April 1^st

Running down coast of Portugal.

April 2^nd

Passed Gibraltar at 1600.

April 3^rd

Started sports etc to pass away time and break monotony.

April 6^th

0500 sighted Malta.  Entered Grand Harbour and secured 0900, discharged 340 ratings, proceeded at 1600.  Weather fine.

April 10^th

Arrived Port Said 0800, gave leave 0900 till 1800.  I went ashore but run not enjoyed, too dear.  Coaled ship, left at 1800, proceeded through Suez Canal.

April 11^th

Searchlight failed 0100, anchored in Bitteo Lakes till 0600, arrived Port Suez at 1500, left at 1600.

April 12^th

Started wearing whites and helmets.  Weather beginning to get very hot.

April 13^th

In Red Sea.  Too hot to be comfortable.

April 15^th

Passed Perim 1500 on Port Hand.  Passed Aden following morning.

April 23^rd

Arrived Colombo 0710.  Gave leave 0900 till 2100.  Coaled ship.

April 24^th

Left 0900.  Tropical storms.

April 29^th

Arrived Singapore in the morning.

April 30^th

Commissioned HMS Hawkins.  Crews changed over at 1500, weather terribly hot, wearing tropical rig.  Leave given each day.

May 5^th

Left Singapore 1105 after waiting for mail.

May 7^th

Arrived Labuan 900 leaving at 1130.  Paid official calls.  Arrived Jessltow BN Borneo 1645.

May 8^th

Unveiled memorial to men of Borneo who gave their lives in Great War.  Many notables were there.

May 10^th

Left Jesslton 0640.

May 13^th

Arrived Hong Kong 0930 secured to North Wall.  Usual leave.

May 16^th

Left for Shanghai 1600.

May 19^th

Anchored at Wusung 0400 till 0530.  Proceeded up Hwangpoo River to Shanghai.  Leave was given, I had couple of good runs.

May 29^th

0930 left Shanghai.  Anchored Wusung 1130 till 1900, leaving Admiral on board HMS Petersfield.

May 31^st

Arrived of [sic] Wei Hai Wei 0900.  Carried out Sub Calibre practice anchoring inside at 1200.  From now till 18^th June we were carrying out Gunnery and Torpedo programmes.

June 18^th

Left WHW 1130.

June 19^th

Anchored off Wusung 2200 on account of fog.

June 20^th

Weighed 1000 by missed tide, so anchored again.

June 21^st

Weighed 0600, secured to buoy at Shanghai at 800, having left the Admiral at this place during the time away up at Wei Hai Wei.

June 22^nd

Admiral came on board.  Spent quiet time till 29^th.

June 29^th

Winifred’s[1] birthday.  Left Shanghai 1100.

June 30^th

Arrived W St W 1800.  Weather lovely.  Until middle of July nothing out ordinary routine happened.

July 14^th

Held Sports.  Ship came second for the Aggregate cup.  Weather good.

July 23^rd till 20^th

Rifle meeting was held.

July 20^th

I obtained leave to go to Chefoo[2].  Nothing out of the ordinary occurred.  Most folks getting plenty of training ready for the regatta.  Left ship noon but unfortunately no boat till after midnight.  Boat eventually sailed about 3 am.  Arrived Chefoo 6.30 am.

July 21^st

Landed in Customs board.  Bob met me on pier.  Spent a glorious weekend.  Hoping for another.  Hand a long walk up to church (St John’s) then visited dear Nellie’s grave[3] (St Andrew’s).  Back home.

July 22^nd

Up at 7 am.  Took Gracie and Jeoffrey[4] for swim.  Weather turned out wet during forenoon.

July 23^rd

Went visited [sic] Bob in his office.  Saw Chinese funeral of one of the rich tailor merchants.  Procession 2 miles long.  Went all over lace and silk factories.  Caught 4.30 boat, arrived Wei Hai Wei 8.30 pm.

Aug 14^th and 15^th

Held Regatta.  Plenty of work for Signalmen.  Grand weather.

Aug 30^th

Left WHW for Chemulpo.  Had rather a good trip.  Carried out Fleet Exercises, Submarine attacks etc.

Aug 31^st

Arrived Chemulpo 1730.

Sept 1^st

1200 approximately Earthquake.

Sept 4^th

Left Chemulpo 1100.  Parted company from Carlisle and other ships 1400 to proceed to Shanghai.  Other ships sent to Ping Yang.

Sept 5^th

Anchored Wusung 2130.

Sept 6^th

Weighed at 1000 arriving at 1130.  Took in provisions, rice etc for British Refugees from Earthquake areas.

Sept 7^th

Left 0700 for Yokohama with 2 doctors and 3 nurses.  Anchored Wusung 1100 till 1600 owing to tide.

Sept 9^th

Met Durbar in Van Siemen Straits 0930, parted company 1400 for Kobe.

Sept 10^th

Arrived Yokohama 1100.  Sent a party to Tokio “to clear up British Embassy”, also landed working parties in Yokohama, no leave given.  I landed with working party and had good look round.  Sights were extraordinary.  From day to day usual routine, plenty of American and Japanese Men of War arriving and leaving.

Sept 23^rd

Landed a ceremonial party of 100 men for memorial service for those whose [sic] lost their lives in the Earthquake.  Bishop of Tokio officiating and consecrated the Consular grounds where they were buried.

Sept 24^th

Weighed and proceeded 0920.  Weather rotten, gale blowing.

Sept 25^th

1810 arrived and anchored Kobe outside breakwater.  At 1700 two men fell overboard but picked up, all serene (11mins).

Sept 26^th

Left Kobe.  Lovely weather, proceeded through inland seas of Japan.  2130 anchored and waited for slack water.  Midnight proceeded again.

Sept 27^th

0130 passed Moji and Shimonosaki on our way to Wusung.  Weather fine.

Sept 28^th

Arrived Shanghai at 1800 just to give leave.  Now nearly a month since leave was piped.

Oct 2^nd

Left Shanghai at 1300.  Anchored at Wusung 1530.

Oct 3^rd

Weighed 0600 and proceeded up Yangtse Kiang.  Weather good.  Anchored at 1800 for the night 10 miles from Chinkiang.

Oct 4^th

Weighed at 0830.  Glorious day, nice scenery.  Anchored 1450 off Nanking.  Saluted country.  Petersfield anchored off Pukow (opposite).

Oct 5^th

Weighed 0900, anchoring at 1408 off Wu’Hu’ opposite Custom House.  Fine picturesque town.  Saluted country, leave given 1600 to 1800.  Passed flocks of ducks being driven to market, Wu’Hu’ to Nanking, 67 miles.

Oct 6^th

0500 proceeded, chilly weather.  Passed Ngan King 1600, fine pagoda.  Anchored at Tung Liu at 1820.

Oct 7^th

Weighed 0705.  Fine weather and scenery.  Anchored 1240 at Kuikiang, 0920 passed Orphans Island (Monks Rock).

Oct 8^th

Weighed 0510 and anchoring at 1645 at Hankow.

Oct 13^th

Played Hankow 1^st team.  Lost 9-0.

Oct 15^th

Played Hankow 2^nd team.  Won 5-2.

Oct 17^th

Played Hankow 1^st team.  Draw 2-2.

Oct 19^th

Left Hankow 0725, arriving Kiukiang 1645.  Gave leave.  Fitted Widgeon, out with w/t and electric light.

Oct 22^nd

0915 weighed and proceeded.  Lovely day, anchoring at 1730 off Tatung.  No town, only a place for shooting.  Noon passed Orphans Island.

Oct 23^rd

Landed officers’ shooting parties, also subsequent days.

Oct 26^th

Sailed at 1010 anchoring at Wu’Hu’ about 1430.  Saluted country 21 guns.  Played couple football matches.

Oct 29^th

Landed every available man for route march, distance about 12 miles.

Oct 30^th

Weighed at 0940 arriving Nanking at 1315.  Saluted country 21 guns.

Oct 31^st

Dressed ship for HIM Emperor of Japan birthday.  Poor weather and cold.

Nov 1^st

Got up anchor at 1515 anchoring at 1815 at Chiukuang for the night.

Nov 2^nd

Sailing at 0600 for Wusun, arriving at 1515, and waiting till following morning for the tide.

Nov 3^rd

Left at 0900 and secured to buoy at Shanghai 1130.

Nov 4^th

Played Maratime [sic] Football Club and won 5-2.

Nov 7^th

Played Nanyang College, won 3-1.

Nov 10^th

SS Poyang collided with our stern, carried away our wires, causing us to break from our moorings.  We swung to alongside French cruiser Colmar, little damage.

Nov 11^th

Played Shanghai Recreation Club and lost by 3-0.

Nov 12^th

Held dance at Town Hall.  Great success but expensive to ship’s company.

Nov 13^th

Played Police and drew 2-2.

Nov 14^th

About 60 men proceeded to Soochow and had a good day’s outing.

Nov 15^th

Played St John’s College FC and won 2-1.

Nov 24^th

Played Public Schools, won 4-1.

Nov 25^th

Played Shanghai Machine Gun Corps and lost 3-0.

Nov 27^th

Sailed from Shanghai at 1200.  Rather a good trip but I was very queer.

Nov 29^th

Anchored outside Hong Kong at 2300.

Nov 30^th

Weighed and proceeded alongside North Wall at 0700.

Dec 2^nd

C-in-C left for Canton at 2200 in Moorhan.

Dec 3^rd

Arrived 0800.  Secured Consulate steps.

Dec 4^th

C-in-C interviewed Dr Sul Yet Sen, PM.  Conference of all Consulates and COs of foreign men of war.

Dec 5^th

C-in-C returned to HK in Cicala.

Dec 7^th

COS returned to HK in Moorhen.

Dec 14^th

COS Colonel and 32 Marines sailed for Canton in Maragion, anchored 1930 at Bocca Tigris.

Dec 15^th

Weighed 0630, arrived Canton 1130.  Discharged Marines to Magnolia.  COS to Tarantula, 19 Gunboats of different countries in port.

Dec 16^th

Conference of all powers on board Tarantula, Bluebell with HMS Tamar’s Marines arrived.

Dec 18^th

Ship presented with cup by Directors of Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Co for services rendered during the Great Earthquake crisis in Japan in Sept 1923.

Dec 19^th

Marathon race for Titania Cup.  Team of Six won by Diomede.

Dec 22^nd

CPS and Marines returned to Hong Kong in Magnolia.  Canton all quiet.

Xmas week

Weather fine.  Spent rather a pleasant Xmas but would sooner have been at home.

Dec 31^st

A Grand Ball given by Chief and POs of the fleet at City Hall from 2100 till 0400.  Admiral Leveson, Lady Leveson and daughters, Commodore Grace, wife and daughters attended.