Part of the Acorn Archive

Hearts of Oak

 

 

Charles Lewis

Royal Navy [1891-1905]

 

West Africa Station 1900-1904

Part 2

Written  1900-1904 on HMS BLANCHE

<Back     Main Page     Next>

 

We landed one day at Bathurst, for drill, but each of us had to take 60 rounds of ball ammunition, which set us wondering, why the ammunition? We were not long kept in doubt. The order went round that that precisely at 11am, we had to form up in front of the Governor’s house and await orders. In front of us was drawn up a Regiment of West African Rifles, who was petitioning the Governor for a rise of pay ( their pay was 2 pence a day). As the Government refused their request, we were lined up behind the Regiment, in case they should strike out. Happily, we were not required to use our ammunition, for the Regiment took the refusal in good heart. It was a mean thing to do, for that Regiment deserves better of our Government. That Regiment, with the East Africa Regiment are a fine body of men (we used to carry out manoeuvres with them), proper Jack Johnsons.

 

[The following was written in 1944]

Another thing we did, we evacuated whole families of Loyal Dutch to safer areas, to prevent the Boers from molesting them. In addition to the men and their wives and families, we took everything belonging to them – furniture and all. It all had to be done from an open beach in small ship’s boats. No light task when it is rough. What made it worse, we couldn’t coal there; That meant one ship would have to go back to Simon’s Town, fill up with coal, and come back to Lambert’s Bay, then we had to make what seemed endless journeys to and from the ship, carrying coal in our ship’s boats. Oh the cleaning out the boats afterwards! One day it came our turn to bring coal from Simon’s Town. Our Captain had orders to fill the upper deck up with coal, so as to bring round as much as possible. On our way round, just off the Cape of Good Hope, we got broadside on to the seas. As she heeled over, the coal fell to leeward, by all the rules of the sea, she should have foundered, but why, I don’t know. I never wish to be in a ship with such a list again. It was like looking up the side of  house, all hands had to get a move on and jettison the whole of the upper deck cargo, before we could get her on an even keel again. Our Captain said afterwards that he would sooner be Court-Martialled than take in another upper deck cargo.

 

Lambert’s Bay is situated South West of Cape Colony, South Africa. When I was there, the village comprised of a few wooden shacks. It became an important place for landing troops and stores in bullock waggons to Clanwilliam. I used to like watching the bullock drivers whipping up their teams, of sometimes 40 bullocks; he could whip - with ease – the nearest one or the pair furthermost away. I have seen men using a long whip at the circus; I have not seen anyone who could beat these men.

 

The Bay is an open bay, if it comes to blow, one may as well beat sea, as lay at anchor in that bay. We were laying there one night, when the wind sprang up suddenly, reaching gale force in no time. In the middle watch, the Captain decided to run for it, so all hands on deck were called to get the ship under way. It’s generally the darkest night when this happens, but in a very short time we had steam up, and was heading seawards. But, it took our packet all her time to steam against such a gale of wind as was blowing; although the engines were going full speed ahead, not a movement did she make through the water; For an hour, my topmates and I stood on the foc’sle, watching the feint outline of the high cliffs, it seemed as if one could put one’s hand out and touch them, so close had we drifted towards them. But, the old ship wasn’t to be beaten, gradually she forged ahead, and a sigh of relief went up as we steamed out into the open sea. It was an anxious time for us all, and great praise was due to our Captain for the remarkable fine piece of seamanship in getting the ship clear of that dangerous position. I shudder to think of what would have happened had anything gone wrong with our engines.

 

[Back to the Diary written in on HMS Blanche]

We arrived at Delagoa Bay alright, and found the BARRACOUTA and MAGPIE awaiting us, we had a stay of a few weeks here and then left for Durban with war correspondent and prisoners; Arrived Durban and spending Christmas 1901 there. We had a decent time, in the afternoon went on shore and had a walk around Durban; found it a pretty decent place, much after the style of an English town. Left Durban on the 29th for Simon’s Town; met BEAGLE outside and received mails. Arrived at Simon’s Town and coaled and provisioned etc.,. Left for the South West Coast; met the MONARCH at Saldhana Bay and left again the 9th for Lambert’s Bay, where we found BARRACOUTA awaiting on arrival, also TRANSPORT NUMBER 61 and ULSTERMORE, which had arrived with stores, munitions etc., for the Front. We found everything quiet on the shore; the Blockhouses being held by the Staffordshire Regt. On the arrival of TORPEDO BOAT 60, we left with an Intelligence Officer which we landed with a small-arm party at Thorn Bay, the latter bringing off some men, women and children, with their goods and chattels, destroying anything they could not carry, to prevent it falling into the Boer’s hands. We then left, landing the refugees at Lambert’s Bay. MONARCH came into this place and gave us 30 tons of coal, which they brought us in their own boats, reports coming that a special landing party had to be drawn, to stop the Boers from their night attacks on the village. Also your “humble” was told to keep burning search lights during the night, which was burned every night during our stay at Lambert’s Bay.

 

Firing was heard one night, but did not come to anything. The same night a Soldier was shot through the arm by accident, next day our doctor landed and amputated the limb, but the man died a few days afterwards. Went out one day and did our firing, also ran torpedoes. The Flagship came to Lambert’s Bay and gave us some provisions; she stayed with us a little over an hour, the Admiral went for a cruise in TORPEDO BOAT 60 and visited HMS SYBILLE which was still up on the rocks. TERPSICHORE came around from Simon’s Town with coal for us which had to be brought from one ship to another in her own boats. Whilst at Lambert’s Bay we landed our Detachment of RMLIs. After being employed for a few months on a most arduous task, the BARRACOUTA was sent around to relieve us; we leaving for Simon’s Town, took in the usual amount of coal, provisions, store etc., and left for Capetown, to go in dry dock; In Capetown, we had a good time for a week, whilst there, five of our hands took it into their heads to go on shore and not return.

~~~~o0o~~~~

 

HMS BLANCHE’s Tour of Duty 15th Dec 1900 to 17th Jan 1902

as recorded by Charles Lewis, giving arrival, place and departure dates.

 

1900

Left Plymouth 15th Dec 1900

21 Dec, Las Palmas, 25 Dec

28 Dec, St Vincent, 30 Dec

1901

1 Jan, Bathurst, 2 Jan

4 Jan, Sierra Leone, 7 Jan

9 Jan, Gransess, 9 Jan

14 Jan, St Thomas, 15 Jan

18 Jan, St Pauls de Loanda, 23 Jan

28 Jan, Walfisch Bay, 29 Jan

31 Jan, Port Nolloth, 1 Feb

2 Feb, Lambert’s Bay, 2 Feb

3 Feb, Simons Town, 8 Feb

9 Feb, Lamberts Bay, 15 Mar

16 Mar, Simons Town, 21 Mar

23 Mar, Lamberts Bay, 21 Apr

22 Apr, Simons Town, 1 May

1 May, Capetown, 1 May

2 May, Lamberts Bay, 2 May

3 May, Port Nolloth, 3 May

6 May, Walfisch Bay, 8 May

9 May, Angru Pequena, 9 May

10 May, Port Nolloth, 13 May

14 May, Lamberts Bay, 16 May

17 May, Simons Town, 20 May

21 Jun, Lamberts Bay, 1 Jul

2 Jul, Saldhana Bay, 3 Jul

3 Jul, Simons Town, 10 Jul

12 Jul, East London, 12 Jul

16 Jul, Delago Bay, 19 Jul

23 Jul, Mozambique, 23 Jul

26 Jul, Zanzibar, 6 Aug

9 Aug, Mozambique, 9 Aug

9 Aug, Haliffe River, 10 Aug

10 Aug, Malindi, 11 Aug

11 Aug, Lamu, 13 Aug

14 Aug, Kyshmau, 15 Aug

16 Aug, Lamu, 20 Aug

20 Aug, Milindi, 22 Aug

23 Aug, Mombassa, 24 Aug

25 Aug, Melindi, 27 Aug

28 Aug, Mombassa, 8 Sep

9 Sep, Zanzibar, 20 Sep

21 Sep, Lamu, 24 Sep

25 Sep, Mombassa, 26 Sep

27 Sep, Zanzibar, 28 Oct

29 Oct, Mombassa, 2 Nov

4 Nov, Kyshmau, 5 Nov

6 Nov, Lamu, 8 Nov

10 Nov, Zanzibar, 25 Nov

1 Dec, Delago Bay, 21 Dec

22 Dec, Durban, 29 Dec

1902

2 Jan, Simon’s Town, 7 Jan

8 Jan, Saldhana Bay, 9 Jan

9 Jan, Lambert’s Bay, 17 Jan

 

[Totalling up the Distances Charles Lewis has recorded for each journey,

so far, they have covered 17, 976 nautical miles.]

~~~~o0o~~~~

 

 

 

Raymond Forward