Iles war diary, 1914-1919 / G. H. Iles - Page 40
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 40]
denoting the hospital, - the very high hills that formed a beautiful background to the town, looked a picturesque landscape, with its green foliage and scattered houses. The native huts adorned the coastline as is usual, and there dug outs (boats made from tree trunks hollow out in the centre) were [indecipherable] here there and everywhere.
The collier S.S. "Whangate" came alongside us at 4 P.M. and we quickly commenced to coal, - at this time also the Australian troopship S.S. "Berrima" came in and proceeded to go alongside the pier, and as soon as she was safely moored alongside she very speedily began landing all her troops and stores, -we proceeded coaling thru the night and a patrol was constantly kept going outside the entrance to the harbour in case of the approach of the enemy warships.
Sep 13th [1914] at 2.30 A.M. we finished coaling, and at 10 A.M. the destroyer "Yarra" came into harbour escorting a small German steamer that she captured outside conveying about 160 native armed reinforcements to Rabaul, as they