Studio group portrait of crew members of HMAS Psyche and a Japanese sailor. Ordinary Seaman 2140 ...

Studio group portrait of crew members of HMAS Psyche and a Japanese sailor. Ordinary Seaman 2140 Charles Sykes McIntosh Johnston is seated far left. The other men are undentified. The Japanese sailor's uniform includes a cap with a tally band which reads 'Dai-Nippon Dai-ni-Kuchiku-tai', meaning he is serving with a destroyer in 'Japan No 2 Military Group'. Commissioned in 1899 as a light cruiser, Psyche served with the Royal Navy on the Australia Station prior to the First World War. In July 1915, Psyche was commissioned into the RAN. and was ordered to the Bay of Bengal. Based at Rangoon,it carried out routine patrols along the Burma Coast and Malay Archipelago. Disease, combined with poor food, inclement weather and dull duties led to dissatisfaction and indiscipline that culminated in several court martials in February and March 1916. Psyche was recalled to Singapore and an inquiry was held into the problems on board. Psyche returned to duty in the Bay of Bengal in April 1916 and in June 1916 she was redeployed to Hong Kong to patrol off the South Coast of China and Indo-China. Poor conditions continued to prevail aboard and in July 1916 almost a half of of the crew were suffering from illness. HMAS Psyche returned to the Bay of Bengal in October 1916 and continued patrol work until she was recalled to Australia in September 1917, and paid off.