[Page 102]
At about 9-50 a.m. a message was received from the shore that a party of 25 men from the Naval portion of the Expedition, under Lieut. Bowen which had landed at dawn by the direction of the Admiral at Kabakaul, with instructions to locate the Wireless Station, was meeting with serious opposition. A force consisting of two Companies of Naval Reserves under Lieut-Commander Elwell, and one Infantry Machine Gun Section under Captain Harcus, the whole under the command of Commander J.A.H. Beresford, R.A.N., and accompanied by Captain R.J.A. Travers, Intelligence Officer, was landed to reinforce the shore party.
At 1-45 p.m. a signal was received from H.M.A.S. "Sydney" at Herbertshohe, that nothing had been heard since early morning of a party of 25 Naval Reserve men which had been landed at that place by the Admiral's orders; Lieut. Colonel Watson was therefore directed to land with 4 Companies of Infantry, a Machine Gun Section, and a 12 pr. Field Gun, with instructions to gain touch with the missing party and co-operate with Commander Beresford's force at Kabakaul in the attack on the Wireless station. This force was landed at 3-0 p.m.
The Brigadier than visited the Admiral and conferred on the situation, and recommended that the balance of the force on the "Berrima" be landed at Kabakaul to reinforce Commander Beresford, and if the attack was not successful that afternoon, both Commander Beresford and Lieut, Colonel Watson be directed to return to the coast before dark, that at daylight on the 12th the guns of the Fleet should shell with shrapnel the ridge between Kabakaul and Herbertshohe, which appeared to be strongly held, and on completion of the shelling the forces at Kabakaul and Herbertshohe should attack simultaneously. The Admiral concurred with the proposals of the Brigadier.
Early on the 12th September, however, information was received that the troops defending the Wireless Station had surrendered during the previous afternoon to Commander Beresford's force. and that the station itself had been occupied during the night by a
[Colonel Holmes as commander of the Force, was referred to as the Brigadier]