On the afternoon of 21 October 1914, at the Port of Melbourne, the Governor-General of Australia, Sir Ronald Munro-Ferguson, together with his wife and the official party, boarded His Majesty’s Australian Transport Ship No 3 Orvieto to farewell Australian troops departing for World War 1. Members of the 5th Battalion formed an honour guard to welcome the official party.
The vice-regal party was not on board for long. Soon the great throng of families and well-wishers cheered the departing HMAT Orvieto, and the 1,457 men and women aboard. The great ship cast off from Princes Pier (then known as Railway Pier). Sir William Throsby Bridges, Commander of the First Australian Division was the highest ranking officer aboard.
The band of the 5th Battalion played the National Anthem, 'God Save the King'.
In the preceding 5 days, from 17-21 October 1914, fifteen ships left from Station Pier to make up the convoy headed to Albany, Western Australia. In Albany more ships would join the convoy before leaving Australian shores for Egypt.
Historic footage of the departure of HMAT Orvieto can be viewed at: http://anzaccentenary.vic.gov.au/remembrance/hmat-orvieto-embarkation/
At this stage A. G. Adams held the rank of Colour Sergeant.
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