Item 01: Fred Hamilton-Kenny letter diary, 29 August-19 October 1914 - Page 21
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[Page 21]
put in there & 500 men were yelling "We want food - We want water" It looks as if things had been over hurried & overlooked - Port Moresby was armed to the teeth against possible German cruisers - I've jotted all this down so as to keep things alive - It's very fine all this powerful action & energy of men in the prime of life & everything regarded as a joke & yet a strong vein of thoroughness & determination thro it all -
The Empire is at its best!! with its Naval Men -
Dense rain is now falling -
7pm H Hohe is ours - Men were landed & in skirmishing order went thro & took possession -
At 4.30 pm up comes the Berrima with Australian troops & steams to a huge wharf - We were close up & watched with great interest to see what wd happen - Nothing happened - The troops did not land but will to - morrow morning - The Encounter & the Sydney are here so we're pretty formidable - What we wanted was to see all the German flags hauled down to-day - I'll wind up this to-day with a yarn of the fight at Karakaul - One of our men collared a man of the Native Police & threatened to shoot him unless he sounded the 'Cease firing' This the chap did with great vigor - There upon 2 Germans rushed up & wanted to know who the hell told him to sound "Cease fire' - They were collared & turned out to be the Commander of the German operations & his lieutenant