On loan to the NZ Division of the Royal Navy from the UK.
"In July 1915 Philomel was transferred back to the Red Sea, where it patrolled for arms smugglers and supported the British garrison at Aden. In late September Philomel landed a party with a machine gun as part of a force which repelled a Turkish advance to within 20 km of Aden. During their return to Aden three men succumbed to heatstroke and died. Two were New Zealanders – Chief Petty Officer George Phillips and Able Seaman Bruce Beagley, who both died on 29 September 1915. From the Red Sea Philomel was sent to the Persian Gulf, where it operated from November 1915 until early 1917. The ship’s main tasks were patrolling to intercept gun runners and German spies. It also protected trade, mediated between disputing Arab tribes and harassed Ottoman forces in Mesopotamia (Iraq). During this deployment New Zealander Victor Adlam died of suspected food poisoning in June 1916."
[nzhistory.govt.nz/war/hms-philomel. Retrieved 2/2/22]
“ … on 24 September Lieutenant Millar was called to Brigade headquarters and informed that the Philomel machine gun detachment was to be attached to the 23rd Sikh Pioneers for a reconnaissance force that was to take place the next day. The force moved out at 4.45am to attack the village of Waht, about 11 miles from their position at Sheikh Othman. … [following Turkish shelling in the late morning and early afternoon] “It had originally been intended for the force to remain at Waht until the cool of the evening but immediate orders to retire were received … A halt was made every 20 minutes or so for about five minutes’ rest. The heat was now such that it could be felt through the soles of the men’s boots, nevertheless at each halt they would throw themselves down on the hot sand. There was no shade whatsoever. About two miles from the village [As Sela] two camels and a mule were encountered and Chief Petty Officer Phillips and the four most exhausted were placed on these. Ten minutes later Lieutenant Millar came across the Chief Petty Officer and one of the Able Seamen who had been taken off the camel. [They were left in the care of a doctor, who managed to find an ambulance camel, but Chief Petty Officer Phillips died just before the village of As Sela and was buried there.] … A short time later Lieutenant Millar, who was walking in the rear came upon Able Seaman Beagley who was suffering from heat stroke. Beagley had been given the opportunity of riding on a mule, but had refused in order that someone else could ride and continued walking until he dropped in his tracks. There was little shade available and although there was a doctor to attend to Beagley, he later died and was buried” [Wright (2015) p90]
