WWI Diary of HM Submarine E9

lesrae · 01-22-18, 03:13 PM

As some of you may remember from a Facebook post a year or so ago, a friend of mine loaned me a diary that they'd found when clearing out the house of a relative who'd passed away. It turned out to be a diary of the first 2~3 months of WWI (Aug - Oct 1914) and was kept by an officer onboard HMS E9.

Commanded by Max Horton, E9 was famous for the sinking of SMS Hela on 13th Sep 1914, the first German ship sunk by a British submarine in the war, and this event is recounted in the diary.

I've transcribed the diary and scanned in the photos that came with it and here's a link to the finished result (6Mb PDF file): https://goo.gl/pvy4ew

I hope you enjoy it and find it as interesting as I did. If you want a copy of the original diary pages (I worked from photographs as the original diary is rather frail) then contact me at les@lesrae.co.uk to get access to the files (100Mb ZIP file).

Les

Kapitan · 01-22-18, 03:31 PM

Added to my list to read thanks Les

nikimcbee · 01-22-18, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lesrae

As some of you may remember from a Facebook post a year or so ago, a friend of mine loaned me a diary that they'd found when clearing out the house of a relative who'd passed away. It turned out to be a diary of the first 2~3 months of WWI (Aug - Oct 1914) and was kept by an officer onboard HMS E9.

Commanded by Max Horton, E9 was famous for the sinking of SMS Hela on 13th Sep 1914, the first German ship sunk by a British submarine in the war, and this event is recounted in the diary.

I've transcribed the diary and scanned in the photos that came with it and here's a link to the finished result (6Mb PDF file): https://goo.gl/pvy4ew

I hope you enjoy it and find it as interesting as I did. If you want a copy of the original diary pages (I worked from photographs as the original diary is rather frail) then contact me at les@lesrae.co.uk to get access to the files (100Mb ZIP file).

Les

That's totally cool Les, thanks for doing this. You had me at Max Horton. I have a book that talks about some of his exploits. (Submarine Warriors, by Edwyn Gray)

McBee

Threadfin · 01-22-18, 04:12 PM

Gold, pure gold. Thanks mate, this is excellent.

Anyone familiar with the Battle of Atlantic is familiar with Horton of course. An exceptionally successful career. The details in this transcription are really quite interesting. Like how he notes that air ships might get the 'short shrift' from airplane guns, or how seeing a sub towing a seaplane was 'modern'.

Great stuff.

Schroeder · 01-22-18, 06:40 PM

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

lesrae · 01-22-18, 11:56 PM

Thanks guys, it's an odd read but I think it gives a good flavour of that era.

The original diary and photos are being donated to the RN Submarine Museum in Gosport.

Jimbuna · 01-23-18, 05:22 AM

Bookmarked

01-22-18, 03:13 PM	#1
lesrae Grey Wolf Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Somerset, UK. Posts: 932 Downloads: 31 Uploads: 0	WWI Diary of HM Submarine E9 As some of you may remember from a Facebook post a year or so ago, a friend of mine loaned me a diary that they'd found when clearing out the house of a relative who'd passed away. It turned out to be a diary of the first 2~3 months of WWI (Aug - Oct 1914) and was kept by an officer onboard HMS E9. Commanded by Max Horton, E9 was famous for the sinking of SMS Hela on 13th Sep 1914, the first German ship sunk by a British submarine in the war, and this event is recounted in the diary. I've transcribed the diary and scanned in the photos that came with it and here's a link to the finished result (6Mb PDF file): https://goo.gl/pvy4ew I hope you enjoy it and find it as interesting as I did. If you want a copy of the original diary pages (I worked from photographs as the original diary is rather frail) then contact me at les@lesrae.co.uk to get access to the files (100Mb ZIP file). Les __________________ DOLPHIN 38

01-22-18, 03:31 PM	#2
Kapitan Sub Test Pilot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK + Canada Posts: 7,131 Downloads: 77 Uploads: 7	Added to my list to read thanks Les __________________ DONT FORGET if you like a post to nominate it by using the blue diamond Find out about Museum Ships here: https://www.museumships.us/ Flickr for all my pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/ Navy general board articles: https://www.navygeneralboard.com/author/aegis/

01-22-18, 04:12 PM	#4
Threadfin Ace of the Deep Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,163 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Gold, pure gold. Thanks mate, this is excellent. Anyone familiar with the Battle of Atlantic is familiar with Horton of course. An exceptionally successful career. The details in this transcription are really quite interesting. Like how he notes that air ships might get the 'short shrift' from airplane guns, or how seeing a sub towing a seaplane was 'modern'. Great stuff. __________________ What? Behind the rabbit?

01-22-18, 06:40 PM	#5
Schroeder Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Banana Republic of Germany Posts: 6,170 Downloads: 62 Uploads: 0	Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. __________________ Putting Germ back into Germany.

01-22-18, 11:56 PM	#6
lesrae Grey Wolf Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Somerset, UK. Posts: 932 Downloads: 31 Uploads: 0	Thanks guys, it's an odd read but I think it gives a good flavour of that era. The original diary and photos are being donated to the RN Submarine Museum in Gosport. __________________ DOLPHIN 38

01-23-18, 05:22 AM	#7
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,661 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Bookmarked __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!