"assist." The Senior
Naval Transport Officer, a captain in the Royal Navy, endeavoured to
make up the 90 minutes lost by urging speed in the move from one ship to
the other. When the futility of expecting fully equipped men to move
quickly over the solitary 15-inch plank laid down as a gangway was
pointed out to him, he showed signs of irritability and threatened an
adverse report on the handling of the troops. On being informed that it
was his privilege to make such a report he left the ship. However, he
was later observed in altercation with the skipper of the smaller vessel
and eventually a second gangway was rigged. When this move was commenced
there was room on the main deck for two companies only. The other two
were kept clear and their officers took refuge on the boat deck. There
they were found, reclining in chairs, by another staff officer duly
be-tabbed, trousered, brogued, and carrying a cane. He seemed to be
amazed at the indifference of the Australians to their impending move
and burst out "I say, you fellows, do you know that you've got to be off
this ---- ship in half an hour?" Being greeted with roars of laughter he
disappeared down the companionway calling plaintively, "Where's the
Colonel? Where's the Colonel?"

Within ten minutes of the time originally allowed, the Battalion had
passed over to the "Sarnia." As she sheered off loud cheers were given
for the captain of the "Ivernia" and groans for one of his officers whom
the men considered had been, on the voyage, over niggardly with the
rations. The packet boat, her decks rather tightly packed with troops,
moved down the Bay between the lines of the warships, whose crews
cheered and cheered again those now leaving for the front. Darkness was
falling as the transport entered the open sea and steamed at 17 knots in
the direction of Anzac--60 miles away to the north-east.

Some two hours elapsed and then star shells, bursting over Achi Baba,
near the Southern end of the Peninsula, gave the newcomers a first
glimpse of the "real war." Later on the guns could be heard and shell
explosions witnessed on the plain of Helles where the VIII. Corps and
the French had been for the previous five months. Keen were the watchers
on the deck of the "Sarnia" and keener still they became as the rugged
mass of Sari Bair loomed out of the sea. It was then known that the end
of the journey was at hand.

Nearing the Peninsula at this point--opposite Williams' Pier--resem