Letter from Gerald Holmes to Mr Wallace

PR82/8
HMAS "Australia"
At a certain place. 
October 26^th 1914.
Dear Mr Wallace,
Many thanks for your kindness in
sending me papers and booklets. My mess-mates
wish me to convey their thanks also. We pass many
pleasant hours reading the papers and also clear
up many vexed questions relating to the war.
Since writing last we have travelled many miles
but have had very little excitement. After leaving
Suva on Sept. 4^th we proceeded to a renen rendezvous
off New Guinea where we were joined by the "Berrima"
and other ships, afterwards proceeding to Rabaul.
You are familiar with what happened on our arrival

there. I think that if, on the first show of armed
resistance, our Admiral had bombarded the bush around
the W.T. station our losses would have been nil. The
morning following the day when our troops lost their men,
the Admiral gave the "Encounter" orders to shell the
bush, result; the enemy surrendered and no resistance
was afterwards encountered. On Sept 15^th we left
Rabaul with a number of German prisoners on board,
intending to go to Sydney to escort our troops to Aden,
but on the 17^th after doing 750 miles we received orders
from the Admiralty to return to Rabaul. Sept 24 saw
us at Fredrich Wilhelms Haven in company with the "Encounter"
"Montcalm" and "Berrima", Troops were landed from the "Berrima"

(2)
Returned to Rabaul on Sept 26^th. About this time one of
our Destroyers captured a German cargo ship lying in
a small river a few miles from Rabaul. The Germans
had covered the ship with palms, green bushes etc and
our boats had passed the green-ship a number of times
without noticing it. Eventually some sailors were landed
to search for traces of submarine AEI and at once
detected the ship as she had only been decorated on
the side facing the sea. On October 1^st we left Rabaul
for the Caroline Islands but in this case had only travelled
90 miles when we were again re-called to Rabaul. This
was due to the bombardment of Tahiti by the German ships.
On Saturday night Oct 3^rd our chaplain, Mr Riley, was giving
the ships company a linograph entertainment, when a
wireless came through ordering us to Suva; picture show
abruptly terminated. The "Sydney" and "Montcalm"
accompanied us, all three leaving at 11 PM. We arrived
at Suva on the 13^th after cruising a a lot to the north
of the Fiji Islands. On the 17^th we proceeded to Savii
Island in the Samoa Group and afterwards returned
to Suva via Wallis and the Horne Islands. I do not
know our next move yet. The Admiral gets all orders
through the Naval Board from the Admiralty. I think
if he had been given a free hand at the outset, that
the "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" would have been met with

(3)

before this, I have found out that the Admirals
programme in the early part of the war, was to go
direct to the Marshall Islands. At this time the
German ships were at Juliat so that we h would
have had a sporting chance of meeting them. But
the Admiralty took control of the our Navy and
sent us to Samoa. We should be scouring for the
enemy now, but we stop here, for what it is hard
to say. All are fairly happy on board. To-day the
ships crew were allowed three hours ashore, the first
occasion since leaving Sydney. A little discontent was
caused some weeks ago through lack of official news,
submarine AEI was missing but nothing was posted
up concerning her, on top of this a subscription list
was issued and the crew also found that that the
Australian public had been officially informed of the 
sad event. This set people talking with the result
that the Admiral was informed, since then we get official
news regularly also the W.T. press messages. I had no
opportunity of seeing the people you so kindly mentioned
in your letter as we have had no chance of leaving the ship.
Please give my chin-chin to club members.
Trusting this finds you in the best of health.
I remain yours sincerely
Gerald Holmes.
P.S. Since leaving Sydney in August we have done 16,000 miles.