Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 32]
spectacle. The proclamation was read & the British flag broken to the cheers of the soldiers & the strains of "God save the King" On arriving back at the ship we received instructions to reinforce the troops at Herbertshohe & proceeded there by means of the "Encounter"
Monday 14th Sept.
We marched at 5 oclock, "H" Company again filling the position of advance guard. At 6.30 the warships commenced to shell the German positions. It was very invigorating to hear the shells scream & roar over head. The niggers who had been commandeered to drag the artillery (1 six pounder) thought that their end was come. The advance was slow proceeded through cocoanut & banana plantations. At intervals along the route natives were collected from their huts Many were fine well built men some short & fat some long & skinny, many scab marked & not a few suffering from skin diseases. During conversations with them they told us that the Germans treated them badly, forcing them to work for very small wages – 3d a day was considered a magnificent sum – beating them much & branding them with an arrow head.
About five miles out the plantations gave way to virgin forest & here, for fear of ambush the progress was slower. During the afternoon