Midshipman N K Calder

This is a transcription of the 1917 Diary of N K CALDER. The diary is marked "N K CALDER presented by J. TUSON 16.1.17." inside the front cover. The first sixteen days were probably transcribed from a smaller 1917 diary which was thereafter used as an occasional notebook.

In this diary the pages are 12cm x 20cm and are headed with the year (1917) the month and the day and date. The pages are also numbered, page 1 being 01 January. It also contains 26 pages of information and memoranda inside the front cover and cash account pages at the back.

The following addresses appear on the first Memoranda of Reference, &c. page:-

Mr. H. W. Calder
c/o 54 Hall St. Newport.

Mrs. W & E Tuson
2 Rose Told. Middle North Penwortham. Preston. Eng.

Mr John Tuson
Saddler. Woolton. Near Liverpool. England
Take train from Lime St Liverpool to Woolton

Colonel Rideout
Foxborough Lodge. Langley. Buck.

Pte. A. A. Yuille (No. 7347)
6^th Battalion. 2^nd T.B.
No 5 Camp. Lark Hill Durrington

Lieut. R. M. Living. Bhuistphore Barracks, Court Martial Section Tidworth England.

Mr. E. Living Esq. Highfield 478 Seven Sisters Road Finsbury Park London.

At the back of the diary, on the cash account pages are lists of particulars of the British Home Fleet ships, occasional financial notes and a list of "New Gear to be stowed for all Australian Midshipmen" - it would appear to be summer rig.

Notes on the transcription:-

1. During the transcription I have only given the Month on the first day and the date and day as "number" "day".
2. Where possible I have used the spelling as shown and have generally checked RN personnel names against Google to ensure that they are actual names.
3. Errors of capitalisation, grammar or punctuation have not been corrected.
4. Occasionally I have used (sic) to indicate where I consider an obvious error has been made.
5. It is obvious that NKC did not use a 24 hour clock and the use of am & pm appears at his whim. Where am or pm occurs in any form, I have "corrected" all to read "a.m." or "p.m." for the sake of consistency Similarly figures and words also are interchangeable and inconsistent.
6. To assist researchers I have attempted to list the surnames of all persons mentioned, with their rank, assumed or otherwise, at the time at the end of the diary.
7. To assist in the recognition of places in Scapa Flow I have inserted a copy of a chart to return here hit the "back" button.

Highlights in the narrative:-

8. January 17 - March 27 "Omrah" passage to UK.
9. July 09 HMS Vanguard blows up in Scapa Flow.
10. August 22 - 23 Grand Fleet Boxing Championships.
11. Sept. 24 - Oct. 06 Leave in London
12. November 17 - 19 First experience of "Action Stations"

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© Michael Calder February 2003