Part of the
Acorn Archive
Hearts of Oak
Charles Lewis
Royal Navy [1891-1905]
West Africa Station
1900-1904
Written 1900-1904 on HMS BLANCHE
HMS
Blanche
Charles
Lewis’ progress ….
6th
August 1891 Boy 2nd Class
18th
August 1892 Boy 1st Class
3rd
December 1893 Ordinary Seaman
1st
September 1895 Able Bodied Seaman
[What
strikes me about Charles Lewis, is that he, an ABS, is fully in touch with
events and the course of the ships and so on…. he records the full Tour of Duty
with times, dates and distances over the four years; a keen observer, and
recorder]
West Coast of Africa
Station
HMS BLANCHE
Being a rough Diary of
accounts which happened during her commission on the West Coast of Africa
Station; she commissioned in Keyham Basin on Tuesday November 20th
1900, with a complement of 159 officers and men.
[Getting Under way is not a
simple task]
22nd November 1900,
Engine Room staff lit up for first time. Carried out basic trials on 23rd
November. Tuesday Nov 27th Left Keyham Basin and tied up to Nr 5
Buoy. Thursday 29th slipped buoy and proceeded into the Sound and
tied up to a buoy there and swung for the adjustment of Compasses, then slipped
the buoy and proceeded outside for a steam trial, arrived and anchored in the Sound
same night. Monday Dec 3rd Flag Captain Langley (of HMS NILE)
inspected the ship. Tuesday Dec 4th coaled ship; Wed 5th
had bad weather and parted the Port bower Cable. Thursday 6th
recovered the Port Anchor and cable. Fri 7th weighed anchor and
proceeded up the Harbour; tied up alongside Nr 5 Jetty. 11th Left Nr
5 jetty and tied up to Nr 5 Buoy same day went out to Barn Point and tied to a
buoy. Got ready to proceed to our Station on Dec 12th but was
delayed on account of bad weather; tied up to a buoy in Barn Pool on the same
day, received orders to proceed on the 14th but was delayed by the
bursting of a steam pipeleading to Capstan Engine.
December 15th left
Plymouth for Las Palmas, encountering bad weather for a few days; In the Bay of
Biscay, our steering gear broke down. It’s no joke trying to get it going in a
gale, as the ship gets flung off her course, and when she gets broadsides on
the seas, it is some job to get a footing to enable one to get on with the
work. But after a struggle, we managed to get it working again. We arrived at
Las Palmas port, Dec 21st. Just previous to entering the harbour,
the Captain of the Forecastle fell overboard; The seaboat was dropped, picked
him up, returned to the ship, hoisted the boat, all in the time of 15 minutes.
On the 22nd Dec
coaled ship, took in 150 tons; Whilst laying at Las Palmas, two men broke out
of the ship and went on shore, but returned again and received 42 days
imprisonment, and were sent home per SS VICTORIA.
I, your “humble”, went on shore
and had a look around, but did not think much of the place from a sailor’s
point of view, principally to see some gardens and the Roman Catholic
Cathedral, which I thought was very good, the former having some decent flowers
and plants, the latter some fine paintings, also some quaint instruments of
torture, which they had a good collection of, used I suppose at the time of the
Inquisition, a devilish lot of contraptions.
We left Las Palmas Chistmas
Day Dec 25th 1900, so you can tell we spent that Christmas preparing
for sea, going to sea, and a few other minor details, so Christmas Number One
was not a pleasant one.
On our way to St Vincent, we
had fine weather; arriving at that port on the 28th Dec 1900, we
coaled ship, and left on the 29th for Bathurst; on our way to that place, a
landing party was detailed off, and every preparation made for landing; when we
arrived, the Officer who was to command the party even went so far as to
sharpen his sword in anticipation of a brush with his imaginary enemy.
On arriving at Bathurst, we
found the THRUSH there, awaiting the arrival of the FORTE and DWARF, which were
coming from Sierra Leone, with native troops, to quieten a bit of disturbance
which had been caused up the river Gambia.
Our services not being
required at Bathurst, we proceeded on the Sierra Leone, and there found the
FORTE and DWARF embarking native troops, and making preparations to landing up
the river Gambia. Our stay at sierra Leone was not long; we took in coal,
received our first mails and embarked our first batch of Kroomen, which are a
source of annoyance to white men, from start to finish; we left Sierra Leone
for St Thomas (which is a small island close the Equator), and took in more
coal, and then proceeded to St Pauls De Loanda (which is a Portuguese
settlement, sort of Naval Base on the west Coast of Africa). We heard, there,
with profound regret the demise of our beloved Queen Victoria. We took in more
coal and proceeded to Walfisch Bay, previous to our departure, we and the Portuguese
Men of War, in port, fired a Salute of 81 minute guns, respect for our Late
Queen Victoria. Arriving at Walfisch Bay we landed a party to fetch the coal on
board, finishing coaling and proceeded on to Lamberts Bay, arrived at Lamberts
Bay and saw TARTER who ordered us to proceed to Simon’s Town. On our way, we
say the SYBILLE which ran on shore outside of Lamberts Bay in rough foggy
weather. We arrived at Simon’s Town alright for the first time there and found
the DORIS Flagship and MONARCH, the former ordered us to proceed to Lamberts
Bay again; on the 8th we did and arrived there alright. The TARTER
reported Boers in the vicinity, so we were employed burning searchlights, also
landed a detachment of RMLI’s to guard the place, as this place was of no small
importance, on account of so much stores, forage, etc., being landed there from
Transport, for conveyance to Clanwilliam for the troops taking part in the War.
We disembarked troops arriving
from England. O what a job, I can sympathise [in 1944, when he was writing
this] with our chaps at the Normandy Beaches, but they had better
appliances; we used to [in 1901] hoist the horses up with derrick and
lower them into the water, and let them swim ashore, the lads in our boats
would get hold of their halters and guide them ashore.
The troops and stores were
landed in our ship’s boats.
I remember we landed the
Staffordshire Regt in a thick fog, but just as the leading boat got into the
little cove between the rocks, the fog lifted, giving the troops their first
view of South African Rocks, which were covered with sea birds, mostly
Penguins. One of the soldiers called out in broad stafford “Look at the Dooks”,
which caused a good laugh amongst the sailors.
After a stay of 3 weeks, we
left Lamberts Bay for Simons Town, where we arrived alright. Whilst there a
fire broke out at the Arsenal, 11pm; we landed a fire party with Engine and got
praise from Flagship for smartness, took in more coal also upper deck cargo of
50 tons, and proceeded to Capetown to take Major French, etc., to Angru
Pequena, a small German settlement on the SW Coast of Africa, and then on to
Walfisch Bay.
We left for Port Nolloth but,
owing to it being so rough, we had to go on to Lamberts Bay, but had to leave
there during the night (Middle Watch) owing to rough weather, for Saldhana Bay,
where we arrived alright; whilst there we had the misfortune to lose a Leading
Seaman, he died suddenly; so we proceeded with all speed to Simons Town where
we buried him with full Naval Honours; afterwards made subscription and raised
the sum of £20 for his widow.
W Richards. Died
03-07-1901. Ldg. Seaman.
Member of HMS Blanche.
Genealogical Society of SA,
Peter Holden
Seaforth Cemetery, Simon's Town, Cape. Compiler: CR
Taylor,1960
South African National
Archives
We had an Admiral’s Inspection
at this place; afterwards we coaled ship and proceeded in Company of the NAIAD
on a cruise up the East Coast of Africa, the NAIAD leaving us at Port Elizabeth,
we are going on to East London. But we did not stop long, only anchored for a
few hours, we then proceeded to Delagoa Bay, there taking in another cargo of
coal and left for Mozambique, where we picked up the TERPSICHORE, the ship we
were relieving, as Senior Officer on the Coast took over the Senior Officer’s
Stores and left the same night for Zanzibar, where we found a French and an
Italian Man of War. We stayed at this place until August 1st when we
left for Mombassa, Halife River, Lamu and Kyshmau; Returning to Lamu we heard
news of the SS WINNIE being ashore at Milindi, we went to her assistance. Then
we proceeded to Mombasa, where we took on board two large hawsers, then went
back to the SS WINNIE again; and after struggling, with tears in our eyes, for
a week, she came off; we then towed her to Kilindif. After a short stay we are
proceeding on to Zanzibar. Whilst there General Matthews took it into his head
to part company, or, in other words, died. [Slightly different reaction to
the earlier death of fellow sailor W Richards]
Our gallant bark supplying the
funeral party, fearing trouble with the Natives as sometimes they arise and try
and put a usurper on the throne, we, that is the funeral party, had to take 60
rounds of ball ammunition, in addition to our three rounds of blank, which is
the regulation number to fire over a corpse, buried with service honours. After
another stay at Zanzibar, we embarked His Highness the Sultan of Zanzibar and
took him on to Lamu, which comes under his jurisdiction, for a stop of six
weeks, during his stay at Lamu, we went back to Mombasa to stop, returning
again to Lamu to take him back to Zanzibar.
On arriving at the outer
anchorage, we were met by the Sultan’s two yachts, who had on board Guard and
Band, etc, after saluting his Highness, they formed up, escorting us inside the
harbour, where the Sultan received the most enthusiastic reception; after
taking leave of Captain and Officers, he was rowed on shore by 40 Niggers, in
his State Barge, where he received a salute of 21 guns; we also saluting. On
the 20th we had a concert on board to celebrate our first year in
commission. On the 25th we left for Delegoa Bay. Prior to leaving
the Sultan of Zanzibar presented Captain M T Parks with a Sword and Photo, and
to the Wardroom a Silver looking glass, and to the Officers a gold signet ring
each, and to the Ship’s Company Poultry, Fruit etc, to show his appreciation of
his trip to Lamu.
Raymond Forward
Thanks to Paul Benyon and John of Mariners_L
for assistance on Simon’s Town burials