Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-30
STORIES OF THE WAR
vaior of Australians on Doomed Ship.

Vafor of Australians on Doomed Ship.
 From a trustworthy source we have received the following account of the sinking of the Ballarat troopship No. 70, says The London Telesraph" This story affords a fitting pendant to those of the Tyndareus (sunk by a mine off Cape Agulhas, South Africa, on Feb rlrery last, and the immortal Btrken- head.
 Tn this case they were Australian troops who faced the imminent pros pect of death with cheerful heroism and eooiness. and their conduct, like that of the AIiddIesex Regiment, under Colonel John Ward, M. P, adds fresh iustre to a great British tradition.
 There had been a great send-off when the troopship left Australia, for this was the first time a shipload of Australians was to make the voyage to England, with an unrestricted sub marine warfare advertised by the German artists in murder. Most of the men, nearly every one, in fact, came from Victoria. and it will be news comes through that her sons came up to the very top as they did. Boat drill is dull.
 Many of the men used fluent and fowery parts of speech to say how dull it was. No sooner in bed than the bed again than the alarm was sound ed again, and then the advance and that found sleepy. almost depressed, men at at their boat stations. They re- peated their drill until it took but four minutes to get the men out of bed and standing by their stations. At the time the Ba.llarat was struck it took, with a second or two exactly the same time-drili, discipline, tra- dttion; above all, tradition. Why?
 The men knew they were in for big thing, and they wanted to do it in all bigness. Even the parrot was saved, and is now having his rations given him by naval officers. It is a soldiers parrot, but they say he takes very kindly to sailors customs. A hawk elected to come abroad during the voyage and make himself agree able, and the hawk is now goodness knows where, for he flew away when the ship was sinking. The hawk and several cats are the only missing.
 It was Anzac day (April 25) and the officers were planning to hold a me mortal service. The officer command ing the troops was dealing with a re- been doing?" he asked, when there came a dull crash, a sound that seem ed, as he said, ito lift the skin off your face" and the ship began to ly sounded by the bugies. instantly followed by the advance" Without confusion of any kind the men fell in at their boat stations. This was real. i1uFlIS tEle voyage they ffHQ RFeH t6tG the stories of the Southland and the Birkenhead, of the behavior of the troops and men on these occasions Those men who had used f1owery and fluent parts of speech condemn ing the boat drill now used equally | literary expressions in praise of It. 'Tt's all right boys" a. man called out the old man is on the bridge Don't sing too loud" said an officer, laugh ing, sbecause I can't give o-ders'' Stand easy" was given out The turn of the navy came now. These men knew. instinctively knew that the navy would turn up. It turned up Destroyers and trawlers appear ed like magic. There was a moderate sea. and the ship, having been struck near the propellor, began settling ual1y sink until about four hours While waiting for the boats to be lowered some of the rzNta sang some actually settled down to play cards, and most of them smoked The nurses remained with the medical staff until all the patients had been provided for. with the patients until they were safely placed in boats. Every pet was saved, with the exception of some of the ships cats, and cats, as K7pling says, prefer to walk alone.
 Over the side went Bill Anzae, an Australian parrot in a cage, gray squirrel had the run of a raft, a fox terrier and her puppies are now guests of the officers of a destroyer.
 And it was all done decently and fin order. No heroics. no fuss, and a great deal of hunor and absolute efficiency Due to what? Tra.ininge The train
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