| Accession Number | PR00872 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Private Record |
| Record type | Collection |
| Measurement | 1cm (2 items) |
| Object type | Diary, Memoir |
| Maker |
Burch, Isaac John |
| Date made | 1915-1917 |
| Access | Open |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
| Copying Provisions | Copyright expired. Copying permitted subject to physical condition. Permission for reproduction not required. |
Burch, Isaac John (Chief Officer, b.? - d.1949)
Description
Diary and memoirs (photocopy) kept by Chief Officer Isaac John Burch relating to his service as a merchant seaman on SS Wandilla during World War I. The diary, 17 June to 4 October 1915, details the first voyage of the ship after its refitting as a troopship (A62). It refers to the routines of the crew and troops on their way to the Middle East, views of British soldiers taken on board of fighting in the Dardanelles, precautions taken on nearing English ports against submarine and aerial attack. The memoirs contain recollections of various incidents on board SS Wandilla during its time as a troop ship and a hospital ship. It includes a copy transcript of a letter of appreciation from a survivor of the Italian troopship, Minas, which was torpedoed in February 1917.