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[Page 14]
Sept 17th
Was on outpost duty next day 10 men Colour sergeant & 1 officer, we were there to take arms off the niggers who had been told to bring in all arms & Hand them over to us, during the day two niggers came along with a shell they had found slung on a pole, they put it down in front of us and after looking at it (from a distance) we decided to pass it along to the navy 1 of our chaps going along with the niggers, on arrival at the naval office the chaps there nearly went mad shouting take it away at once & dump it on to the shore where it will be safe, we found out afterwards that it was a Lyddite shell which had not exploded so no wonder the chap was frightened, on sentry duty all night
Sept 18
Sunday day of rest nothing doing
Sept 19
Up at 4 am & boarded a captured steamer called the Sumatra at 8 am & was taken back to Rabaul, & then on board the Berrima on Guard again. The Sumatra was captured coming in to Simpson Haven with 50 German reservists on board she did not know we were already there & she walked, or rather steamed, into a trap, when she found out what was what she turned about & was going off as fast as she could but the Pioneer chased her, also one of the destroyers went after her & brought her in & the men were prisoners, there were lots of prisoners just about this time they being confined in a large shed on the wharf guarded by sentries & barbed wire fences put round them, the wounded Germans were put on the Berrima & on shore in the Hospital there was on board 1 German who got shot twice through the wrist he