Four manuscript diaries

Four 8vo diaries kept by F.C. Poyser, the first of which gives details of all the ships Poyser served on from 1905 to 1926, including names of captains, dates, voyages, distances, cargoes. During the First World War he served on six vessels OHMS. He gives the occasional diagram of convoys, lists the cargoes and their quantities (horses, mules, oats, flour, boats, lorries, ambulances, aeroplanes, etc.), gives destinations (Canada, Australia, South Africa, India, Ceylon). On 20 January 1918, his ship, HMS Mechanician, was torpedoed and he transferred to the tug, HMS Crocodile (table given listing date, vessel escorted, problems and comments (incl. "torpedoed"), In Diaries 2 and 3, he logs the activities of the Crocodile, 23 Feb. 1918-22 June 1919, at routine and non-routine actiopns (e.g. transferring Italian prisoners from a sinking ship). The logs are detailed and give a full picture of naval movements and duties at Gibraltar and in the Mediterranean. Diary 4 consists of an account addressed to the Flag Captain, Gibraltar, 22 Sept. 1918, 15pp., with photographs, of hte loss of the trawler Canada II (3 Sept. onwards). Four items,