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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

· Reference :-

THCO. 885

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-| COPY IGHT PHOTOGRAS NOT TO

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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trade, many of whom were naturalized here and others had applied to be, no action was taken against them, except to require them to register with the police.

11. With regard to active defence measures, which are fully detailed in the Commandant's report attached, the defence scheme was put into operation imme diately on the outbreak of war and steps at once taken to guard the shore ends of A corps of mounted infantry volun- the cables from Grenada and British Guiana.

teers under Major de Boissière, Honorary A.D.C., Protector of Immigrants, a motor-cycle and cycle corps under Captain Max Smith, Treasury Department, an infantry corps under Captain T. Boyd, and an artillery company under Captain R. Rust, were added to the local volunteer forces.

12. The Staff Officer of the local forces, Lieutenant R. H. Walsh, R.F.A., who had succeeded Captain C. Bently, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, who had returned to England and who was recently killed in action, to the sincerest regret of every one who knew this gallant and able officer, was recalled, and was succeeded Major Bowen, Honorary A.D.C., by Sub-Inspector Carr of the Constabulary. late Officer Commanding the Light Horse, was appointed additional Staff Officer. Immediately on the outbreak of war I sent home my A.D.C., Lieutenant C. A. Boyle, Oxfordshire Light Infantry, and later Sub-Inspector Andrews, 4th Bed- fordshire Regiment, who took his place, was telegraphed for. I also sent three of the Constabulary officers, Inspector Wilson and Sub-Inspectors Warner and Ellis, home for active service. They have been all three commissioned to the 11th Territorial Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment. Other gentlemen have been sent home with recommendations for commissions, and others are following after a month's training in barracks here.

13. Signal and look-out stations were established at various points in Trinidad and Tobago with trained signallers provided by the Constabulary, who were placed under the direction of Captain Owen, R.N.R. A wireless station was established at Toco, near Galera Point, on the north coast of Trinidad, for the purpose of reporting ships of war and communicating with His Majesty's ships if required. There are now two Government wireless stations in Trinidad and one at Tobago, and there is a fourth available, if required, belonging to the West India and Panama Telegraph Company, at Trois Amis, near San Fernando: this station has been temporarily closed and the staff transferred to the Company's station at George- The wireless station at Port of Spain, which is kept town, in British Guiana.

open day and night, is in constant communication with His Majesty's ships at sea. 14. With regard to naval matters, the late Admiral Sir C. Cradock visited Port of Spain with his squadron in August and inspected the defence arrangements Since then others of His Majesty's and expressed his satisfaction with them.

ships have come in on different occasions for coal, oil fuel, and supplies. No ship of war of the Allies or of the enemy has been reported as having been seen here. A minimum reserve of 4,000 tons of coal is kept on shore for the Admiralty, in addition to supplies available from hulks, and a tank lighter with oil fuel is kept in the harbour ready for immediate supply to any ship requiring it. Large supplies are available at Point Fortin and Brighton.

15. I had the great advantage, at the early stages of the defence, of the services of Professor Cadman, the Government expert adviser on oil questions, who was on an official visit to the Colony. He at once took charge of the oil matters, visited the oilfields, swore in special constables for the better safeguarding of the oil tanks and wells, and arranged details for the supply of oil fuel with the companies at Brighton and Point Fortin

11th January, 1915.

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

Enclosure 2 in No. 96.

GEORGE R. LE HUNTE,

Governor.

St. James Barracks, Trinidad, British West Indies,

27th December, 1914.

I HAVE the honour to report that, on receipt of the warning telegram from Your Excellency, precautions for the defence of the cable stations at Macqueripe

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and Moruga were carried out. One officer, 25 non-commissioned officers and men, Trenches were and a maxim gun were established at Macqueripe under canvas. made and telephone communication was established with Port of Spain. A sentry is posted over the cable hut by day and a double sentry by night, and there is a double sentry day and night on the site of the old Fort, which makes an excellent lookout and is connected to the camp by a field telephone. There is a sentry over the camp also by day and night. The detachment, which consists of an infantry It is messed by contractors, supplies and maxim section, is changed monthly.

The men sleep on Malta cots and are being sent down by cart twice a week. quite comfortable in their tents. They have a marquee as a mess tent and there The doctor, who is also a hospital tent supplied with the necessary dressings. visits frequently, sleeps at Mr Brash's residence about a mile away. Each man bas 100 rounds of ammunition on his person, and there is a reserve of 2,500 rounds and 3,650 rounds for the maxim gun. A bicycle is attached for conveying des- patches. The bay is closed, by notice in the Royal Gazette, to all boats except small local fishing craft, and no one is allowed in the cable hut except the manager and one clerk of the Cable Company, who have passes for that purpose.

The Moruga detachment of one non-commissioned officer and ten men is being accommodated in the Constabulary Station and the adjoining Magistrates' Court room. They sleep on the ordinary police canvas cots and are in the Moruga Con- stabulary mess. Trenches protecting the cable hut have been made on the beach above high-water mark. A telephone line has been laid between Moruga and Princes-Town, the latter place being connected with Port of Spain. Moruga has been visited by the Staff Officer and myself, and I frequently visit Macqueripe. A sentry is posted on the cable hut with orders similar to those at Macqueripe. From the hut, situated on the beach, there is a clear view of the whole bay for several miles. It was not found feasible to establish the doctor from Rock River at Moruga, but he visits there frequently and would be notified if anything out of the ordinary occurred.

Three signallers were posted to North Post, Fort George, Constabulary Depôt. and the Water Police station, the two first with full equipment for war signal stations and with written orders. In addition to these it was found necessary to place three signallers on one of the empty coal hulks in the harbour, by night, with a motor launch in attendance for the purposes of identifying arrivals and notify. ing the officer on duty at the Water Police station. Owing to the constant reports by telephone of vessels signalled and entering the harbour, especially by night, it was found necessary to post a Customs Officer on duty at the Water Police station, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., to receive these reports and forward to the Staff Officer only such as are important. By day all reports are made to the Harbour Master. Your Excellency was also good enough to appoint Commander Owen, R.N.R., as Harbour Master for defence purposes, in charge of the signal stations and the When necessary he com- harbour, to whom all important matters are reported. municates with me, and should any message be required to be sent from a signal station it would be sent through the Staff Office. I may mention that eight addi- tional signallers have been trained during the past five months, and that we now have 36 fully trained signallers in the Constabulary capable of using helio, lamp, and flag, which most of them use daily, either at stations or in practice. signallers are in Port of Spain or on outpost duty, with the exception of one at Cedros and one at Tobago, the latter specially stationed there for the purpose of communicating with His Majesty's ships, should such ships wish to do so, by helio, flag, or lamp. Sub-Inspector Cavenaugh, the officer in charge of Tobago, is also a trained signaller. I am pleased to say that I was able to lend a signaller to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company some time ago when they required one for a voyage to New York and back.

All

It was also thought advisable to order the removal of all coal from the coal hulks in the harbour and have it placed on shore and the hulks towed into shallow water. This was deemed necessary to prevent an enemy ship cutting out one or more hulks filled with coal, which would have been of great assistance to them and might have acted as an inducement to visit Port of Spain. The duty of seeing this carried out devolves on Commander Owen.