The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) was formed in early August 1914 to seize German assets in the South West Pacific. It was primarily a naval operation under overall command of Vice Admiral Sir George Edwin Patey, RN, commander of the Australian Squadron aboard HMAS Australia. Most of the RAN’s capital ships of the day were involved. The supporting military component was led by Colonel William Holmes who became Administrator of the captured territory. Holmes later became commander of the 5th Infantry Brigade, AIF (NSW). The 1000-strong infantry battalion embarked on the transport HMAS Berrima and was designated as the garrison for Rabaul which was captured on 13 September. Those naval landing parties which went ashore on 11 September at both Herbertshohe and Kabakaul were from HMA Ships Yarra, Warrego and Sydney, along with a small number of additional military personnel. Their objective was to capture a German radio station believed to be located in the village of Bitapaka, about seven kilometres south of Kabakaul. The landing party which advanced on Bitapaka initially encountered some strong resistance from a German and locally-recruited native force in which six Australians were killed and five wounded. One of those killed was Captain (Doctor) Brian Pockley of Wahroonga, NSW. He was mortally wounded by enemy fire while treating another wounded man. These were the first Australian casualties of the Great War. The Australian submarine HMAS AE1 was lost with all 35 hands while on patrol during this operation. Its location was unknown until the wreck was found in December 2017 near the Duke of York Islands east of Rabaul.
