For this episode of “Things that happened 100 years ago” I dug down into the family archives, and pulled out a letter written by my great-grandfather to my great-grandmother.

This is a first-hand account of the RAN’s first ship-to-ship action, the Town-class HMAS Sydney vs the German cruiser Emden.

John was a seaman by trade, he came to Australia thanks to a post-Titanic law that required every lifeboat to be manned by an Able Seaman if deployed. Since the transports were way more full on the way to Australia, than on the way back to Blighty, he took a one-way voyage and promptly signed up with the brand-new Royal Australian Navy, eventually becoming a Chief Petty Officer. He survived both World Wars, married ‘Janie’, raised my Grandma and her two brothers. He died in 1975.

A different perspective can be found here, in the Ship’s Log.

HMAS Sydney
At Sea
13th Nov 1914

My Dear Janie,

Just a few lines to let you know that I am all right, & I hope you & all all at home as the same. As you will know before this that we fought and defeated the Emden, I will give you a few details. Nobody dreamed that she was so near, and we were within a few miles of the Cocos Islands [then a British territory]. The Minotaur [Battleship HMS Minotaur] had left us on Sunday morning to go to Mauritius and on Monday morning we a wireless from the Cocos Island station to say that a strange warship was blocking the entrance to the Islands.

We at once raised steam on all boilers and presently we were steaming along at over 29 knots [54kph]. I was with the electricians flying around getting the fire-control etc ready and when we were within plain view I was below getting some fuses ready for the circuits. The electrician came down and told me that the ship was in sight and that I could go up and have a look, but he told me to come down again. Of course, I was up on deck before you could wink, and away ahead was an island and between us and the island was a three funneled cruiser and she was steaming along to run out to sea.

At the time we did not know that she was the [German Cruiser] "Emden", but we were hoping and praying that she was. When we got within range, we turned and ran parallel to her so that she was on our port side. We opened fire on each other, and the first shot that I saw fired by her hit the waters about 20 yards short of us right in line with the bridge. Then the shot began to fly around overhead, and I was beginning to think it was time to go below but I only got down the latter till my head was on a level with the deck, when I thought I would like another look around. Accordingly, I went on deck round the lee of the bridge and and I heard them singing out from the forward gun for more ammunition.

I got busy at once carrying charges and dragging projectiles to them and after that I got so busy that I forgot all about going below. Just after I happened to be passing the foot of the bridge-ladder and I saw two of our cooks-mates struggling with something and one of them beckoned me to help them. It turned out to be an A.B. named Roy [Able Seaman Albert Hoy] who worked the range finder on the upper bridge. A shell had struck the range finder and carried it away, taking his right leg right off close to the body. He died just afterwards, but I returned on deck as soon as I got him down on to the stokers mess-deck. A chap who was working with us at the ammunition hoist was struck in the chest with a piece of shell and he died on Wednesday. A shell burst near No. 2 starboard gun and wounded all the guns' crew except one man. Do you remember that night when we were coming back from seeing "On Our Selection" I was talking to a chap who sat opposite to me in the train. Well he was the trainer of that gun and he had a marvellous escape, although he was badly wounded. The gun-layer died the next day, also an ordinary seaman. That made 4 fatalities and 12 injured. I finished up acting as one of the gun crew at the No. 1 Port, at the request of the gun-layer.

One of Sydney's gun turrets

You should have seen the Emden at this time. She was on fire aft and only her main-mast was standing, her funnels and foremast having fallen one at the time. Also she was getting very low in the water and was evidently in a sinking condition. Her colours were still flying from her main mast and she was near an island, she headed for the beach and was soon hard & fast ashore.

We ceased firing and went off after a collier that was standing by the Emden. We took off all the people from her (who were some of the Emden's crew) and then we sank her. We then went back to the Emden and signalled to her, demanding her surrender. We received no reply, so we opened fire again, but after firing a few rounds they waved a white flag and one hand went aloft and took down her ensign. (I haven't time for more now, as I must go on watch in a few minutes, but will finish this later)

Nov, 14th Dear Janie, this is the first chance I have had since yesterday to carry on with this letter. Well, to continue with the narrative. After they struck their colours, we sent a doctor on board and in return one of their officers came off to know our terms. Our skipper sent off to the skipper of the Emden that if he would guarantee good conduct on the part of his officers and men, we would get his injured off and taken them all to Colombo. The Germans agreed and we stood by them on Monday night and on Tuesday we started to embark their wounded.

My word, you could hardly credit what sights they were. One man with his head all bandaged was brought aboard after dinner. He got up off the stretcher without help and staggered into the sick bay. On removing the bandages we found that his right eye and all the right side of his face had been blown away. His nose was hanging down by a little bit of flesh and his lower law was hanging by the left side. He had been like that for over 24 hours and he lived till next night. Others were maimed in every conceivable place. Broken arms, legs, part of limbs blown off, and nearly every one of them peppered with bits of shell and splinters. I will finish this after supper, as we get into Colombo tomorrow morning.

Emden after the battle

1am Nov 15th Janie Dear, you see I am making several attempts to get on with this letter. On Tuesday afternoon I helped carry in some of the injured, also I held one man while the Doctor amputated his foot. That night I was told off as Doctor's Party with 11 more seamen, one of whom is Ern Hansen. Since then I have been down in the ward-room attending to the wounded. Thank goodness we get in tomorrow, so that some of the poor chaps can get better attention. We were met yesterday by the CPR [Canadian Pacific Railways] ship "Empress of Russia". As the sea was very calm, we transhipped a lot of the wounded Germans, and she is steaming along abreast of us. Well sweetheart, what do you think of your boy now! Isn't he a blood-thirsty devil.

I think this ship has made a name for herself. We shall all be heroes when we return. There was a notice on the board that the Melbourne and Sydney are ordered to Malta, but I don't believe it is true. I shall be able to get Yvonne's elephants here. Well Darling, no more now, but I will draw a rough picture of the Emden as we left her, although you will be abe to see it on the Cinema, as reporters etc have gone to the Cocos Islands in the "Empress of Asia"

So Dearly hoping that this will find you all at home in the best of health, with best best respects to your Mum & Dad and fondest love to yourself I remain

Yours with love,
Jack

Great-Grandpa John Day during World War One