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Report on Operations of No. 1 Machine Gun Section on 11th and 12th September 1914.
by
Captain J.L. Harcus, O.C.
The Machine Gun Section left H.M.A.S. "Berrima" att 11-10 a.m. on 11th September 1914, forming part of the forces commanded by Commander Beresford. The Section landed at Kabakaul wharf at 11-30 a.m. and marched up the road leading south from the wharf as part of the supports. When the section had gone 200m yards from the wharf it was ordered to drop the guns and clear the scrub left of the road. The scrub was searched for a distance of 1,400 yards East, then half a mile South but no enemy were found and it returned to the guns at 1-10 p.m. At 2.0 p.m. the Section continued the march with the supports. As the men were fully armed and equipped with ammunition like Infantry Soldiers, besides the two guns and equipment and 500 rounds in ammunition boxes, making an average load of machine gun material of 50 lbs per man, they were unable to keep pace with the remainder of the supports and were left behind.
At 2 ½ miles from the wharf the section overtook the main body which was halted. Two German Officers came up with a white flag to parley. After a half an hour we moved forward accompanied by a German Officer and carrying a white flag. We soon came to a trench out of which prisoners had just been taken, both Native and German. It was the trench we had seen when turning a bend of the road 450 yards in rear of it. It was a straight tench without traverses cut across the road and six feet into the bush at either side. It was 2 ½ feet side and 3 feet deep. The parapet was composed half its length of loose soil and the other half of 6 sandbags, placed nine inches apart. The bags were ordinary sacks half filled with soil, not tied up, but the top turned over outside. The part of the parapet that was composed of loose soil was less than 2ft. thick and therefore not bullet proof. There was no revetment in the trench and it had all the appearance of being hastily made, and with very little skill.
Sergt. Stewart of the M.G.S. destroyed two mines which had not been exploded. Although assisted by some men lent by Lieut. Bond, the section fell far to the rear of the supports, and scouts were sent out. When the Section joined the supports they were halted alongside a second trench similar to the first one, but not so complete. They had 24 Natives and four German Officers prisoners. A few minutes later there was a signal from the bush like the call of a bird and immediately all the native prisoners pushed their guard aside, who had no bayonets fixed, and streaked into the bush on both sides of the road. At once every man fired his rifle into the running blacks with the result that 18 dead were found the morning after. One of the German Officers attempting to run into the bush was shot dead. During this time many shots were fired into us from the bush, presumably from natives who had been told off for ambushing us from the sides of the road.