The Diary of Thomas Victor Rayson-1915

To 1914 - To 1915 - To 1916 - Miscellaneous

Dec 28th
In harbour cleaning ship No news. Hoisted flag of Rear Admiral Napier

Dec 29th, 30th
In harbour cleaning ship

Dec 31st
In harbour

January 1915. Jan 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th 6th
Received Princess Mary's present & remained in harbour.

Jan 7th
Left for sea @ 4P.M.

Jan 8th
At sea for target practice weather rough 12-45 noon sighted a floating mine & sunk it

Jan 9th
Proceeding to harbour & arrived 7.45 coaled ship 220 tons. At 10 o/c night raise steam @ once as reported submarines outside harbour

Jan 10th
Remaining in harbour

Jan 11th, 12th
Remaining in harbour

Jan 13th
In harbour 3.30 raised steam for 18 knots for 1 hrs notice

Jan 14th
Provisioned & coaled ship 86 tons. RNR dropped dead @ 1130 heart disease.

Jan 15th
In harbour. Seaman buried @ Long Hope. No rope to lower him so dropped him. Motto a sailors funeral

Jan 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th
In harbour 19th coaled ship 76(?) tons

Jan 21st
In harbour target firing 4.15am proceeded to sea 20 Knots.

Jan 22nd
Arrived @ Cromarty for to have fitted an aerial gun. Laying under 10 mins notice. Give leave 2 out of each mess from 1.30 till 4 pm.

Jan 23rd
Coaled ship 140 tons proceeded to sea @ full speed 7o/c pm.

Jan 24th
Steaming full speed for Heligoland had signal 10 am. to say our Battle Cruisers were in action extent of damage not known to the ships company

Jan 25th
Proceeding to harbour

Jan 26th
Arrived @ Cromarty 9 o/c am & coaled ship 370 tons.

Jan 27th
Remained in harbour & gave leave from 1.30 till 4o/c arrested two dockyard-men on suspicion of spying but let off after making the usual enquiries & two fell in the ditch through civy boat capsizing both were rescued

Jan 28th
Remained in harbour & gave leave only 5% of ships company meaning only 24 out of total of 400 odd. Lit up for proceeding to sea 1.30 @ night

Jan 29th
Arrived @ Scapa Flow & coaled ship 97 tons.

Jan 30th
Remained in harbour cleaning the ship

Jan 31st
In harbour

Feb 1st
In harbour

Feb 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
Remaining in harbour

Feb 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th
In harbour under steam blowing a gale two Zeppelins reported of Cromarty on the morning of the 8th no result

Feb 10th, 11th
Remained in harbour

Feb 12th
A sea firing exercises

Feb 13th, 14th
Remaining in harbour

Feb 15th
Raised steam & proceeded to sea @ 6o/c pm

Feb 16th
At sea Firing to rough for aerial gun practice

Feb 17th
At sea rough weather

Feb 18th
At sea stopped one merchant ship by H.M.S. Yarmouth & prize crew sent abroad & sent into harbour

February 19th
At sea found & sunk a mine @ 12o/c noon

Feb 20th
Arrived in Scapa Flow & coaled ship 550 tons.

Feb 21st, 22nd
In harbour clearing ship

Feb 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th
Remaining in harbour

Feb 27th, 28th
Remained in harbour

March 1st till 4th
Remained in harbour

March 5th
Coaled ship 90 tons

March 6th
Acting Guardship

March 7th
Carrying on proceeding of previous day

Mar 8th
At sea saw & sunk a mine @ 9o/c am. weather moderate

March 9th
Arrived in Scapa Flow 3o/c in morning 7o/c proceeded to proper anchorages & coaled ship 360 tons & provisioned finished @ 7o/c received news of the sinking of German submarine U12 by 1st Destroyer Flotilla 8 of the crew being saved. This happened off of Aberdeen

March 10th till 14th
Remaining in harbour

March 15th
Coaled ship 50tons. 2o/c lit up all round ready for sea at 7.45 postponed on account of weather

March 16th
In harbour 3o/c pm lit up ready for sea. 8.45 proceeded to sea weather favourable

March 17th
Saint Patricks Day @ sea doing manouvers [sic] weather fine

March 18th
Still @ sea during afternoon we received the news that H.M.S. Dreadnought had sunk German submarine U29 with all hands. 12o/c midnight. Anchored @ Scapa Flow

March 19th
Arrived @ proper anchorage & coaled ship 300 tons.

March 20th
In harbour 5o/c pm started to provision & store ship taking in all the necessary things due to H.M.S. Liverpool finished @ 9o/c & proceeded to sea @ 10.30. Destination unknown.

March 21st
At sea weather mild arrived @ Queensferry & anchored @ 12 midnight

March 22nd
Coaled ship 168 tons & took in provisions weather grand.

March 23rd
Laying in harbour Queensferry weather dull

March 24th
Laying in harbour. Raining all the day

March 25th
In harbour. Weather grand

March 26th
Previous day official of M29.

March 27th
Previous day. Snow storm

March 28th
Left @ midnight for Newcastle

March 29th
Arrived @ Newcastle @ 7.30 & piped leave from 9o/c am till 10.30am Friday

March 30th
Dry docked & carried on refitting.

March 31st
In dock

April 1st
In dock

April 2nd
In dock

April 3rd till 10th
In dock

April 11th Sunday.
Left for Queensferry @ 7o/c pm.

April 12th
At sea

April 13th
At sea

April 14th
At sea

April 15th
Arrived in @ Queensferry 4am. & proceeded to coal ship 511 tons.

April 16th
In harbour

April 17th
In harbour. Left for sea full speed 9.15 pm.

April 18th
At sea.

April 19th
At sea weather moderate arrived in @ Queensferry @ 10.40 & anchored

April 20th
Coaled ship 440 tons & also oiled

April 21st
Cleaning ship

April 22nd
In harbour left for sea @ 22 knots 9.45. Reason unknown. Weather lovely

April 23rd
At sea arrived in @ Queensferry @ 10.30pm.

April 24th
Coaled ship 450 tons & oiled

April 25
In harbour

April 26
In harbour

April 27
In harbour

April 28
In harbour

April 29
In harbour

April 30
In harbour

May 1st
In harbour

May 2
In harbour

May 3
In harbour

May 4
In harbour

May 5 to 12th
In harbour

May 13th
Coaled ship 95 tons.

May 14th
In harbour

May 15th
In harbour

May 16th
In harbour

May 17th
Proceeded to sea @ 7.45 full speed. Turned out & lashed up hammocks 12o/c midnight. Action stations 4o/c am. Nothing doing

May18th
At sea expecting action everything being in readiness

May19th
Arrived in harbour @ Queensferry previous night @ 11.30 Coaled ship 6o/c in the morning 250 tons.

May 20th
In harbour

May 21st
In harbour

May 22nd
In harbour

May 23rd
In harbour

May 24th
In harbour

May 25th
In harbour

May 26th
In harbour

May 27th
In harbour

May 28th
In harbour

May 29th
In harbour. Raised steam for full speed & went to sea at 11.15 pm.

May 30th
At sea

May 31st
Arrived in Queensferry 2 am in the morning & coaled ship 215 tons.

June 1st to 10th
In harbour

June 11th
Proceed to sea

June 12th
At sea

June 13th
At sea

June 14th
At sea

June 15th
Arrived in Queensferry & coaled ship 620 tons & oiled

June 16th
In harbour

June 17th
In harbour

June 18th
In harbour

June 19th
In harbour

June 20th
In harbour

June 21st
In harbour

June 22nd
In harbour

June 23rd
In harbour

June 24th
In harbour

June 25th
In harbour

June 26th
Coaled ship 62 tons.

June 27th
In harbour

June 28th
In harbour

June 29th
In harbour

June 30th
In harbour

July 1st
In harbour

July 2nd
In harbour

July 3rd
Coaled ship 86 tons.

July 4th
In harbour

July 5th
In harbour

July 6th
In harbour

July 7th
In harbour

July 8th
In harbour

July 9th
In harbour

July 10th
In harbour

July 11th
In harbour, 9 p.m. put to sea.

July 12th
At sea

July 13th
Arrived in @ Queensferry @ 4o/c in the morning & coaled ship

July 14th
In harbour

July 15th
In harbour

July 16th
In harbour

July 17th
In harbour

July 18th
In harbour

July 19 till 28th
In harbour

July 29
In harbour raised steam for 1/2 hrs notice

July 30th
In harbour. Coaled ship 110 tons & drawed fires

July 31st
In harbour

Aug 1st till 8th
In harbour

Aug 9th
In harbour 11am under 1/2 hrs notice

Aug 10th till 13th
In harbour 1/2 hrs notice

Aug 14th
In harbour. Coaled ship 64 tons 4hrs notice

Aug 15th
In harbour 1 hrs notice

Aug 16th
In harbour 2 1/2 hrs notice

Aug 17&18
In harbour. Short notice

Aug 19th till 22nd
In harbour under short notice

Aug 23rd & 24th
Under short notice

Aug 25th
In harbour leave piped first for 3 weeks

Aug 26th till 28th
In harbour

Aug 29th
In harbour

Aug 30th
Left for sea 7 pm.

Aug 31st
Arrived in @ Queensferry 11.15 am. & proceeded to coal 187 tons

Sept 1st
In harbour under 2 hrs notice.

Sept 2 till 5th
In harbour

Sept 6th
In harbour

Sept 7th
In harbour

Sept 8th
Under 1/2 hrs notice

Sept 9th
Under 1/2 hrs notice

Sept 10th
Under 1/2 hrs notice

Sept 11th
Under 1/2 hrs notice

Sept 12th
Under 1/2 hrs notice. Coaled ship 80 tons

Sept 13 till 18th
In harbour 4 hrs notice

Sept 19 till 26
In harbour 4 hrs notice

Sept 27th till 30th
In harbour

Oct 1st
In harbour 5o/c pm proceeded to sea.

Oct 2nd
At sea patrolling

Oct 3rd
Arrived in @ Scapa Flow & coaled ship 335 tons.

Oct 4th
Target practice in harbour Scapa Flow

Oct 5th
8am got under weigh & went to sea for firing but too misty so went into Cromarty

Oct 6th
Put to sea for firing but too misty returned to Cromarty 5 pm & coaled ship 190 tons

Oct 7th
Put to sea & carried out the squadron firing & proceeded to Scapa Flow arrived @ 2.30pm

Oct 8th
In harbour firing 3" shell.

Oct 9th
In harbour firing 1" ammy(?) finished @ 10.30 proceeded to anchorage & coaled 185 tons.

Oct 10th
Put to sea 4.30 pm for patrolling

Oct 11th
At sea weather moderate

Oct 12th
Arrived in @ Queensferry @ 6.30 am. & coaled ship 275 tons.

Oct 13th
In harbour clearing ship 2 hrs notice

Oct 14th till 17th Sunday
In harbour

Oct 18th till 23rd
In harbour

Oct 24th
Left for Newcastle 11 pm.

Oct 25th
Arrived in The Tyne 6.30 o/c went into dock

Oct 26 till 29th
In dock

Oct 30th
Left for sea 6 o/c pm.

Oct 31st
Arrived @ Queensferry & proceeded to coal 210 tons & oiled 3 o/c am.

Nov 1st till 5th
In harbour

Nov 6th till 14th
In harbour coaled ship 87 tons 11th

No 15th till 18th
In harbour

Nov 19th
Coaled ship 78 tons

Nov 20th till 26th
In harbour

Nov 27th
Coaled ship 70 tons.

Nov 28th Sunday
Proceeded to sea 5.30p.m.

Nov 29th
At sea manoeuvring

Nov 30th
At sea weather to rough to carry out previous days manoeuvres

Dec 1st Wednesday
At sea weather moderate & carried on exercises & at night proceeded to harbour.

Dec 2nd
Arrived in Queensferry @ 5.30 am. Coaled ship 8o/c 550 tons & also oiled

Dec 3rd till 16th
In harbour & Senior Eng. left new one arrived.

Dec 17th
Coaled ship 80 odd tons

December 18th to December 31st in next section

To 1914 - To 1915 - To 1916 - Miscellaneous