Papers of Cyril John Percy Hill - Part 1

A.W.M.

LIBRARY

2^nd. Terrible spasm. Completed refit. Ran trials

Oiled ship. Took aboard torpedoes & war heads

Ship in confusion.

Monday 3^rd

                &

Tuesday 4^th

Left Sydney at 6 A.M. Careful watch kept for

enemies cruisers & merchantmen. Employed preparing

for war & drilling guns & tubes crews like mad.

Arrived Townsville. Went alongside oil steamer &

filled up with oil fuel. Still preparing for war &

drilling like blazes.

Landed all wood & canvass gear, ensign & jack

staffs etc. Ship looks like nothing on earth.

Cleared for action & various evolutions, amidst cheers of

inhabitants.

Received orders to join Flag at rendezvous. Proceeded

War routine. Anchored off small island inside

Barrier Reef.

3.30 AM. Sighted vessel without lights. Took her to be

enemies cruiser. Huge excitement. All hands & stations

funs & tubes manned & trained. Turned out to be

our oil vessel proceeding northward. Huge disappointment.

Joined up with Flag Sydney & Destroyers. Received order

to paint ships black. Proceeded towards German

New Guinea. Ships Company painting ships & themselves

black. Chiefly themselves.

Flag received information that enemies fleet consisting 

of five ships. Scharnhorst, Gneisenau Nurnberg

Planet & Comet were at anchor in Simpson Haven

Destroyers Warrego, Paramatta & Yarra ordered

to enter harbour during the night & attempt to

torpedo them. Nothing being known of defences or

fortifications. 5.30 PM Destroyers with Sydney

lift flag & proceeded full speed towards Simpson

Haven. 6.30 cleared for action & went to quarters.

9.0 Left Sydney off Pried Point & proceeded slow

speed towards entrance under cover of land.

9.30 Entered Harbour unseen & search all round

nothing afloat in Harbour. Only thing sighted was

a hundred or so natives dancing tango round

fire on beach (Huge disappointment).

Just left Simpson Haven & [?] to Sydney. [?]

can find enemy. Ordered to enter harbour at

daylight & shell wireless station. Entered harbour

at daylight, hit wireless station. Huge disappointment.

10.30 AM Paramatta ordered to Herbertshoe, chief

settlement in New Guinea about 10 miles from Simpson

Haven. Self in command of armed party landed.

Inhabitants fled at our approach. Took two

prisoners one German missionary & one half caste

who spoke English. Could get no information out

of them even with revolver down their necks. Very

loyal. Followed telegraph wires along & sighted

Post Office. Rushed same in grand style, no 

one there. Contented ourselves with cutting telegraph 

& telephone wires & breaking up post office

instruments. Released prisoners & returned on board

laden with cigars, postcards & coconuts (loot).

4.0PM Fleet left & proceeded towards Rossel Isl. 

Flag & Encounter proceeded to Port Moresby leaving

destroyers & Sydney & Melbourne at Rossel Isl

to [?] from captured collier.

Sydney coaling, Destroyers oiling from Melbourne. If

enemy turns up now they will catch us on the hop.

Plenty fun!!

Gunner called 1^st Lieut. at midnight for middle

watch. 1^st Lieut turned over & went to sleep again.

Gunner also turned in. Cap^tn came on deck during

middle watch & found no officer. Terrible bobbery.

Result copious orders in writing & threats to log.

1st Lieut & gunner shed tears of penitence (I don't 

think) Officers keep anchor watch on bridge after

giving quarter master strict orders to watch Captain.

Ships still at [anchor symbol] inside reef at Rossel Island.

Slack day.

Patrolling outside Rossel Lagoon. Oil steamer

arrived thank goodness. Sighted schooner & chased

her. Turned out to be missionary schooner with

English missionary on board. Didn't know war

had been declared. Very surprised. Gave us any

amount of bananas, cocoanuts, yams, pumpkins

& his blessing. Fine blowout. Ships company

employed growing whiskers.

Alongside S.S. Payser taking in oil. Our friend the

missionary came aboard & had lunch. Nothing to eat.

 except tinned beef & biscuits. Caught two sharks

which Chinese crew of Payser went mad over & cut them

up into chops, steaks & fillets. Found straw hat

inside one shark. 3.30 PM Left Rossel Lagoon &

proceeded toward Port Moresby. Strong trade wind & 

nasty sea. Ships Company employed growing whiskers

& being sea sick.

On passage to Port Moresby at 20 knots. 6.30 PM

Arrived Port Moresby. Found Encounter cleared for

action having sighted collier & took her to be enemies

cruiser. Troop ship with 500 troops on board trying

alongside wharf. Short of provisions & water. Troops

cleaned town out of all eatables. More salt beef

& biscuits. No news of war or rest of fleet. Don't

know what we are here for. Starting list.

At anchor at Port Moresby doing nothing. No news

& no mail. Still beastly hot. Yarra patrolling

entrance of Harbour. All night in thank goodness.

Aug 21^st

till

Sep 4^th

Destroyers employed on defence of Port Moresby.

One destroyer patrolling outside harbour every night.

One or two false alarms of enemies cruisers about

to attack the Port. Destroyers at once weighed

& went to look for them. No sign of any shipping

at all. During day destroyers employed variously

in assisting troop ship, colliers & oil vessel to

coal, water, etc. Troop ship arrived in Port

Moresby with 500 troops on board with very little water & short of provisions. No water to be had in Port Moresby & hardly any provisions.

Troops behaving very well although short of provisions

& no water to wash in. Destroyers able to distill

about 15 tons in 24 hours for her when not

employed otherwise. Paramatta organised coaling

of Kanowna ^^{Troop ship}. Police cleared out native village

of all male inhabitants and put them aboard

"Kanowna". Paramatta placed sentries over

them & forced them to coal. About 250 natives

onboard. Took in 1200 tons of coal in 4 days

not bad for natives who had never coaled a

ship before. Warrego experimenting firing

SE torpedo from catamaran. Results very 

satisfactory. No mails & very little news of 

any disruption. Whereabouts of rest of squadron 

unknown.

Sydney & Encounter arrived with Berrimer troop ship

[?] store ship. Paramatta left Port Moresby 

conveying Oil vessel "?" & one collier to 

rendezvous off Rossel Island. Strong S^ly trade

wind & heavy sea. Everyone sick & wet.

Rest of squadron left Port Moresby with remaining 

colliers. Stokers of Kanowna troop ship mutinied 

& were arrested. Kanowna left behind at Port 

Moresby. Paramatta proceeding to rendezvous

at 6 Knots with "Murese" & "Koolanga"

6.30 PM Arrived at rendezvous off Rossel Risland

& joined up with Flagship & submarines.

Squadron proceeded towards Simpson Haven. Seat

of Government in German New Guinea. Destroyers

stationed 5 miles ahead of Squadron.

AM. Sydney & destroyers left Squadron & proceeded 

ahead at high speed towards Simpson Haven in

order to make night attack. Enemies cruisers

thought to be in Harbour.

3.30 AM. Arrived of Preach P^c. (see plan) left "Sydney"

and proceeded into Simpson Haven. Enemy not

inside only a few trading schooners. Destroyers after

searching harbour return to "Sydney". Paramatta

ran to northward & searched Talini Bay. Sydney

Warrego & Yarra proceeded to Herbertshohe.

Found nothing in Talini Bay, waited for daylight

& then Paramatta again entered Simpson Haven. 

Self in command of landing party took possession of

pier & cargo sheds. Search sheds well, smashed

open all doors & cases of cargo. Found nothing

contraband. Meanwhile ships boats sweeping for

mines all around pier. No mines found.

Took armed boats crew & captured ten trading

schooners. Removed all arms & ammunition

from them. Hauled down German flags & [?]

all ten schooners together between Paramatta &

pier. Sarg Sighted three steam ships anchored

close in near entrance of harbour.  Weighed & 

proceeded to investigate. Found them to be gunboat "Protector", submarine depot ship & 

Prize. Returned to Rabaul to watch town.

Sydney, Warrego & Yarra arrived off Herbertshohe

at daylight. Sydney landed party with stores

also 25 scouts belonging to RAN reserve former

Troop ship which she had brought up from

Troop ship Borrimer to scout round the wireless

station. Scouts at once opened out & made 

for the bush. Found road to wireless station

mined & enemy entrenched at intervals all up

the road. Enemy evidently expected troops to

land & march up the road to wireless station.

Scouts got in touch with enemy almost at once

on landing & made signals for reinforcements

finding they were up against companies of native

police with German officers & N.C.O & most of

the German residents of Herbertshohe. Destroyers

which were lying close inshore at once landed

almost their entire ships companies & took

to the jungle, worked round the trenches

along the road & managed to clear the enemy 

out. Meanwhile Australia & Berrimer arrived

& landed a company of troops. Wireless station

taken about sunset. Destroyers party by [?]

in the jungle lost no one. RAN Reserve lost

two officers & four men killed & one officer & three

men wounded. Doctor shot dead while attending

a wounded German officer. Lieut Ellwell ^^RN shot

dead through exposing himself in the road.

Not certain how many soldiers lost. Enemies

losses considerable. Prisoners eight German

officers & NCO^s & 40 native police. Governor

cannot be found. Results at sunset on 

Sept 11^th....Herbertshohe & wireless station taken.

Rabaul held up by Paramatta & "Protector"

with pier & cargo sheds in our possession.

Saturday. Squadron entered Simpson Haven with

colliers oil vessel & prizes. Berrimer went

alongside pier & landed scouts. No opposition.

Paramatta patrolling between Preach P^c. & Raluana

P^c.

Sunday. Troops landed & took possession of town.

Governor scooted. Paramatta returned from 

patrol being relieved by "Yarra". Made fast to

oil vessel & commenced taking in oil. Union 

Jack hoisted at 3.30 PM on parade ground.

Flagship saluted 4 PM Signal from Herbertshohe

"Enemy advancing on Herbertshoe" Paramatta

sent there to assist. When we arrived enemy had

been driven back. Paramatta not required.

Several prisoners taken also plan of enemies position.

Paramatta patrolling all night.

Sep 14^th

Monday

At Daylight "Encounter" arrived Herbertshohe &

having exact plan & position of enemies camps

commenced shelling with [?]. Shelling very

accurate Camp & stores completely destroyed.

armed natives suffered heavily. Paramatta

& submarine AE 1 patrolling S^t Georges Channel.

Submarine seen at 2.30 just off Duke of York 

Island. Paramatta then steered due East across

Channel & returned on same course. Submarine

not in sight. Thought she had returned to 

harbour. Paramatta anchored off Herbertshohe

11 PM Signal from Flag telling us to go & search

for Submarine. Destroyers weighed & commenced

search. 

Sep 15^th

Tuesday

Destroyers still searching for Submarine. No sign

of her. Very much afraid she has been sunk.

Enemy supposed to have light guns hidden on

small islands. "Yarra" touched uncharted reef

while searching for Submarine & damaged

propeller. Flagship Melbourne & Sydney left for

Sydney to escort expeditionary force to [?]

French flagship "Montcalm" arrived. Ships

left in Simpson Haven, Montcalm, "Encounter"

"Protector", "Warrego", "Yarra" & Paramatta.

Submarine AE 2 Submarine depot ship. 2 colliers

1 oil vessel, 1 store ship. Berrimer trooper&

Grantala hospital ship. If enemies cruisers

turn up & attack us we shall have a 

lively time. Hope China fleet are somewhere

near. 6.30 Paramatta left harbour on patrol.

Sep 16^th

Wednesday

Paramatta & Submarine AE II anchored off

Herbertshohe. All peaceful here, no sign of

enemies troops. Also no sign of AE 1.  Very much

afraid she is a "goner". Must have either been

sunk by enemy or struck uncharted rock.

Yarra not damaged seriously. [?] can fix 

her up to do 20 Knots. Thank goodness.

Patrolling all night as usual.

Sep 17th

Thursday

Returned to harbour at 6 AM. Oiled ship. Scouts

discovered big naval store also 1000 tons of coal among

palm trees near Matupi Harbour.  Loot in galore, out

of which Paramatta only got one case of Laager

Beer through not being on the spot.

Sep 17th

Continued

8.0 PM  Encounter, Warrego & Paramatta proceeded

to search west coast of New Britain. Enemies gun-

boat Comet supposed to be round somewhere.

Arrived at Powel harbour. Destroyers searched

harbour only finding large alligator which we fired

at & missed. Collared native who said he knew

where Comet was & offered to pilot us there. Just

then wireless message came through telling us to

return full speed to Simpson Haven as enemies

cruisers Scharnhorst & Neisnau were somewhere close

& Australia & Sydney were returning full speed.

Obliged to leave nigger & Comet till another day.

Much sooner tackle Comet than big cruisers.

On way to harbour noticed small steamer stuck

on reef & evidently burnt. Warrego sent boat to

investigate & found her still burning & having

a one pounder gun mount in the bows & some

empty cartridge cases. Must have been her who 

sunk submarine AE 1 & in her hurry to get away

ran on reef & enemy unable to get her off set

her on fire & dismounted gun.

6 PM Entered harbour & again filled up with oil fuel. 

Sep 19th

Saturday.

Patrolling all day. 3PM Australia & Sydney 

arrived. No sign of enemy. Paramatta

patrolling all night.

Sep 20th

Sunday.

7.30 AM Anchored in Simpson Haven. Slack

day. Protector patrolling. No sign of enemy. 

Must have got wind of Flagships return.

"Fantone" & another oil ship arrived bringing mail

Warrego told off to patrol all night. Whiskers

getting on splendidly. German prisoner dived off

Flagship & tried to escape & was riddled with 

bullets from guard before he got 20 yds. Very

foolish game.