SIGNALMAN’S PERSONAL DIARY AND HIS OFFICIAL ‘SIGNAL LOG’ FOR HMS GLOUCESTER IN THE MEDITERRANEAN DURING THE RUN-UP TO THE GALLIPOLI LANDINGS, 1913-1915

‘Reminiscences of HMS Gloucester. Commissioned at Plymouth 30th January 1913 - NOT FOR PUBLICATION’, a diary cum memoir seemingly intended as a rejoinder against those who criticised the inactivity of the British navy during the early years of the Great War. This small folio, 349pp, originally intended as a W/T Cabinet Log book is full of well preserved, valuable hand written accounts, maps, and many original photographs compiled during both peacetime and in the early years of the war which together provide a powerful insight into HMS Gloucester’s early involvement in the manoeuvres which led to the Gallipoli campaign and the pursuit through the Mediterranean of the German battlecruisers Goeben, Breslau and subsequently SS Kronprinz in Atlantic waters.

Illustrated abundantly throughout including images of HMS Gloucester itself, those onboard, shots taken ashore, military vehicles at Athens and several maps and charts. Additional notes and thoughts have been added by the author at a later date throughout and to the rear including cuttings and post war photographs of himself and his family. Laid in is an original 1914 Christmas card received by all navy personnel from King George and Queen Mary in very good condition. A second volume is made up by the shp’s Signal Log and Wiseman’s access to this document seems to have informed his construction of his Reminiscences.

DIARY PART 1: Alexander Wiseman begins his diary with a formal introduction in which he describes his mission to ‘probe in a small measure behind the curtain of silence and cover the very active doings of one of the smallest units of the Great Navy which the British people have to thank for their very existence’. He descrives his wish to use his diary as a tool to reveal to the ‘insufficiently informed British public’ the hardships endured silently by the men of the Royal Navy while concentrating on ‘our Destruction of the German two ships who were to Destroy our Control in those waters.’ Wiseman characterises and describes his shipmates, ‘pet monkey Jenny’ and ‘Mascot Bounce’, updating the list of his fellow Signal staff with details of their subsequent service and describing his remarkable ‘wrestling Records’ - Wiseman was repeatedly a Judo and Rifles Champion in the Mediterranean fleets.

HMS Gloucester slips her anchor and begins her voyage under the command of Captain Kelly on 4th February 1913, setting sail from Plymouth via Gibraltar and Malta (pictured) to Piraeus in Greece (pictured) and arriving Smyrna in Turkey (pictured) on 14^th May 1913. ‘Arrived back from Bashika, and for the second time steamed successfully over the minefields to our anchorage’.

Written entries set out the composition of ships comprising the International Fleet. Signalman Wiseman is loaned to the Italian Rear Admiral on 26^th July 1913, first serving aboard Varese followed by Garibaldi. ’Their signal staff could not cope with the signals; we were signalling in 7 languages’. He returns to the Gloucester on 3^rd August 1913. The composition of the Combined Fleet showing blue and red fleets and manoeuvres is set out in preparation for the Great War with Germany. A series of manoeuvres and training exercises in the Mediterranean are described detailing repeated stop-offs in Malta, Athens, Astokos, Platea, Trieste, Corfu, Bay of Naples (all pictured), Venice and Phalaron Bay, Greece (drawing). General Sports are held on the race course just outside Alexandria on Nov 24^th 1913; Lord Kitchener dines with the Commander in Chief on board HMS Inflexible; the King of Greece inspects the Mediterranean Fleet; the ship’s monkey dies of lead poisoning and is buried at sea; HMS Gloucester goes in search of SS Curzon presumed missing at sea. Prince Wilheim of Albania is welcomed aboard on 3^rd March 1914. Shore leave is given in Naples and Pompeii on March 14^th 1914 (pictured). The ship is en route to Venice on 9^th May 1914 and hit by a torpedo in Lefkino Bay on 15^th June 1914, ‘lodged under our bilge keel, we sent divers down the next morning and recovered torpedo’. A burial at sea is described for 3 sailors lost from the destroyer Savage on 9^th July 1914. War is declared with Germany recorded on 4^th August 1914 and thus begins the detailed pursuit of the German ships Breslau and Goeben, Wiseman claiming that his sighting of the ships on 6th August ‘changed their whole programme and so gave our Captain his first recommend and altered the position in the Med and perhaps the whole war.’

HMS Gloucester shadows the German ships ‘from Messina to Cape Maltapan’; ‘we came very close to the enemy about 10 pm distance being only 2000 yards from Breslau, Goeben being just ahead…. Waiting for the word FIRE!!!!’; ‘the Breslau shot off at full speed 8 points to Starboard of his original course after firing a Torpedo at us, as a farewell, which passed parallel to our Starboard Side 3 yards clear’. The Gloucester comes repeatedly under fire before taking up position to blockade the Dardanelles dated 12th August, 1914. ‘We do not quite understand the Actions of Turkey, Goeben is flying Turkish colours …and that it is public opinion at Constantinople that the sale of Goeben and Breslau to Turkey is all bluff’.

A hand drawn map charts the course of the chase across the Med Sea between 6pm Aug 6^th 1914 to 6pm Aug 7^th 1914. An inlaid newspaper cutting dated 1918 outlines the ‘inglorious fate’ of the 2 ships Goeben and Breslau later sunk by two British destroyers Tigress and Lizard. Wiseman writes on August 7^th 1914, ‘we claim to be the first ship in action in this war but have been told one of our light cruisers round England has sunk a German Submarine. Well we hope the sinking is true.’ Wiseman writes on Aug 14^th ‘Another Fake news report ‘A French Success’ Loss of HMS Amphion’. Many diagrams of positions, watching arrangements and the blockade of Dardanelles fill the leaves. The Gloucester sails back through the Suez Canal from Port Said on route to Plymouth for fresh supplies arriving December 9^th 2014.

DIARY PART II: Begins 15th December 1914. HMS Gloucester is part of the Grand Fleet in the North Sea under the command of Admiral Sir John Jellicoe carrying out patrol duties and firing practice in and around Scarpa Flow, Orkney. Orders to sail to South America via Sierra Leone are received with instructions to pursue the SS Kronprinz Wilhelm. Striking original photographs capture the ‘crossing the line ceremony’ and the procession of King Neptune and his court who are received by Captain Kelly. The supply ship Macedonia of the Kronprinz is captured on 28^th March 2015. On HMS Gloucester’s return to Scotland Wiseman closes his diary as ‘it is an opportunity to get this book home’ with the hopes that he will write a second account of how he helps sink the German High Sea Fleet. The diary ends 8^th May in Dalmuir, Scotland. The remaining leaves from pp 277 are filled with contemporary photographs of Wiseman and comrades both before, during and after the war. He returns to the Sheffield area and photographs of his family, wife, daughter and friends fill the leaves. His later entries become more philosophical questioning man’s interventions and progress. A photo dated 1956 shows Wiseman aged 69 years 7 months. A full hand written index of his account fills 6 leaves to rear.

SIGNAL LOG BOOK HMS GLOUCESTER: The official admiralty signal log book of HMS Gloucester hand written within by Leading Signalman Alexander Wiseman while on board HMS Gloucester during the period Jan 1913 to May 1915. The contents have been transcribed into and added to in the diary detailed above. Several leaves excised to rear probably once contained photographs and maps which have been transferred to the diary. To the rear remain several pasted in photographs including an image of SS Macedonia ‘captured on the equator by HMS Gloucester’; 2 handwritten letters from acquaintances on board the HMS Garibaldi headed ‘Bojana River’ dated 23-8-1913. Front board decoratively hand painted and inscribed Reminiscences of HMS Gloucester. In very good condition.