Volume 7, Issue 1 March 2018

Editorial The Rum Tub or Norrie’s By Shipmate Norrie Millen Nocturnal and Nautical Hi! Shipmates, Natter ell now 76 and still right side of the In this issue Wgrass. Sadly, still have my chest Editorial...... 1 infection and picked up a tummy bug A real master & commander...... 2 America’s new missile submarines . 3-4 (virus) just before Christmas that is Boudreaux, the smoothest-talking Cajun ... 4 lingering on. Talk about Montezuma’s revenge; on Rose first black police woman...... 5 ’s new super carriers .... 6-7 occasions that is an understatement! The loss of HMS Barham...... 8-9 HMS disaster ...... 11 2018 and into another year, hard to believe that this What is wrong with these pictures? . 11 year I and other 58-60 Ulster crew will be celebrating Nicknames ...... 12 the 60th anniversary of our commissioning, doesn’t time fly when you are enjoying yourself? Children Are Quick Teacher: Why are you late? Where did all those years go? Which reminds me, I started Student: Class started before I got a few years ago to publish shipmate’s profiles, their Royal here. Navy history. Therefore, Shipmates dust off the old grey Teacher: John, why are you doing your cells and send in your submissions. Ideally if possible, math multiplication on the floor? accompanied by a picture at start and end of your RN John: You told me to do it without career. using tables. Teacher: Glenn, how do you spell As many of you already know, I have stepped down from 'crocodile?' the committee. Being ‘on the square’ and working my way Glenn: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L' up, I am to be installed as the Worshipful Master of my Teacher: No, that's wrong masonic lodge on March 10th. This will leave me little time Glenn: Maybe it is wrong, but you for anything else. Kind of sad in some ways, it will be the asked me how I spell it. first time in 34 years that I have not served on an RNA Teacher: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water? Committee in some capacity; President, Chairman, Vice Donald: H I J K L M N O. Chairman, Secretary, Membership and Welfare Officer, Teacher: What are you talking about? not to mention Master-at-Arms. Yes, we had one in Donald: Yesterday you said it's H to O. Southern Ontario Branch; responsible for marching on Teacher: George Washington not only and off our four colours at every meeting and taking chopped down his father's cherry tree, charge of various parades we were involved in, both in but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do Canada and the United States. you know why his father didn't punish him? I do need your submissions; I feel sure that majority of Louis: Because George still had the axe you have many interesting anecdotes during your naval in his hand careers. Some sad, some funny and some hilarious, which Teacher: Clyde, your composition on are still memorable on occasions. There must be that 'My Dog' is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his? moment when something triggers that memory in your old Clyde: No, sir. It's the same dog. grey cells and which brings a smile to your face. So send Teacher: Harold, what do you call a them in, I would prefer to publish these types of articles to person who keeps on talking when stuff I ‘fish for’ on the Internet and articles I ‘poach’ from people are no longer interested? other newsletters. Harold: A teacher The way I see it anyway! Volume 7 Issue 1 March 2018

A REAL MASTER & COMMANDER – ADMIRAL COCHRANE Submitted by Bob Styants – Engineroom Association

Thomas Cochrane was born 1775 near His vigorous campaign for political corruption Hamilton, the son of Archibald in the navy, won him many enemies. th Cochrane 9 . Earl of Dundonald. In 1814 he was convicted of being involved Against his father’s wishes he in the ‘Great Stock Exchange Fraud’. He should join the army, he had bought and sold stock on a rumour joined the navy as a of Napoleon’s death and was midshipman in 1793. sentenced to a year in jail, fined and sentenced to stand in the pillory. He He soon became was ejected from parliament; notorious for stripped of his knighthood and insubordination and was dismissed from the navy. court martialled His constituents showed their belief (although acquitted) for in him, immediately re-electing thumbing his nose at the st him, but in 1817 he accepted a 1 . lieutenant of Lord commission in the Chilean navy. A Keith’s flagship “Barfleur” second remarkable career followed. while serving in the Mediterranean. By beating Spanish forces in brilliant actions between 1819-1822 he secured As a junior officer his first command was independence from Spain for Chile and the brig “Speedy” in which he made his Peru. name by capturing a much more He was next offered command of the powerfully armed Spanish frigate “El Brazilian navy, which he led in the war of Gamo” in 1801. independence against Portugal before being He was known as an attacking made an admiral in the Greek navy. commander. Napoleon called him ‘Le Loup He returned to Britain 1831 to inherit his Des Mers’ The Wolf of the father’s title and was reinstated in the Seas. Royal Navy as a Rear Admiral the With ‘Speedy’ ‘Pallas’ following year. and ‘Imperuise’ He was a proponent of steam Cochrane established propulsion and urged the himself as a master of adoption of screw propellers in coastal warfare, attacking warships. shore installations and He is held in honour in Chile, and of capturing ships in enemy their five warships which have borne his harbours. name since 1879, the most recent is the Apart from insubordinate, he was mercurial frigate “Almirante Cochrane” which entered and somewhat dodgy. His foes dreaded service in 2006. him; his men adored him; but his political overlords regarded him as impossibly rebellious. I went to the zoo yesterday and there was Although his naval career was going well, his a baguette in a cage! real interest was in parliament which he I asked the zookeeper "Why is it there"? entered in 1806 in a corrupt election in which He said "It`s bread in captivity"! he had paid bribes, though he had no need to do this in consequent elections.

Rum Tub Page - 2 Volume 7 Issue 1 March 2018

America's New Nuclear Missile Submarines Might Have a Problem From the Internet The U.S Government concerns about the Columbia-class Accountability Office is raising ballistic schedule, and concerns about the performance goals as technological maturity increasing financial of the Columbia-class commitments were ballistic missile made.” The new boomer, The GAO report notes which must become that the Navy is not operational by 2031, required to provide the will feature a host of Congress with progress new technologies that reports on Columbia’s are supposed to increase the development until 2020, but added vessels’ survivability into the foreseeable reporting would help staffers get a better grip future. However, as the GAO notes, many of on the technological risks of this vital program. those features are unproven and no prototypes “The Navy is not required to provide Congress have been built or tested. with an update on the program’s progress, “Additional development and testing are including its technology development efforts, required to demonstrate the maturity of until fiscal year 2020—when $8.7 billion for several Columbia class submarine technologies lead ship construction will have already been that are critical to performance, including the authorized,” the report reads. Integrated Power System, nuclear reactor, “Periodic reporting on technology common missile compartment, and propulsion development efforts in the interim could and related coordinated stern technologies,” provide decision makers assurances about the the GAO report reads. remaining technical risks as the Navy asks for “As a result, it is unknown at this point increasing levels of funding.” whether they will work as expected, be The GAO report was not entirely critical. The delayed, or cost more than planned. Any agency praised the Navy’s decision to complete unexpected delays could postpone the most of the submarine’s design prior to deployment of the lead submarine past the starting construction but took aim at the 2031 deadline.” service’s decision to begin design work before The GAO also accuses the Navy of several crucial technologies have sufficiently misrepresenting the risks and the level of matured. technological maturity of key components of “The Navy intends to complete much of the the new submarine. Many of the boat’s systems submarine’s overall design prior to starting such as the integrated power system—which construction to reduce the risk of cost and uses a permanent magnet motor rather than schedule growth,” the GAO notes. gears to turn the drive shaft—have not been prototyped or tested under operationally “However, the Navy recently awarded a representative conditions. contract for detail design while critical technologies remain unproven—a practice not “The Navy underrepresented the program’s in line with best practices that has led to cost technology risks in its 2015 Technology growth and schedule delays on other Readiness Assessment (TRA) when it did not programs.” identify these technologies as critical,” the report reads. “Development of these technologies is key to

meeting cost, schedule, and performance requirements.... Not identifying these Designing the submarine without fully technologies as critical means Congress may understanding the end state of technologies not have had the full picture of the technology such as the permanent magnet motor could risks and their potential effect on cost, raising lead to delays in building the new SSBNs.

Rum Tub Page - 3 Volume 7 Issue 1 March 2018

“Proceeding into detail design and Boudreaux construction with immature technologies can Boudreaux, the smoothest-talking Cajun in the lead to design instability and cause Louisiana National Guard, got called up to construction delays,” the report reads. active duty. Boudreaux's first assignment was “The Navy plans to accelerate construction of in a military induction centre. the lead submarine to compensate for an Because he was a good talker, they assigned aggressive schedule, which may lead to future him the duty of advising new recruits about delays if the technologies are not fully mature government benefits, especially the GI before construction starts, planned insurance to which they were entitled. for 2021.” The officer in charge soon Given that the noticed that Boudreaux was Columbia-class is getting a 99% sign-up rate vital to for the more expensive maintaining the supplemental form of GI nation’s strategic nuclear insurance. This was remarkable, deterrent, the prospect of delays and because it cost these low-income recruits technological challenges on the new SSBNs is $30.00 per month for the higher coverage, concerning. It is not clear how the service compared to what the government was already intends to address the GAO’s concerns, but in a providing at no charge. letter to the agency, the Pentagon disagreed with the assessment—noting that reaching The officer decided he'd sit in the back of the such a high technology readiness level is not room at the next briefing and observe practical for shipbuilding. Boudreaux's sales pitch. Time will tell if the GAO or the Pentagon is Boudreaux stood up before the latest group of correct, but historically, the agency has proven inductees and said, "If you has da normal GI insurans an' you goes to Afghanistan an' gets to be right more often than not. youself killed, da govment' pays you benefishery $20,000. If you takes out da suppmental insurans, which Food for thought cost you only t'irty dollars a munt, den da The liquid inside young coconuts can be governmen' gots ta pay you benefishery $400,000! used as a substitute for Blood Plasma. No piece of paper can be folded in half Now, Boudreaux concluded, "Which bunch you tink da governmen’ gonna send ta Afghanistan more than seven (7) times. first?" Donkeys kill more people annually Than plane crashes or shark attacks You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television. Oak trees do NOT produce acorns until they are fifty (50) years of age or older. The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum. The King of Hearts is the only King without a moustache American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one (1) olive from each salad served in first-class. Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.

Rum Tub Page - 4 Volume 7 Issue 1 March 2018

Rose Fortune Rose Fortune (March 13, 1774 – February 20, commemorates her life and contribution to Nova 1864) was a Canadian woman who came to Scotian history. , , with the Black Legacy Loyalists, where she became a successful Her direct descendant was Daurene Lewis, who businesswoman and the first female police was elected Mayor of Annapolis Royal in 1984, officer in Canada. being the first African-Canadian woman to attain that position. In May 2015, the name M/V Fundy Life and career Rose was given to the ferry that crosses the Bay Rose Fortune was born into slavery in of Fundy to New Brunswick. Philadelphia, PA, March 13, 1774, her family subsequently being relocated to FORTUNE, a play inspired by the life of Virginia by the Devones family. Rose Fortune, written by playwright Escaping slavery during the George Cameron Grant, has been American Revolution the family performed through the US and was relocated to Annapolis Maritimes. In 2013, Grant, on a Royal, Nova Scotia, as part of Candlelight Graveyard tour led by the migration, Annapolis Royal historian Alan when she was 10 years old. In Melanson, was guided to the final, 1825, she started her own unmarked resting place of Rose business, carting luggage between Fortune. A year later, the play the ferry docks and nearby homes FORTUNE was finished, a year after and hotels. She became entrusted that, the new Digby ferry bore her with safeguarding property and name, and a Rose Fortune Memorial, maintaining order on the wharves and sculpted by noted artist Brad Hall, was warehouses of Annapolis Royal, acting dedicated in Annapolis Royal's Garrison as the town's waterfront police officer. Cemetery, Canada Day, July 1, 2017. Rose Fortune died on February 20, 1864, in the The Government of Canada named a new ferry small house she owned at the engineer's lot near party after Rose. The ferry MV Fundy Rose, Fort Anne. The business she founded was commissioned in 2015 to operate between Digby, continued by her grandson-in-law Albert Lewis Nova Scotia and Saint John, New Brunswick, as the Lewis Transfer Company and continued was named for the Bay of Fundy and Rose for several generations, remaining in business Fortune until 1980. Rose Fortune was buried in Annapolis Royal in the Garrison Cemetery. Her grave is unmarked, but a plaque in the Petite Parc on the Annapolis Royal waterfront

Rum Tub Page - 5 Volume 7 Issue 1 March 2018

The Royal Navy's New Carriers Might Not Be 'Supercarriers' (But They Can Kill) From the National Interest Magazine the writer is Ben Ho Wan Beng

Ben Ho Wan Beng is a Senior Analyst with the Military Studies Programme at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and he has a master’s degree in strategic studies from the same institution.

2017 was proclaimed to be the Year of the It is pretty much early days to make such an Royal Navy (RN) as it welcomed several new argument as HMS Queen Elizabeth as well as ships to the fleet. It was, however, an annus her as-yet uncompleted sister HMS Prince of horribilis of sorts for the British naval service Wales are expected to attain initial and full as it came under fire on a litany of issues such “carrier strike capability” only during the as manpower woes and the controversial 2020s. Indeed, Britain has already taken Queen Elizabeth (QE) supercarrier project. delivery of fourteen F-35Bs with more to be procured in the coming years. Whitehall wants The RN reached a milestone when HMS Queen to buy forty-eight Lightning’s for carrier Elizabeth began sea trials in June, and media service, and even if this figure could not be outlets, both British and international, have fully attained due to fiscal constraints, any been closely tracking the ship since then. Local shortfall in the flat-top’s aircraft complement media was literally could be mitigated by the baying for blood after a leak was deployment of United States discovered on the Queen Elizabeth Marine Corps F-35Bs on the last month, and this was but ship. To be sure, this the latest episode of a eventuality might be a tad mountain being embarrassing politically for London, made out of a but it is undeniable that such an molehill vis-à-vis arrangement with America would make the the 65,000-ton, £3.1 best of a less than ideal situation. What is billion platform— more, the QE carrier was designed specifically the largest and with such interoperability in mind. costliest platform ever built for the British armed forces. That being said, various Limited Self-Defence Capabilities commentators have also decried the vessel’s Another charge levelled at the QEs is that they utility, but their arguments largely do not stand are highly vulnerable to challenges such as up to scrutiny as they do not consider a number modern submarines and antiship cruise missiles of operational nuances. during hostilities. In this regard, the British A longstanding criticism of the carrier in this flat-top does not have a large-enough fighter regard is that it would have few, if any, fighters complement as mentioned above, as well as a embarked on it. Critics point to the current capable airborne early warning (AEW) travails of the F-35B—the aircraft that will fly platform like the American E-2D Hawkeye to off the QEs’ flight decks in time to come—to protect itself against enemy threats, critics bolster their claim that the carriers will deploy maintain. In addition, the QE lacks an adequate with very limited airpower. One prominent point-defence system, and this is compounded British defence journalist wrote that these ships by the notion that the British carrier would sail would face the “humiliating prospect of having with inadequate escorts because of the small very few aircraft flying from them,” adding size of the RN’s surface combatant force. that “(t)hey are designed to carry 36 joint strike To be sure, these criticisms are valid per se and aircraft—F-35s, known as the Lightning II— have merit if the Queen Elizabeth carrier force but are unlikely to carry more than 12.” were to be operating on its own in a combat scenario a la the 1982 Falklands campaign.

Rum Tub Page - 6 Volume 7 Issue 1 March 2018

They, however, fail to consider the fact that the glamorous duties of attacking Japanese British force is unlikely to operate in isolation warships and land bases to the “heavies”. in most circumstances—its combat deployment This disposition of assets could be replicated in would invariably be as part of a U.S.-led a joint American-British carrier force. As a coalition given the current geostrategic matter of fact, the two navies have undertaken environment to work closely on future carrier operations, They, however, fail to consider the fact that the and a joint entity comprising flat-tops from British force is unlikely to operate in isolation. both sides would be highly beneficial given the synergy such an arrangement would bring Who, then, are Britain’s likely adversaries in about. For instance, the Queen Elizabeth flat- the coming years? Russia? American top, with its relatively short-ranged F-35Bs, involvement check. How about Middle East could assume a key role as fleet air defender a “rogue” states like Iran? American la the Independences, leaving the U.S. involvement check. Operations against supercarrier with more aircraft to project force extremist groups like the Islamic State of Iraq against the enemy. Indeed, such a deployment and Syria would invariably be led by would dovetail with the rather practical “fleet- Washington as well. While Britain did fight on unit” logic that James Holmes of the U.S. its own during Operation Corporate, it is safe Naval War College (USNWC) wrote about in to say that a second Falklands War is unlikely The National Interest last month. to break out within the next several years given the current vicissitudes of the Argentine armed While assuming mainly defensive duties would forces. arguably not befit a 65,000-ton platform, the reality is carriers with ski-jump flight decks In the abovementioned scenarios, the QE like the Queen Elizabeth’s are largely suited carrier group is likely to operate together with for such roles in more demanding operating its American counterpart, and the capabilities environments as I argued in a recent Naval the latter provide would mitigate the War College Review article. It is therefore shortcomings of the British force. For instance, perhaps time to recognize them as that and not the limited area air defence of the QE carrier compare them unfairly to their much more group would be alleviated by the presence of capable Nimitz-class cousins in the U.S. Navy. the presence of U.S. Aegis-equipped platforms. All in all, while the QE flat-tops may not be the Ditto the Hawkeyes of the American carrier hapless white elephants in combat as several strike group (CSG) for the limited AEW military commentators have made them out to be, coverage provided by the British flat-tops’ neither are they in the “supercarrier” league even Merlin helicopters. though they are only slightly smaller than Utility as a “Light” Carrier America’s first true supercarriers of the Forrestal class. Robert Rubel, formerly a USNWC academic, All that being said, any QE vessel operating wrote that a key doctrinal role for the aircraft with American CSGs would likely assume a carrier is that of a “geopolitical chess piece,” and secondary role—that of the light carrier—given that is arguably what the United Kingdom’s Queen its relatively limited capabilities, in a Elizabeth–class flat-tops are most suited for—to throwback to the Second World War. In the serve as highly effective tools of twenty-first- period 1943–45, Independence-class light century gunboat diplomacy and not so much as carriers and their larger Essex-class cousins first-class war fighters. made up the Fast Carrier Task Force that was Indeed, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s so decisive in shaping the outcome of the statement last summer that the QEs will conduct central Pacific campaign. The freedom-of-navigation exercises in the South China Independences—with a small complement of Sea smacks not only of rising British interest in the slightly over thirty aircraft, including some two Asia-Pacific region, but arguably also of a dozen fighters—were usually tasked to provide Britannia striving to find her place in the sun in an increasingly multipolar world. And what better for the prosaic tasks of combat air patrol and platform to achieve this than a phallic 65,000-ton antisubmarine warfare, leaving the more ?

Rum Tub Page - 7 Volume 7 Issue 1 March 2018

THE LOSS OF HMS ‘BARHAM’ and the peculiar incident that followed. Submitted by Bob Styants Engineroom Association The ‘Barham’ The funnel slipped below the water, a with HMS ‘Queen final almighty explosion as the Elizabeth’ and main magazine blew: she ‘Valiant’ sank in two and a half escorted by a minutes. screen of eight In true naval tradition, left G.C. Cooke went 24th down with his ship together November 1941 to cover with 861 officers and men: Vice operations against two enemy Admiral Pridham Wipple and 396 men convoys making for Benghazi. survived. The next day 25th, November, Kapitun On releasing the torpedoes the bows of U- Leutnant Von Tiesenhausen U-331 was 331 came clear of the water and ‘Valiant’ patrolling near Alexandria when his turned to ram it: the boat crash dived: the hydrophone operator reported sounds of main depth gauge stuck at 250ft. giving a heavy screws; through the periscope he false reading as U-331 plunged to 820Ft. on identified ‘Barham’ Queen Elizabeth and the forward depth gauge and should have Valiant’ with their screen of destroyers. been crushed, but didn’t spring a leak. Three times the U-boat came within Back on the surface von Tiesenhausen reported range, identified and by the ‘Enigma’ code machine he had reported to senior officers torpedoed a battleship but who dismissed it as didn’t know which one. probably shoals of Unaware to the Germans fish. that the British had broken the ‘Enigma’ Taking advantage of code, so decided not to this U-331 eased its announce the loss of way under the outlying ‘Barham’ until they were destroyers and from 1200 ready, and to confuse the enemy yards fired four torpedoes at the intelligence services. middle battleship in line. A peculiar situation had occurred, where a It was approximately 1600 when three psychic medium Helen Duncan, who often torpedoes hit the port side of ‘Barham’ below while in a trance produced materialisation the water line: the fourth hit the port 4” figures of the deceased members of her magazine causing a fire to spread to the main audiences produced a figure of a sailor magazines, which began to explode: with a ‘Barham’ cap tally. His lighting and communication mother happened to be in systems failed causing the audience, and she panic and confusion. complained to the admiralty wanting to ‘Barham’ was operating know why she was correct watertight not informed her son procedures for cruising had died; forcing the but listed too quickly for admiralty to notify all counter measures to be the next of kin and the taken at an angle of 30 deg. A media before they wanted verbal order was given to abandon to. ship. The intelligence service were paranoid and keeping an eye on Helen Duncan.

Rum Tub Page - 8 Volume 7 Issue 1 March 2018

In 1944 with plans for the In November 1956 the police raided her Normandy landings well in séance in Nottingham; strip searched advance they thought that her and took endless flash photos she might be able to let looking for beards, masks and slip the details. shrouds: nothing was found. For a séance in The police in their ignorance Portsmouth 19th. had committed the worst January 1944 a naval possible sin of psychic officer bought two phenomenon, that a medium tickets and gave one in trance must never be to a police officer who touched; the ectoplasm returns attended in plain to the mediums body too quickly clothes. and can cause immense and sometimes fatal damage; and so When Helen went into was the case this time. the trance to produce the electro plasm, he jumped up, A doctor was summoned and found blew his whistle and conducted a two-second degree burns across Helen’s raid to try to prove it was all a hoax; trying to stomach. grab the figure, it had disappeared. Very ill, rushed to hospital, she died five weeks No white sheets or other controversial later 6th. December 1956. apparatus was found. Helen Duncan, born Callander Scotland 25th Helen Duncan was arrested and charged under November 1897. the ‘Vagrancy Act’; under normal While working in a bleach factory she circumstances if found guilty she would have discovered her powers as a medium and was been fined and released: but the secret service much sought after by war widows and did not want her walking around used it to supplement her free. income. Remanded and It beggars belief that refused bail, she was she could have sent to Holloway changed the outcome prison for four days of the war! while wondering what best to charge her with She married a disabled the ‘vagrancy’ charge was WW1 veteran: had twelve changed to Conspiracy, which in children, of which only six survived. wartime carried the penalty ‘Death by Hanging’.

By this time her case had reached the ‘Old Bailey’, the charge was changed yet again to ‘Witchcraft’, and the act of 1735 dragged out of dusty libraries.

The prosecution thinking a single charge might fail added ‘Larceny’ accusing her of taking money by false pretences. The trial in April 1944 lasted seven days: some experts tried many ways to prove Helen a fraud, even to saying she could swallow a substance to regurgitate later to produce a figure: other experts on her behalf proved otherwise. The verdict after two and a half hours was guilty of fraud and she was sentenced to nine months, being released 22nd. September 1945. Rum Tub Page - 9 Volume 7 Issue 1 March 2018

THE BIRKENHEAD DISASTER Submitted by Bob Styants Engineroom Association On February 25th, 1852, HM This proved to be a fatal decision: As the troopship ‘Birkenhead’ paddles turned astern, the steamed out of Simon’s paddles struck again: this Bay near Cape Town, time a great gash was torn set on course for below the engineroom. disaster: the intended The sea rushed in destination was Port flooding the furnaces in Elizabeth. a great cloud of steam and drowning most of the The ship was iron built stokers. Suddenly, the and modern by John Laird tilted, her stern rose into the air, 1845: 200 Ft. long, 1,400 Tons. and her tall smokestack crashed down; this On board were 643 personal and several killed the men working to free another of the officers’ horses: among these was a draft for boats, and the bow broke away. All the men the Queen’s 2nd Royal Regiment of Foot, not engaged were ordered to muster into ranks consisting of a corporal and fifty-one men regiment by regiment. Then came the order under the command of Ensign Boylan. “Abandon Ship”. Only two cutters and a gig The evening was calm and clear: the soldiers were launched into the water. The women and and their families were in their hammocks children were embarked in one of the cutters: below, and captain Salmon had retired for Major Seaton raised his hand above his the night. Soon after midnight, head and pleaded with the men to the ‘Birkenhead’ which had ‘stand fast’ where they were taken the regiment to the cutter with the women the Cape in the and children will be previous year, struck a swamped: I implore you hidden reef off the not to do this thing and aptly named Point to stand fast. Danger some fifty miles out from Simon’s Other officers took up the Bay; a few feet to port or cry, urging the men to stay starboard she would have where they were for the sake missed it. of the women and children, and that is what they did. As the deck tilted The impact ripped her open from the and the water rose, they stood fast: the forepeak to just forward of the engineroom, ‘Birkenhead’ broke her back within minutes. and the sea poured in. The captain awakened Those in the bowels of the ship manning the by the impact appeared on deck half-dressed pumps died instantly. The men on deck must and took immediate necessary measures. The have known what would happen, yet still did twenty-five women and twenty-nine children not budge. All the women and children were brought up from below. Major Seaton of survived; not many men. It is said that the cry the 24th, the senior regimental officer aboard “Women and Children First” was set by the was requested by Captain Salmon to be kind men of the ‘Birkenhead’ who died seeing it enough to preserve order and silence among fulfilled. the men, and listen to further orders from the captain. Various sources mention The only hope the that between 9 and 30 captain decided was horses boarded the to take the Birkenhead at Simon’s ‘Birkenhead’ astern Bay. The conclusion off the reef and trust drawn by diligent there was enough researchers, however, is buoyancy in the ship to that there were no more keep her afloat until rescue than nine horses on board – came. belonging to military officers, Wright, Bond-Shelton, Seton, Dr. Laing Rum Tub Page - 10 Volume 7 Issue 1 March 2018

and Booth. They concluded that the to Admiralty Sealed Patterns of Ships Birkenhead was too small to safely Badges, all Tons used badge shown here. accommodate and convey more than this number of horses along with the bales of hay Just for interest sake I have delineated needed for the voyage. here all of the renamed RNR ‘Tons’ When HMS Birkenhead struck the rock off If anybody can solve this crest Danger Point, the horses were cut free to give mystery, they can have them a fair chance of surviving. However, it gulpers of the Rum Bosuns soon became apparent that the panicked tot, if you can catch him horses would be a hazard as they were sliding (me) about on the tilting deck. It was then decided to heave them overboard in the hope that they would swim to the shore. Of the nine horses, Unit RNR Name Ton Class ships one broke its leg whilst being forced overboard London THAMES Alverton, and was said to have been devoured alive by Buttington, sharks. The rest of the horses managed to Woolaston. swim to shore and local folklore has it that Severn VENTURER Hodgeston and they, and later their offspring, roamed freely as Buttington. a wild herd on the plains of the Strandveld Tay BURNICIA Kedleston. until well into the 20th century. There is, Clyde CLYDE Amerton and however, documented evidence that five of the Crichton. Birkenhead horses were captured and sent for safekeeping to Mr. Mackay, Civil Humber HUMBER Bronington. Commissioner of Caledon. The other three Mersey MERSEY Amerton and horses had ‘tales’ attached – true or otherwise. Pollington Solent WARSASH Crofton, Alfriston What is wrong with these and Boulston. Sussex CURZON Bickington and pictures? Fittleton By Norrie Millen Forth KILLIECRANKIE Bickington and Derriton. South Wales ST.DAVID Crichton. Ulster KILMOREY Alfriston and Kirkliston Tay MONTROSE Dalswinton, Nurton and Chediston. Tyne NORTHUMBRIA Quainton and Hodgeston.

HMS Ulster HMS Kilmorey

Whilst looking for something on EBay, I came across this ships crest, something definitely fishy here. One website, World Ships Forum, states that she was really HMS Kemerton attached to Ulster , whilst Wikipedia states it was actually the Kirkliston and I have had this confirmed by Ton Class Association. Why or how the Kilmorey decided to use the Ulster crest as their ships badge is beyond

me. Several Tons attached to RNR’s were renamed with non-Ton names. According

Rum Tub Page - 11 Volume 7 Issue 1 March 2018

Nicknames – Part 1 (I will run this article over several issues)

The Royal Navy takes nicknames to an entirely different level. Yes, it has the obvious ones “Ali” Barber, “Mini” Cooper and “Albert” Hall. But there are dozens, which, now, make no sense at all, their meaning having been lost as once common associations were lost in the mists of time. Few will know the origins of “Snakey” Blake, “Legs” Diamond and “Soapy” Hudson. Thankfully, the Royal Navy has researched the origins of many of the most common surnames. And you can look up yours below. Surnames are listed first, with nicknames in bold, with explanations below, where they exist Adams Fanny - Fanny Adams (Sweet Fanny Aziz Fails - Nickname from the Submarine Adams) was the child victim of a notorious Service where electrical switches are designed Victorian murder case. Fanny (or Frances) to fail in a safe mode, whatever it may be and Adams aged nine was murdered at Alton, on loss of electrics the switch fails either to an Hants on 24 April 1867. The murderer open position, or shut, or as it is at the time (Frederick Baker, a solicitor’s clerk, aged 24) hence as is. cut the body up into pieces, some of which Bacon Streaky - Streaky bacon – cut of bacon were allegedly found in Deptford Victualling Bailey Bill - “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Yard. Baker was tried at Winchester and Come Back” title of popular music hall song hanged in December 1867. At about this time written in 1902 tinned mutton was introduced into the Navy Banks Gordon - 1960s/70s Leicester and and soon acquired the name of Fanny Adams. England goalkeeper The tins were subsequently used by sailors as Barber Ali - Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, from mess gear. The name “fanny” is still the naval the Arabian Nights slang for a cooking pot as well as being used in the nickname sense. Barker Ronnie - 1970s/80s comedian Atkins Tommy - In 1812 during the Peninsula Bates Basher War in Spain and Portugal when pocket or pay Bell Daisy books were first issued to soldiers in the field Bell Dinger - Self-evident – to ring or ding a the Duke of Wellington’s Aide-de-Camp had to bell explain their workings to the troops. He used Bennett Wiggy - Bennett Gordon Early 20th as his example a new pay book, which had just century playboy with links to journalism. He been issued to Private Thomas (Tommy) effectively started the sport of international Atkins of the British Grenadiers. All pay books motor racing through his sponsorship of the for years afterwards were called “Tommies” Bennett Trophy races from 1900 to 1905. Also and if you were in receipt of one you were also presented trophies for powered air racing and known as a “Tommy“, giving rise to the long-distance hot air ballooning, with the nickname for British soldiers. The name international Gordon Bennett balloon race still Tommy Atkins was later popularised in a continuing to this day. Phrase “Gordon Rudyard Kipling poem, with the character Bennett” sometimes used as a mild expletive. becoming synonymous with British soldiers Beresford Charlie - Early 20th Century serving in the trenches in WW1. Admiral Lord Charlie Beresford, archenemy of Austin/Austen Bunny - Bunny Austin was the Admiral Jackie Fisher (see entry for Fisher) first tennis player to wear shorts at Wimbledon Part 11 Next issue in 1932

Rum Tub Page - 12