Setting Sail for France.

Life on Board

On the 10th February 1917 Bernie boarded the HMAT A48 Seang Bee. All army transport ships were given a number and the Seang Bee was Number 48. The ship the  weighed 5,849 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the Lim Chin Tsong, Rangoon, and leased by the Commonwealth until 12 May 1917. As portrayed in the postcard below the ship had one funnel in the center and two masts at each end. The hull of the ship is dark coloured and a flag is flying from the stern.

Post card , Bernie sent many post cards and letters home.

Once on board Private Devlin and his other 149 companions would have been each given his hammock and space to keep his gear. Life on board would have been crowded. However, there was no time for sitting down and relaxing. 

Archie Barwick  kept a diary of his exploits. in describing the journey by sea said that "we were taken down to our troop decks and our different portions allotted to us. After we settled we were served some hot soup and bread" (pg 12).

Once out at sea most men fell seasick and the soup was lost overboard. A similar tale is found in E.P.F. Lynch's book Somme Mud.

Each ship had its own magazine for the soldiers to read. The Seang Bee was no exception, The tri-weekly Seang Bee Sea Breezes edited by The Shark provided the troops with an outlet. They contributed their own anecdotes, stories, humor and verse. There were safety drills and the ever present danger of attack by submarine or German battleship. Each Sunday a Church Parade and there was also the fun of crossing the equator. King Neptune would appear and all sorts of shenanigans went on. The ship would have called into Cape town, and if permitted some soldiers would have a short break. Lynch and Barwick both describe the fun of throwing pennies for young children to dive for and sending baskets over the side to buy fruit.

Photographs from other ships show a number of boxing matches held on board as well as concerts, games and weekly church parades.

I am unable to find out the exact route taken. My first guess would be the ship sailed along the coast of Africa to England. However, Claire tell the story of Bernie being in Egypt.

Moses in the Bulrushes - Fact or Fiction

Apparently he went for a tour along the Nile and the guide took him on a long walk , ending up in a patch of bulrushes. This was pointed out as the place where Moses was placed in a basket to be found by Pharaoh's daughter. A few days later he went on the same tour with a group of nurses. This tour stopped well short of the place Bernie had been shown.

Later Bernie asked the guide "I thought the place was a bit further up than were you showed the ladies?". The Guide replied, "So true, but pretty ladies cannot walk that far, the walk is too hot for them". Bernie laughed and reckoned the tour guide was a right fraud.

A Mystery to be solved.

According to Bernie's papers he disembarked at

After 3 months at sea he disembarks at Devon Port, England 2/5/17. 

The ship may well have gone through the Suez Canal, and the story may be attributed to him. I heard the same story from my Grandmother. She attributed the story to Uncle George. Claire is certain it was her father's story. It is a bit of a mystery to be solved.