 In late November 1918 , Detzner received the news of the end of the war from a worker at the Sattelberg Mission Station . He wrote a letter to the Australian commander in Morobe in which he offered his capitulation . On 5 January 1919 , he surrendered at the Finschhafen District headquarters , marching with his remaining German troops in a column , and wearing his carefully preserved full @-@ dress uniform . He was brought to Rabaul , the Australian headquarters , and on 8 February 1919 , was transferred to Sydney aboard the Melusia ; after a brief internment in the prisoner of war camp at Holsworthy , he was repatriated to Germany . 
