciting scene. Took photos of 1st view of Malta and view of bum boats. Breakfast tea bread and butter, horrible porridge and awful stinking fish ? cod. The sea in the harbour is a light green and with being a very sunny day, it is a very picturesque scene the boat all colours and the natives. When 1st entered harbour peal of bells very sweet. Bum boats selling cigars 50 @ 1/- and cigarettes 10 @ 1d. We anchor opposite French Warship La France. Very formidable ship, but not so smart as our Navy, nowhere near so clean. Dinner stewed beef curry and spuds. Luggage taken off in afternoon. Tea bread and butter cheese and pickles and jam. Heard that we shall not disembark until Saturday as we were not expected so soon. No hammocks allowed the order being to sleep in greatcoats. Played cards until about 11 o'clock and then at midnight, about 500 of us congregated on upper prom deck and sung the New Year in, Auld Lang Syne, My Home Is Far Away, The Marsellaise (sic), National Anthem, Russian Anthem, Belgia Song, Home Sweet Home with plenty of cheers made Malta ring. Laid down to sleep but found it very cold and uncomfortable. After getting up two or three times at last finally got up @ 5.30.

Friday January 1st (1915)
Fine. Breakfast, bloaters, coffee and bread and butter. Dinner soup stewed beef and spuds. Tea, jam bread and butter and tea. No hammocks, sleep in overcoats, had about an hours sleep so cold. Slept under boat.