The Diary of Thomas Victor Rayson-1915

From Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project

To 1914 - To 1915 - To 1916 - Miscellaneous


Page 16

TVR diary page 16

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 [1]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

Page 17

TVR diary page 17

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

Page 18

TVR diary page 18

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

Page 19

TVR diary page 19

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

Page 20

TVR diary page 20

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

Page 21

TVR diary page 21

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.

Page 22

TVR diary page 22

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 400 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

Page 23

TVR diary page 23

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.

Page 24

TVR diary page 24

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

Page 25

TVR diary page 25

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

Page 26

TVR diary page 26

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

Page 27

TVR diary page 27

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" Aiming finished @ 10.30 proceeded to anchorage & coaled 185 tons.

Oct 10th

Put to sea 4.30 pm for patrolling

Page 28

TVR diary page 28

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

Page 29

TVR diary page 29

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 manourvering

Nov 30th

At sea weather to rough to carry out previous days manourveres

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


Notes

  1. William Cavanah D 1112 Seaman RNR Buried FLOTTA PARISH CHURCHYARD