Verification of the journey back to the UK.
In the journal extract below, James refers to having seen three British light cruisers from the deck of the ship he was sailing back to the UK on, which was the SS Mitau. You can see from the transcript of the log shown below, and of course the log itself, also below, that HMS Centaur was indeed standing off Copenhagen on that date. The log tells me that the SS Mitau was a Danish Hospital ship carrying released prisoners of war back to the UK. I can therefore be certain that one of the ships in the three that James saw must have been HMS Centaur.
Sunday 15/12/1918:
Got up about 6:30 am. & went up on deck for an hour before brekker. Arrived at Copenhagen about 1:30, mail was taken on board & we left at 3:30 pm. While standing off Copenhagen we saw three of our light cruisers & what a cheer we got from the tars on board. We also saw some Danish sea scouts. When leaving there was a slight fog which gradually thickened until at night, we had to blow our fog signal every three minutes. Volunteers were wanted for watch on deck, so I did so. Was on from 11 pm. Till 1 am. While we were on guard the ship passed through the Skagarat – through the minefields & by Monday morning, the 16th, we were passing the coast of Denmark. The weather was fine & calm, & we sailed fine. Good sailing all day on the 16th & in the night I was on guard again.
In the journal extract below, James refers to having seen three British light cruisers from the deck of the ship he was sailing back to the UK on, which was the SS Mitau. You can see from the transcript of the log shown below, and of course the log itself, also below, that HMS Centaur was indeed standing off Copenhagen on that date. The log tells me that the SS Mitau was a Danish Hospital ship carrying released prisoners of war back to the UK. I can therefore be certain that one of the ships in the three that James saw must have been HMS Centaur.
Sunday 15/12/1918:
Got up about 6:30 am. & went up on deck for an hour before brekker. Arrived at Copenhagen about 1:30, mail was taken on board & we left at 3:30 pm. While standing off Copenhagen we saw three of our light cruisers & what a cheer we got from the tars on board. We also saw some Danish sea scouts. When leaving there was a slight fog which gradually thickened until at night, we had to blow our fog signal every three minutes. Volunteers were wanted for watch on deck, so I did so. Was on from 11 pm. Till 1 am. While we were on guard the ship passed through the Skagarat – through the minefields & by Monday morning, the 16th, we were passing the coast of Denmark. The weather was fine & calm, & we sailed fine. Good sailing all day on the 16th & in the night I was on guard again.
HMS Centaur
Extract of Ships log for 15th December 1918
Place: Copenhagen
Place: At Copenhagen
Longitude: 12.6
Other: Cleaning ship
Ship: Met: Hiton?
Person: Boarded: Somebody boarded for passage to England from HMS "Ceres"
Ship: Met: 1330 SS Mitau, Danish hospital ship arrived with released prisoners of War
Ship: Met: 1650 Mitau sailed
Person: Boarded: 2100 1 rating for passage to England joined ship from H.M.S. "Ceres"
Other: SS Mitau, Danish hospital ship arrived with released prisoners of war
Ship: Met: SS Mitau
Extract of Ships log for 15th December 1918
Place: Copenhagen
Place: At Copenhagen
Longitude: 12.6
Other: Cleaning ship
Ship: Met: Hiton?
Person: Boarded: Somebody boarded for passage to England from HMS "Ceres"
Ship: Met: 1330 SS Mitau, Danish hospital ship arrived with released prisoners of War
Ship: Met: 1650 Mitau sailed
Person: Boarded: 2100 1 rating for passage to England joined ship from H.M.S. "Ceres"
Other: SS Mitau, Danish hospital ship arrived with released prisoners of war
Ship: Met: SS Mitau
Image of HMS Centaur's log for 15th December 1918
Image of HMS Centaur