Told off for lacing (?) party. Splicing eyes in wire for lashings. Went ashore in evening with Sid, George & Selous. Went to 1st house at Empire. Good show. Had grub and put up at Waverley Hotel.

March 15 1915

Waverley Hotel

Told off to pump water out of bathroom. Rigged church. Service at 10.30. Piped down afterwards. Got head down in afternoon. Buzz that we are leaving for dry dock about Wednesday.

March 14 1915

Turned out at 5.30. Had coffee at Lockharts and caught 6.20 train to Walker. Cleaned flats. Nothing much doing all day. Knocked off work at 2.30.

March 13 1915

Lockhart\s Newcastle Upon Tyne (c. 1900)

Cleaned flats. Cleared up decks. Finished by 10.30 and did a menu (?) for rest of forenoon. Got meat and spuds in in afternoon. Finished by 2.45. Went ashore with Jock and Selous. Had grub at “Rendezvous” and then went to Hippodrome. Went to Griffon Hotel. Had supper and booked bed. Everything very comfortable. Turned in at 11.45. 

March 12 1915

Cleared up decks. Told off to fetch organ from Armstrongs Yard in pinnace. Took all afternoon over it. Took organ out and returned empty case in afternoon. Went ashore with Sid & Selous in evening to Newcastle. Went to pictures then had grub at the North of England Cafe. Returned on board by 10.20 boat. 

March 11 1915

Turned out at 5.45. Had cocoa & cake at Lockharts and caught 6.20 train back to Walker. Cleaned flats. Told off for working Cable on foc’sle. Carried on with same in afternoon.

March 10 1915

Quarters clean guns at 7.40. Told off for Stewards Party. Got gear from Armstrong’s yeard into pinnace. Got all gear onto after deck before dinner and shifted it forward after dinner. Did a ? for rest of afternoon, until 3.30 when got spuds in. Cleaned and went ashore with Sid, Selous, George and  a Sick Bay Attendant. Went to 1st house at Empire. Not bad show. Found we hadn’t time to catch the 10.30 boat and so after we had a bit of grub at Lockharts put up at the Waverley Hotel for the night. Turned in about 10:30. 

March 9th 1915

March 9th 1915b

Arrived Newcastle at 5.15. Strolled about and caught train for Peland at 10.40. Arrived on board at 12 o’clock. Did nothing in afternoon except cleaned up decks and worked main derrick.

March 8th 1915

Frank is on leave until the 8th, despite the fact that the 4th was mentioned earlier as the end of that leave. We suspect the leave was extended for a few days since nothing consequential was happening on the Lion at that point. 

For today, here are some shots of the coaling procedure that Frank writes about quite frequently: 

View of dreadnought-type battleship HMS Orion being refuelled by a coaling ship drawn up alongside. HMS Orion, like many of the early dreadnoughts, was powered by coal-fired steam turbines, providing them with greater power and efficiency than pre-dreadnought ships. Previous to HMS Dreadnought ships were fitted with vertical triple expansion engines. Triple expansion engines reused the steam they made, they were more economical using less coal and manpower. The turbines of the Dreadnought however, proved even more efficient and economical making the Dreadnought the heaviest, but fastest ship of her time and rendering steam engines in HM ships obsolete.

Above photo courtesy of http://www.seayourhistory.org.uk/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=13626

Coaling the HMAS Australia. Note that the side rails have been removed.

Above photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/41311545@N05/4534707591/in/photostream/

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February 25th to March 4th 1915