The Diary of Thomas Victor Rayson-1915
To 1914 - To 1915 - To 1916 - Miscellaneous
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
- ↑ William Cavanah D 1112 Seaman RNR Buried FLOTTA PARISH CHURCHYARD