Arrived Rosyth about 8 o’clock A.M. Very glad to reach harbour again. Men who had been on leave returned. No news of Action in papers yet. Coaled ship. 1250 tons. Not very fast coaling.
Started about 10 o’clock and finished about 4. Cleaned afterwards. Wounded left ship, about 60 in number. Started getting in ammunitions as soon as we had cleaned and carried on until —
(Ed: Continued June 3rd)
June 2nd 1916 A
June 2nd 1916 B
1.0.A.M. Took some of the bodies on after deck and some outside
Police Office. Whole of D. O’s flat converted temporary mortuary.
Had to keep on guns until 3.30 AM when we started on turret again.
Worse than yesterday as bodies were rigid and so not so easy to
move about. Went down into working chamber on my own to
investigate. Rather ghastly job as only has electric torch & dead
bodies all around. Foremost crews relieved us about 6.0.A.M. Kept
at guns till about 4.0.pm. when we secured. Buried dead from after
deck in evening. Very impressive service. Buried 103 bodies. Had a
night watch as Special Parties were told off and so had all night
in. Very glad to turn in as felt we needed it. Did not get much
sleep though. Passed bows of warship sticking out of water about
noon but can’t say whether it was British or German.
June 1st 1916 A
June 1st 1916 B
Rigged main derrick for working by hand in forenoon. Sea strewn with logs as far as could be seen evidently from a sunken merchant ship. Several Submarines also reported. Make and mend in
afternoon. Got head down on upper deck. “ACTION” sounded off quite suddenly about 3.45. Had heard nothing about anything doing. “Engadine” first brought news that she was being chased by
enemy ships. Heard light cruisers were engaging enemy. Then about 4.15 we started blazing away and so we knew it was no buzz this time at any rate.
4″ guns crews returned. About half an hour after the Action started shell burst in Canteen Flat. 4″ crews went in to fetch wounded. Awful sight. Men blown to bits. Arms & legs all over the
place. Those that were still alive all badly wounded. Got them out and put them on Mess Tables, and dished them up as well as we could. Shortly afterwards called up on deck to put fires
out. “Q” turret completely wrecked by shell. Top blown clear off onto deck. All the crew except two killed including Chaplain. Shell also came in through foremost blast screen and caused
fire although it did not explode. Several other fires in various parts of ship. Heard we are taking on the whole of the High Sea Fleet which accounted for our condition. Had to clear off Mess
deck as fumes were too thick. Took shelter behind “X” Turret and so saw a little of the fight. Salvos falling just over us. 5th Battle Squadron steamed up and started letting rip salvos.
Fine sight to watch them. Shots falling all round them. Went below again when Mess Deck was clearer. Shell came in Sick Bay shortly afterwards and flaked out a lot of men in Diving Room
Flat. Had to get them into safety. Some dead, others dying. Stokers dressing room converted into temporary Sick Bay. Grand Fleet joined up about 8.0. p.m. and took the brunt off us. Not at
all sorry as things were getting pretty warm. “Queen Mary” “Invincible” and “Indefatigable” sunk from Battle Cruiser Force. Still continued firing and ceased fire about 9.0.p.m. Came off
Mess Deck about 10.30.p.m. Told off to clear out dead from “Q” Turret. Ghastly job. Bodies burnt to cinders and horribly mutilated. Turret still smouldering. Many bodies jammed in by
wreckage. Had to hoist them up through man hole in top of turret. Carried on until about
(Ed: Continued June 1st 1916)
May 31st 1916
May 31st 1916 B
May 31st 1916 C
Aired bedding. Landed in afternoon. Up at Canteen the whole afternoon. In Quarantine as so were not allowed to mix with other ships companies. Got under way about 10.30. Had first watch.
May 30th 1916
Coaled ship 450 tons. Finished before breakfast. Cleaned ship in forenoon. Make & mend in afternoon.
May 29th 1916
Usual Sunday Routine. Very hot day with slight thunder storm in afternoon. Head down in afternoon.
May 28th 1916
Saturday Routine. Holy stoned decks before breakfast. Scrubbed out Mess in forenoon. Under short notice. Prepared for sea. Duty Sub. Slept forward.
May 27th 1916
Exercise Action in forenoon. Landed in afternoon. Very warm but marched as far as Dunfermline and back to canteen. Dalton left ship to go to Torpedo School. Slung clean hammocks in evening.
May 26th 1916
Seamen landed at S. Queensferry. Went for Route March. Very nice. Seaplane fell in ditch & was smashed in forenoon. No one injured. Make & mend in afternoon. Head down.
May 25th 1916
Marines landed. Part of ship in forenoon. In Flat in afternoon.
May 24th 1916