Item 10: General William Holmes diary, 23 August 1914-22 February 1915 - Page 128
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[Page 128]
FRIDAY - 9TH OCTOBER 1914:
At 8-0 a.m. the following message was received by the Administrator from Lt. Commander Jackson: -
"Yacht seen by patrol was "Julius"" Mission Boat.
A message had previously been despatched to the Navy Board stating that the "Komet" had passed Waton Island at 9-0 p.m. on the 8th instant steaming Eastward.
Plans of a supposed Wireless Station were discovered at Herbertshohe, and in view of this a message was sent to the "Nusa" at Noon as follows: -
"Administrator to "Nusa": - It is expected that a Wireless Station is working at Tawanakus Bay, West of Weber Haven. Plans of the station are in my possession. (No acknowledgement of this message received.)
The following message was sent to Navy Board: -
"Observing store ships due arrive 11th, request information movements Japanese Fleet."
At 8-10 p.m. the following message was received from Thursday Island: -
"From Navy, Melbourne: - Thursday Is. heard signals in German plain language at 4-45 a.m. 7th Octr. reporting that "Australia" and all large English Men-o-War had left Rabaul going Eastward. Did you hear this signal and can you estimate where it was made from?"
Reply sent at 9-30 p.m.: -
"Message not intercepted here. Station believed to be working at Tawanakus Bay. Expedition has been despatched."
Commander Beresford visited the Administrator at 9-0 a.m. Instructions had been issued to remove the bodies of the two men (A.B. Street, R.A.N.R. and a German named Ritter) who were killed at the second trench on the road to the wireless station. The bodies were brought in today and reinterred in the Cemetery at Herbertshohe.
The "Ludwig" (a small motor launch belonging to the R.C. Mission at Herbertshohe) was given a pass to proceed to Duke York Island to obtain supply food; on her way she was signalled "to stop" by the "Madang", but took no notice of the signals; the "Madang" was compelled to open fire from a machine gun in order to stop this launch.
The "Ludwig" was towed back to Rabaul, but was afterwards allowed to proceed on her journey, the man in charge of the launch being unaware of the conditions laid down.
At 7-30 p.m. a message was received from the "Encounter" as under: -
"Thursday Is. to Flag: - Communication established between Pt. Moresby and Sinpson Hafen. Signals fair to weak. Then only possible by night and W.T.O. cannot guarantee reliability."