AUSTRALIAN WARSHIPS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 137, 11 June 1915, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN WARSHIPS

READY FOR ACTION. FAITH IN ADMIRAL BEATTY. "Things are pretty hot round thi« quarter," said an officer with the Australian Fleet, in the course of a letter to a friend m Melbourne. "We are always ready to open fire, and wear our lifebelte continuously, to give us a chance if we strike a mine or meet a submarine. "For the first week," he went on to say, " the aniiety wag a torture. 1 used to have the nightmare when we first started business, and so did a good many more, but one soon gets tired of thinking about war and settles down to a normal condition " The cold weather has bowled over a few of our fellows. We buried four in Scotland. The last burial was very sad. We carried the victim to the little graveyard while the snow was falling, and the Union Jack \jas all covered with it when the service had been read by the chaplain. The men all sang ' Abide With Me,' and his special chums lowered the body into the grave. After the, ceremony was over, -everybody saluted. No volleys were fired. "Th© men afterwards took up a subscription and gave it to the old whiteheaded sexton of the church. He had a little daughter, and he promised that as long as she lived she would tend the four graves of the Australians, which are side by side, and put fresh flowers on them. He was a venerable old soul, and the daughter reminded me of Little Nell in the Dickens yarn. I was jolly glad when the band marched us back with ' It's a Long Way to Tipperary.' I had a good draw of the pipe before I got my spirits back. " The ship ig joined up with a powerful squadron of her own class. There is no mistake that if we do meet any of the enemy's ships we will give them s. bad time, although w© will, perhaps, get a rough handling ourselves. They are no duffers at the game, you know ; but we have every confidence in Admiral Beatty. I hardly think there can bo anything else done to make us more ready. "It was fine the other day to see the spirit of our fellows when we got close to the enemy. Stokers were shaking hands with the seamen, and all hand* were soon moving about at top speed. Lota of youngsters came up to me and said, 'Is it a. dinkum show this time, Bir?' or 'Are we going to get a smack at them this time, sir?' and so on. I never saw men so keen. Mere boys have been carried down to the doctor, completely exhausted -with colds and coughs before they would give in. That's the sort of grit we want. Most of these young Aii6traJiai7is are very keen on snowballing. They think the snow is wonderful."