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[Page 632]

Officer commanding the battleship.

A reply was received expressing regret & condolences, but pointing out that the Convoy must not stop, although it could "slow down" during the Service.

At the proper time all three vessels approached quite close together.

Every man was paraded The Chaplain held a short service preached a suitable sermon, & expressed sincere sympathy for the relatives of the deceased soldier who was a man well known to & well liked by quite a number of officers & men on board the vessel

After appropriate hymns were sung the slowing down in the speed of the vessel indicated that the time was approaching for the burial.

The "Startling" reports from the Rifles of the firing party rang out.

Amidst a very marked silence the mournful notes of the "Last Post" were blown by the bugler, & with the "fading" away of the last sound, the body was consigned to the deep.

Regret was expressed on all sides that the death should have taken place when within a few days steam of Capetown.

However before the voyage was over four deaths occurred, the last one actually within sight of the distant shores of Freemantle.

It seemed so very hard that these men should have battled with the grim destroyer, only to be beaten when the long looked for haven was almost attained.

The funeral service seemed to cause the whole of the Ships Company to prefer spending that Sunday in the quietest manner possible.

The following morning quite a stir was created by news leaking out that a wireless had been received that special care would have to be exercised for an "Enemy Raider" was reported to be in the neighbourhood, a sailing vessel having recently been sunk.

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