AUSTRALIAN FORCES

Southland Times, Issue 18945, 19 May 1923, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN FORCES

FIRING THE FIRST SHOT A discussion as to which unit of the Australian Forces fired the first shot in the war, arose as a result of a reference by Brigadier-General McGlinn to the cruiser Sydney having gained that distinction in the action with the Emden, in November, 1914. He explained that his reference to the *‘firat shot in the war” applied specially to Royal Australian naval action. He agreed that the New Guinea Expeditionary Force—the “pioneer unit of the Australian Imperial Force,” not only fired the first shot in the war, so far as Australia is concerned, but fired that shot before any other units left for the front. Another correspondent of a Sydney newspaper has stated that Australia’s first shot in the war, and probably in the British Empire, was fired by the Fort Nepean battery, at Port Phillip Heads, Victoria, on August 4, 1914. The German vessel in question was granted a clearance at Melbourne, and by the time she reached the heads the declaration of war had been received. The signal to “stop” was ignored, until the Garrison Artillery fired a shot across her bows and caused her to return and be intertied.