The Diary of Thomas Victor Rayson

To 1915 - The Diary of Thomas Victor Rayson-1916

Overview
The diary of Thomas Victor Royson a Stoker on HMS Falmouth. These images have been provided by Neil Fisher. Thomas Victor Royson was his great uncle.

August 4th 1914
Commenced Hostilities Against Germany @ Sea.

5th
Overhauled Searched & Sank a German Trawler. xxxx Crew taken prisoners & accident to Sea Boat two men drowned.

6th
Two German trawlers sunk. Crew taken prisoners xxxx & xxxx

7th
Anchored @ midnight Scapa Flow discharged prisoners & coaled ship 500 tons

8th
Left Scapa Flow to join fleet in North Sea. On the way German submarine U15 attempted to torpedo us but luckily missed & was in turn rammed & sunk by H.M.S. Birmingham

9th August
German trawler sunk crew taken prisoners xxxx.

10th
Returned to base discharged prisoners & coaled ship 300 tons

11th & 12th
Scouting North Sea for enemy

13th
Returned to Scapa Flow. Coaled ship 400 tons & received orders to commence hostilities against Austria.

14th
Left naval base for scouting duties in Baltic Sea.

15th 16th 17th
Scouting for enemy in Baltic Sea

18th
Returned to Scapa Flow coaled ship 650 tons.

19th & 20th
Remained in harbour.

21st
Left for the North Sea.

22nd
At sea

23rd
Captured two German trawlers. xxxx other unknown took crews prisoners 28 men. Sunk her taking half a day as they were made of wood. They were first charged with gun cotton & blown up fired by our 6" guns shells weighing 100 lbs each & then had to ram her. After this excitement was caused by seeing a dog clinging to a portion of the wreckage. We lowered a boat & rescued him naming him Kaiser Bill.  He proved to be a pup with 6 different breeds & is great friends with the ships company who regard him as a mascot

24th August
At sea Japan declared war

25th
Returned to harbour discharged prisoners & coaled ship 510 tons.

26th
Provisioned ship.

27th
Left for sea expecting to discover the German fleet as the Captain told us we should probably be in action the following day.

28th
Chasing enemy's fleet @ all possible speed breaking the record since the ship was built averaging 28 Knots 11.45 AM. Enemy overtaken & first shot fired @ that time we were in a dangerous spot as we never knew when we should strike a mine as we knew we were near a mine field near Heligoland. Then The Great Naval Battle commenced with terrific firing on both sides which lasted 2 hrs. The first of the enemy's ships that was put out of action was The Mainz light cruiser with speed of 25 knots 2 masts 3 funnels tonage 4.350 & crew of 400 men. The armament of her was 12-4" guns to our 8-6" guns. Victory fell to us as our Gunlayers firing was very accurate on account of the splendid control from The xxxx Sops. The Mainz was now a complete wreck 2 funnels & mainmast shot away & her hull was riddled with holes. She then lowered her flag denoting her defeat for she was rapidly sinking by the bows. It will be remembered although she was outnumbered by ships & in a sinking

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condition she put up a splendid fight to our spitting our fire till her last gun was shot away. At this time we were within few hundred yards of her & it was a pitiful sight to see her decks littered with dead & wounded & many more struggling for their lives in the water. As luck happened or by the splendid handling of the ship we had no damage done. Their range was faulty as the shells either dropped short astern & over us but not one found its mark. Their was not the lease excitement amongst us as everyman had his duty to do in fact some helped others. When the news came below that she was on fire amidships & sinking the Stokers were pleased as we don't stand much chance if anything should happen. The Stokers were all anxious to have a look @ her but we could not leave our posts before "The Cease Firing" was sounded. As soon as possible everyone who got the chance came on deck to have a look @ her & we gave three hearty cheers as it was first blood to us. We then gave the Skipper a cheer. We were getting ready to lower a boat to pick up survivors when another cruiser was sighted through the haze caused by the smoke from the guns we were soon @ our stations again but we only fired a few shots as the Battle Cruisers were now with us & soon finished her off as she had no chance against their big guns 13.5. Her name was The Koln. 4 funnels 3000 tons. We were now cruising round expecting to be engaged @ any minute. We sighted

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another ship & fired catching her xxxx on fire when she left ablaze @ top speed but was chased & sunk by H.M.S. Lion Admiral Beatty with 2 shots from her 13.5 guns. The German losses that day were about 1000 men. These of their fastest cruisers & several destroyers. Our loss was very little xxxx being seriously damaged & 3 destroyers slightly This damage was done by the guns from Heliogoland forts Some of our destroyers by this time had picked up some of the survivors from the German ships & they stated the condition they were in living on Salt Jack & half rations since the war began. When the guns crews were shot away Stokers were driven to man the guns @ the muzzle of a revolver. They also expressed their gratitude to the officers & men of H.M. Ships for saving their lives & the treatment they received on board & said the firing of the British was tremendous. The German sailors deserve credit for the way they fought against the odds. We fired 300 rounds of ammunition during the Battle from this ship alone estimated @ about 20 or 30 tons of iron. Also two of the best torpedoes in the British Navy one of which was the cause of the Mainz being afire amidships

29th
Returned to Scapa Flow & was heartily cheered by the ships in harbour as this was the first navy battle for 110 years & victory to us. Coaled ship 650 tons.

30th & 31st August
Provisioned & ammunitioned ship

September 1st
Attacked in harbour of Scapa Flow by submarine just saw here periscope as she was following in the wake of destroyers coming into harbour. Fired two rounds @ her but damage not known but as oil was seen in large quantities floating on the surface we came to the conclusion she had been sunk

Sep 2nd
Left for Norwegian coast as German submarines were reported to have a base among the islands but nothing was seen.

Sept 3rd, 4th & 5th
Scouting round Norwegian coast stopped Scottish trawler for information and what they gave us was very good & that was some fish that was very welcome.

Sept 6th
Arrived in Queensferry & coaled ship 650 tons.

7th Sept
Remained in harbour under the Forth Bridge

Sept 8th
Left for sea stopped several Swedish ships & examined them to see if they were trading with enemy but all was correct

Sept 9th
Crossed over the spot where the illfated ship H.M.S Pathfinder was sunk by a mine off St. Abbs Head East Coast of Scotland 9 am Oclock altered course for Heligoland were

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expecting to meet enemy but instead met with very heavy weather with terrific thunder & lightening

Sept 10th
Sighted Helligoland @ 4AM 200 British ships manoeuvred off of Helligoland in readiness for the great battle that was imminent as the German fleet were reported to be coming out but nothing doing

Sept 11th
On proceeding to harbour sighted some floating mines within a 100 yds: of us & warned the Dreadnaught Fleet which was coming up astern of us. Weather @ time being rough.

Sept 12th
Carried on patrolling off the Norwegian coast

Sept 13th
Returned to Scapa Flow & coaled ship 650 tons. Rained heavily all day.

Sept 14th & 15th
Painted & provisioned ship

Sept 16th
Left for Newcastle to be docked as we wanted a new propeller caused through ramming the trawler

Sept 17th
Proceeding to dock

Sept 18th
Arrived @ Jarrow. Went straight into Hibben Dock Palmers: had bottom scraped & painted & new propeller adjusted. Working all night.

Sept 19th
Still & dry dock

Sept 20th
Left dock & proceeded down to xxxx of Tyne & coaled ship in the evening

Sept 21st
Left The Tyne early in the morning a gale blowing @ the time

Sept 22nd
Off Norwegian coast steaming north.

Sept 23rd
Target practice off Shetlands

Sept 24th
Returned to Scapa Flow & coaled ship 420 tons.

Sept 25th
Left for sea

Sept 26th
At sea weather very bad

Sept 27th
Weather the same escorting troopship

Sept 28th
Searching for one of our submarines which was reported missing weather very bad could make very little headway.

Sept 29th
Weather a little better ship leaking in parts & stern damaged

Sept 30th
Returned to Scapa Flow. Coaled ship 400 tons.

October 1st
Provisioned ship

Oct 2nd
Left for sea. Gifts of cigarettes from Lady Vernon which was accepted with compliments

Oct 3rd
Guarding a certain latitude in the North Sea to prevent enemy attacking Canadian troopships on their way to England

May 24th
In harbour

May 25th
In harbour 8.30 from Captain sent wire to men on leave for extension of 24 hrs & told xxxx of Seaman to leave in the morning.

May 26th
In harbour seaman left for leave until Monday 5th June.

May 27th
Went under 1/2 hrs notice @ 12.30 am in the morning & also heard the news that H.M.S. Chatham had struck a mine whilst on her way north outside Harwich.

May 28th
In harbour went under 4hrs notice @ 8.30 am Fleet Surgeon joined ship Bannister

May 29th
In harbour coaled ship @ 5.30am 104 tons.

May 30th
In harbour lit up all round @6.30 & went to sea @ 9 o/c pm

May 31st
At sea weather find expecting action @ 12 o/c noon but did not go until 2.30 pm when we were standing by as Barham & squadron were in action we saw one ship blown up