PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
། ། ། ། ་། །། mmimmimic.O. 885
24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRIRE NOT TO
296
WINDWARD ISLANDA.
On the afternoon of the same day Major Dunn assembled the Volunteers and Police and informed them that they would be mobilized the next morning and that they would then go out for three days' training.
Early next morning, the 4th August, the Volunteers took up the position assigned to them on Sion Hill, overlooking the harbour of Kingstown and the main windward road, the Volunteers being 35 strong. The Police, a number of whom had bean called in from out-stations and replaced by rural constables, were detailed for duty, half at the police barracks and the remainder at Fort Charlotte and Lowmans Hill, overlooking the main leeward road. Signallers were attached to each unit, and constant communication was maintained by them between the two forces. Telephonic communication was immediately installed at Sion Hill Estate Works, where the main body of the Volunteers was stationed, and arrangements were made to connect Lowmans Hill by telephone to the town exchange.
On the 5th of August the Acting Administrator received the war telegram" (page 49, preface).
During the three days' training both forces were mainly occupied in digging two trenches, one at Sion Hill Estate, overlooking the windward main road entrance, and the other at Lowmans Hill, guarding the leeward main road entrance into Kingstown. These entrenchments would have been useful if the enemy had attempted anything but a frontal attack on Kingstown, and they would certainly have been most effective if food supplies had run short in the country districts and the population had attempted to rush Kingstown in order to obtain them. Owing to the extreme uncertainty which existed at the time, there was no guarantee that this additional difficulty might not arise.
Other manœuvres were carried out in order to increase the military efficiency of either force. The weather was unfavourable the whole while, a great deal of rain falling at intervals. The men suffered considerable discomfort, as the tent accommodation was limited, whilst the rationing, which had to be arranged hurriedly, left much to be desired. However, the men were cheerful and made no complaints. During the three days there was no alarm of any kind, and they passed off uneventfully. All ranks of the Volunteers received payment for that period at Army rates.
At the end of three days it was decided that, as St. Vincent was not a coaling station, nor had a wireless station, nor kept large supplies, the probability of attack by the enemy was not so great as to warrant a constant maintenance under arms of the Volunteer Force, for, from its composition, there was considerable inter- ference with the ordinary business and official and commercial pursuits in the Colony. It was therefore arranged that, upon signal given by three guns fired in quick sequence on the jetty, the men should assemble immediately, in uniform, at the police barracks for duty.
Until the 26th of October, when Major Dunn left the Colony, parades were held every week, in which the Police Force sometimes participated, and every opportunity was taken at these parades to promote the efficiency of the forces.
During this period there were only two definite alarms, one when His Majesty's ship "Good Hope" steamed down the leeward coast with no flag apparent, when the signal was given by firing the guns on the jetty, and the men assembled as quickly at possible. The Police marched off at the double towards Lowmans Hill, the Volunteers did likewise towards Sion Hill, but before, the latter got half-way up the Sion Hill road the “Good Hope" swooped into the harbour and out again and sailed away.
Upon the other occasion a whale in the far distance spouting water into the air was sighted from the top of the Vigie ridge (about 1,800 feet above sea-level) and mistaken for a submarine. The mistake was soon discovered.
Unfortunately the supply of ammunition in the Colony had at the outbreak of the war been reduced to 85,000 rounds, only 2,000 rounds above the reserve laid down by the Overseas Defence Committee, namely, 33,000 rounds. An order for a further supply was sent on to the Crown Agents in August, but, up to the date of writing, owing to the exigencies of the war, none has been received. It was decided in these circumstances that no firing practice could take place, and that all avail- able ammunition should be husbanded in case of attack. There was, however, a certain amount of miniature range ammunition in the Colony, and this was made use of, together with snap shooting, in order to keep the men proficient so far as possible.
297
WINDWARD ISLANDS.
A special guard of four armed police constables was mounted day and night at the signal station at Fort Charlotte in order to keep a sharp look-out and give warning of the approach of any vessels, whether friendly or otherwise. From this point it is possible to see a considerable distance up both the windward and leeward coasts of the Colony, and southwards the whole of the Grenadines, and on a fine day as far as the northernmost outline of Grenada.
In the meantime the problem of the overseas food supply had proved easier than anticipated, the shipping not having been interfered with to the extent that was expected, foodstuffs continuing to come into the Colony fairly regularly and in appreciable quantities. In order, however, to be on the safe side, the Acting Administrator took the wise precaution to advise planters, peasants, and labourers all alike to plant ground provisions (vegetables) to provide against any emergencies that might arise. The planters responded generously to Mr. Roden's appeal by granting provision grounds free of charge to many of their labourers. Vegetables were planted wholesale all over the Colony, and, whilst the price of imported food- stuffs had risen by about 25 per cent, owing to war causes over which the importers had no control, still by October, owing to the large quantities of locally grown food- stuffs available, the population as a whole was suffering comparatively little hardship. This policy of planting ground provisions as an offset to the increased and growing prices of imported foodstuffs has continued up to the present date and is proving of great advantage.
At the commencement of the war the number of serviceable rifles available was 114, made up as follows:-
For the Police, 59 (all of these were of the old Martini-Enfield type, without
magazine).
For the Volunteers, 55 (50 magazine Lee-Enfield and five privately-owned
Birmingham Small Arms service rifles).
The strength of all ranks was: Volunteers 35. Police 50; total 85. Ten of the Police were retained for service in district stations, making the total fighting strength 75.
About the time of the return of the writer to the Colony the German cruisers Karlsruhe," "Dresden," “Leipzig,' 'Scharnhorst," etc., and the auxiliary cruisers "Kronprinz Wilhelm" and the "Prinz Eitel Friedrich were particularly active in depredations upon British commerce. In consequence of this, shortly before his arrival the Volunteers were increased to 50. Directly after his arrival he considered the whole situation, and decided to reconstitute and increase the local forces to such an extent as to utilize every available rifle. With this object the Four more Volunteers were increased in number within ten days to 70 strong. Police were withdrawn from police stations and replaced by rural constables, the older and least efficient men were sent to country districts and the active efficients brought back to headquarters. All rifles were withdrawn from the police out- stations except Calliaqua (near one of the cable huts), as a single man with a.rifle in an out-station was rather a menace than otherwise. In this manner the effective fighting force at headquarters, subject to natural defects of recruits, was increased to 117. It may here be remarked that this action should have been taken at the commencement of the war, so as to give additional time for the training of the recruits.
The rifles were redistributed, so that the best twelve shots in the Police (now a military force) were armed with the magazine Lee-Enfield rifles, twelve Martini- Enfield rifles being issued to the worst shots in the Volunteers.
The writer further considered that it would be more useful to have under his command men who had recently practised with live bullets, and that 32,000 rounds in their handa would be more effective against the enemy than 35,000 rounds with no practice. He therefore at once gave orders that 3,000 rounds were to be spent in careful target practice, and this was done in the course of the next three or four weeks.
He then considered the most likely point of attack by the enemy's cruisers, and came to the conclusion that they would either make a frontal attack upon the town of Kingstown with the object of obtaining supplies or ransom, or else they would attempt to cut the cables at the two huts, one situated in Ottley Hall Bay, to the west of the town, and the other at Prospect Bay, three miles to the east of the town. It was necessary, therefore, to make dispositions to meet all these contin- gencies.
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