Iles war diary, 1914-1919 / G. H. Iles - Page 7
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[Page 7]
so proud of Englands sure shield as it was on this memorable day, when by the hand of fate, and the Will of William the Emperor of Germany the power of "Might" had challenged that of "Right", and the mighty steel walls of Britain's Navy had been called upon to protect not only the free thinking nations of the world, but the whole of 'Humanity'.
Fully conscious of the duty that laid before us, we steamed onward thru the darkness of the night in a southerly direction closing in on the heels of the German merchantman 'Seydlitz' which had been ordered to leave Sydney some hours before us, the Australia had been ordered north towards the Great Barrier Reef.
On August 4th a wireless message was transmitted to us, to the effect that War had been declared between England and Germany caused by the violation of Belgium neutrality by Germany