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"Parramatta"
At Rabaul
13.9.14
Dear Guy,
I got a letter from you at Port Moresby & was very glad to get it. At the same time, thank God you are not here with us; I was wishing awhile back that you were but I don´t want any more of my friends in it; our doings I have found somewhat comic in the past when there were only ourselves up here & no one else for whom anyone of us cares a dam.
But somehow the comedy is sadly missing just now; I heard yesterday of poor old Brian´s death. You may like to know something of how it happened.
I saw him last Sunday in Moresby (6th Sept.) & we all came up to take this place (New Britain on which destroyers made a night attack just a month before) on th, Friday. He was in Berrima of course & Destroyers pushed on and made a search before daylight but found nothing. "Parramatta went on to Rabaul ten miles up & others stayed at Herbertschoe & landed a party to attack wireless station 4 miles inland; road through rough and scrubby country. Brian landed with first 50 & they went out scouting. Found road mined & concealed pits full of native police with German officers. Natives up trees too shooting down on them. Brian had attended to a couple of wounded & sent them back on stretchers, giving his own red cross to the stoker bearers, saying tfhefd take his chance & must get up to the firing line again." He had not gone far when he was shot down through the breast and spine from a tree. He lived some time & was trying to give orders to his stewards to look after the other wounded as he knew he was done. It was a damned fine finish, I hope the rest of us may only do as well! I wish I could have been with him. I did not think he had landed, as it was with the Naval Brigade that he went. Mail just off.Goodbye old man, thank God you* are not with us .
Yours
A.B.D.
"Parramatta" at Rabaul New Britain 17/9/1914