10th Battalion patch. Image courtesy Australian War Memorial
10th Battalion diary – November 1914
9.11.14
Indian Ocean East of COCAS Is
At 7:15 AM our wireless operator intercepted a message from Cocas island S.O.S S.O.S (save our souls)
One of escort HM Australian was ship – Sydney at once steamed West – to the rescue. @ 11:15AM the following message was rec ‘EMDEN BEACHED AND DONE FOR’ There was great enthusiasm and cheering on board when this was communicated to our Troops
21.11.14
Indian Ocean
About Latitude 11° ‘s North Longitude 63° ‘s East at noon
At 4:30AM whilst at sea on Troopship AII ‘Ascanius’ was[?] collided with Troopship Shropshire, with the result that a dent 26 feet long was made in the port side forward bow of the Ascanius – the collision alarm was immediately sounded upon which all officers + men fell in on the troop deck to put on life belts, …All remained in their troop decks until ordered to assemble on boat deck, which they did in excellent order, not a word being uttered, they stood on deck in perfect order in silence until 5:30AM by which hour it has been ascertained that the vessel was not marking [?] water… the damage was well above water mark + the sea calm
I consider that the behaviour of all ranks was exemplary.