Aug. 4th Tuesday.

To Valencia where by tender of Repulse to Hospital ship Maine , from Malaga with refugees. Maine had been 10 months at Alexandria & was just refitting, one engine out, taking out bug-ridden panelling when ordered at 48 hours notice on this job. The surgeon commander who took passports carried on generous trad. [tradition] of Grenville which allowed Karl to stay with us instead of handing to German boat1 which would have meant concentration camp for him. Maltese waiters. 22 nationalities all grabbing the food which we ate in the after deck recreation room instead of "passing it along please." Women in wards. Men on deck with mattress & two blankets under awning. Very dirty from funnel. Good plain food. Canteen for cigarettes. Made friends with Colonel Gurney dying of 1918 gas. Valencia looked peaceful. Chimneys smoking.

Editorial Notes

1pocket battleship KG

Hands Referenced

Places Mentioned

  • Valencia

    Valencia, Valencia, Spain
    City on East coast of Spain eds.

  • Malaga

    Malaga, Andalusia, Spain
    City on the East coast of Spain, north of Gibraltar eds.

  • Alexandria

    Egypt

People Mentioned

  • Karl/Carl

    Goldschmidt, Karl
    Karl Goldschmidt, later Kenneth Gay: Graphic artist, friend and secretary of Robert Graves and Laura Riding since 1934. R. G. spells both as Carl and Karl.

Organizations Mentioned

  • HMS Grenville

    HMS Grenville
    British destroyer upon which LR, RG, KG, and AH escaped Majorca eds. see Diary August 3, 1936

  • HMS Repulse

    HMS Repulse
    British battleship that provided tender to RG et al eds. see Diary August 4, 1936

  • Maine

    Maine
    Hospital ship of the Royal Navy that carried refugees to Marseilles eds. see Diary August 4, 1936