Part 02: Rex Nixon letters, 21 May 1915-27 December 1916 - Page 10
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[Page 10]
2.
boat had two life-boats broken, as well as port holes. The only damage it did to us was to wash some [indecipherable] overboard, they belonged to the canteen; some sailors were nearly washed overboard too. Talk about [indecipherable] food we got on her, well it was as good as you get at home, three course dinners, and plenty of green vegetables, and pudding (snifter at that). We were always leaving the A62 behind, for she could not keep up with us, her funnels were always belching thick black smoke out, while ours was always letting steam off.
About three days after we left the Australian coast a death occurred aboard, the man who died was a Queenslander, he suffered from blood poisoning; then after a few days he went off his head, we stopped and buried him near Cocos Island; twenty-one shots were fired where he went in, while all the troops were standing at the Present Arms.
Smooth weather prevailed all the way, especially in the tropics the water was as smooth as glass, smoother than I have ever seen it in Sydney Harbour. We called at Aden, having been told by some warship that there was fighting going on, but & to be ready we were told that we were going ashore there. We were all excited at the news, filling our water bottles, and haversacks, getting served with bully beef etc