“A STORY OF HEROISM. THE PHILOMEL'S MEN.
Further details have reached the Defence Minister of the land operations in which three men of the Philomel lost their lives. The story is a most stirring one of heroic devotion to duty.
The detachment formed a machine gun section attached to certain land operations, conducted chiefly by coloured troops. The officer in charge of the detachment (Lieutenant Fitzadams Millar) received orders a little before midday to retire, and after about a mile had been retraced the men began to straggle. The heat was very great, and the men showed the effects of it. There were halts of five minutes rest, but the men could not be allowed to throw themselves down, because of the intense heat of the sand. On this account the Lieutenant kept on as long as possible in the hope of coming on some ambulance or of reaching _____, now about two miles and a half away where shade and rest could be obtained.
They fell in with two riding camels and one mule, and on these they placed five men and sent the guns on ahead. One man fell unconscious from a camel, and one able seaman had to be taken off exhausted, and these were left in charge of an ambulance doctor who happened to come along. One of the two men died a few minutes afterwards. Then an able seaman, Bruce Sidney Beagley, succumbed to a heat stroke, and he also was left in charge of the doctor. He had given up his opportunity of riding-on a camel to a comrade. He died a little later and was buried.
When the little party reached the village they were all very exhausted. Another man was missing, Leading Seaman Talmay, who had gone off the track about 200 yards to get shade with a white soldier, and both were found dead. The Lieutenant and two other seamen rested at the village, and then, very exhausted, pushed on and arrived back at the ship with the guns that night.
The behaviour of the men was splendid throughout the whole day, and there was no word of complaint. Some words of praise are contained in a letter from Colonel A. M. S. Elsmie, who was in command. He said he did deeply regret the death of a petty officer and two men of the naval detachment. Apparently in their keenness to get into the firing line the men had doubled some distance, and this and the long march knocked them out. The whole detachment had borne its trials at this "abominable spot" cheerfully, and all along had been keen to do their duty. They had set a magnificent example to the Indian troops, in whose section they were living, and an example like that had a wonderful effect on Indian soldiers, who thus realised the stuff of which the Britisher was made. The men would not give in till they dropped in their tracks.” [Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 555, 19 November 1915, Page 8]