1960-04-09 — Page 5

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 1960.

A great Admiral who was dead went on trial, with his Captain and men

in one of the most dramatic Court Martials in the Navy's history

It was all my fault!

SAID A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE.

THE question “Who was to blame for the sinking of the Victoria?" was answered long before the official inquiry began to search below the Burface.

"The tragic blunder of a mastermind" was the phrase most often publicly resorted to at the time and there was no one in a position of authority or influence who doubted that Sir George Tryon, alone, had been responsible.

But on July 17, 1803, the court martial of Captain the.

Hon. Maurice Bourke and the survivors of the Victoria began 00 the old masted wooden three-decker,

Malta harbour.

Hibernia, in

The Hibernin, proud flagship of such famous admirala as Lord St Vincent and Sir Sidney Smith, was now on obsolete na Nelson's Victory at Portsmouth,

" but her final period of service was to be marked by an occa- sion which would be remember- ed long after her battle honours had been forgotten.

Across the length and breadth of her poop deck, was spread a white awning and beneath it were arranged the heavy maho- gany chairs and tables for the most important naval Court Mortial of the Queen's reign.

Court

Presiding at the Court Marital Was the new Commander-in- Chief of the Mediterranean fect, Sir Michael Culme- Seymour,

the

•

Queen Victoria's most famous Admiral went down with his ship. · He died as he lived, nobly. But the Court Martial spelt ruin and disgrace for

Admiral Markham, whose ihip the Camperdown, collided with the Aagship.

The calm sea was 'churned into a turbulen! frenzy' by the Victoria as she plunged to the bot tom, making the work of the rescue boats difficult. By this time, the bows of H.M.S. Camperdown, Been on the right, were, in fact, almost submerged.

Shortly after nine o'clock the first of the bouls carrying the prisoners began to come along. side. It was an hour later, when the sun was almost at its zenith and the temperature 071

Doof deck Hibernia's packed high In the nineties before the Interminable roll-cail of the sur- vivors was carried out,

Markham was now flying la The first business of the court flag on the Nife, the finest and Was to hear two letters, from Rear-Admiral Markham most modern battleship in the Mediterranean, She steamed and another from his captain setting out the facts of the colli-Mulla Harbour just as the Court was assembling on the The two men ap. second day.

alon.

Orle

"All the surviving officers and men except Captain Bourke, may now retire," Culme-Sey

Johnstone.

that

however that the climax of the down and crie round outside On the other hand it had al-

ready court marital would be provided my division."

been established Reor-Admiral by

Hastings Markham and his Flag-Captain Admiral Tryon had earlier given and crew

He was reminded of an order Captain Bourke and the officers of the Victoria were his cot: "When the literal mnocent of any neglect of duty obediende to any order would ut risking their ship. Whatever entalla collision with a friend, occurred on the flagship that paramount ordera direct that the might have led to the disaster danger is to be avoided, while was not thele responsibility. the object of the order should

Markham then told the court be attained if possible,"

Chint three of the captains "How," asked the prosecutor, of the other ships in the

a splendid entrance,

Reuter's correspondent wrote: "Her bond was playing and her decks were alive with men pre- senung & gallant spectacle in the glorious

No

time

surviving officer of the ship's company.

The Court also felt "strongly that although it is much to be regrelted that Rear Admiral Albert Hastings Markham did not carry out his first Intention to semaphore to the Commander-

де 10 In-Chief his doubt

the signal, it would be fatal to the best interests of the Service to say he was to blame for carrying mander-in-Chlef present in per- son."

Then Captain Bourke was

At a nod from the peared as if determined to make "do you account for your action flect had put the same inter- out the directions of his Com- called an.

In the menoeuvre, bearing in pretation on Tryon's signal as he President, he unsheathed his

mind the directions contained in had: But after they gave their sword and placed it lengthways

that article?" across the table near two models

Markham began to show his of the Indexible failed to sup- when Admiral Culme-Seymor

evidence, Captain Vandermeulen

The last act of the day came of the Victoria and the Camper-

impatience. "Because as I said downl

port Markham, And Cuslance thought morning sunshine, before, I

the First and contrasting strangely with Division. was goin to whicel the Collingwood

of the Phaeton and Jenkins of returned the sizord to Captain the combre character of the round me, which would have same mind.

were of the Bourke, day's proceedings."

been a manoeuvre of perfect Captain Vandermeulen rlso safely and a fossible one."

Markham went on to say that said that the signal ought not thaf here was no tamo te to have been answered without

question being asked. question his Commander-in-

And when Captain Gerard Chief's signal, "Nor did I think Noel of the Nile, the most ex- It was right for me to do so, perienced sailor present, gave after having put tho Later evidence that he,

expected the pretation which I did upon his two flagships would turn awards taking "such steps to un inside the three bles which was the limit of their turning clear of each other." Markham must have regretted calling for the supporting evidence Tryon's subordinates.

mour announced. "I any Just mention that technieally tho whole, of the swords of the officers ought to be put on the table, but Captain Bourke's sword is put on as typical of the whole of them."

The men led out again. The skipper was to take the brunt but that was what he was paid for. And 'Bourkey' knew how to look after himself,

By

But, this was not to be Mark- decided ham's day. The Court

to question Bourke more closely, on the

crucial collision. The question that everyone had been came at last from waiting for the prosecutor. "Did It not strike you that the Admiral by

- Admirals in Collision.

RICHARD HOUGH

Chapter four

The first day's evidence some mischanee, was confusing covered the collision and Bourke the distance of the radius of the demonstrated it with the models, cirele, namely, two cables, with from the diameter of the circle wlah After some prompting the Court he had teld them of was four cables, when he order- he had with cd the divisions to be six cables a.conversation. Vice-Admiral Tryon оп the uport?"

This theory was the popular stern walk of the Victoria after the Admiral had described the, one-the one that had been ex-

with posluve the pressed

self- manoeuvre: "I reminded Admiral that our circle wws Assurance by every newspaper's eight hundred yards. He said naval correspondent and re- the columns were to remain at pented in every pub and club in

Britain. six cabica,"

Bourke answered: "It could

signal."!

»

of

But there can be only ore interpretation of any signal, ne- cording to the Signal Book. the prosecutor added. "W you ex- plain to the Court how you inter-, preted it differently from the way in which it was carried And it was Nuel later wito out?"

Rave direct evidence Ogainst Markhơm if, "only with great reluctance,"

"I did not even know that the signal was in the Signal Book," Murkham confessed. "Î inter- preted what I considered the safe, and only way of carrying it oh and I must say that I had the utmost confidence in my leader."

That night, Markham wrote in his diary: 1 was the first witness to be examined today, and em by no meas happy at the result of the examination,"

Neglect

"My hope," he said, "was up to the List moment that he would not tum

Later Be President asked him at the request of Markham whether "It was

the still in power of the First division to circio round the Second?" Ho replied: "Yes, but it was equally in the power of the Second division to turn away,"

This was the strongest @ And most direct blow Markham bad yet received.

Markham's final contradiction Markham's Flag Captain came when he claimed that it further confused the issue. Like was Tryon's Impatient signal his Admiral he had been com- "What are you waiting for?"

Fing

So Tryon had been reminded by his own captain that the dis not have struck me in that light, tance between the two flagships because I think I should have was 1,200 yards and that the sald so; but at this distance of pletely confused by the 'mistaken which decided him to carry out signal to turn, even after he the order to turn without fur- Victoria's turning circle alone time it seems to me that I had had called for the Signal Books ther

delay. But his was 800 yards, and as Bourke some idea in my head that the and locked it up. Only its inter Leutenant denied this, saying stated a few moments later, the Commander-in-Chief had some preiation by Markham fully that the signal had not been re- Camperdown's turning clrcle way out of it. My impression

satisfied him. 'Oh yes, the Ad- ported to Markham before he "practically the same so was that something was going miral intends to circle round us. ordered the helm to be put over, was that the C-in-C had ordered the to happen. I had confidence in

told him, and evolution to be carried out in the Commander-in-Chiet and Markham had

full knowledge its nobody questioned him. I never Johnstone fully agreed with that Inevitably disastrous conse- questioned him."

the

quences..

1

Question

of

Was

the

collision

conclusion.

Strict

h14

direst Lact

cabin

It was not until en hour later The heat was so torrid the

that On the Tenth and last day of the court martial next day when Tryon's Fing t

the Court Martial, Captain Lieutchant was called that Johnstone contradicated himseit the President allowed

"Were you convinced at the Bourke had this to say of his

in over Commander-in-chief officers present to take their time you put your helm It appeared that Boure had conis off."

that It was the intention of the closing address: "Sir George done everything within the The most important question Commander-in-Chief to eltele eyed argument, but was

strict dizelplinarian, He al limits of naval discipline to dis- was "Did you hear the Admiral round the division?"

ho hated convinced," weys used to say suade him. And the sympathy at any time after the

"No, I was not

prople who agreed with him, of all thus present to pass any remark as to whom, Johnstone replied.

different strongly on the side of the un- if anyone, he blamed for hav- Again and again during that but that again. was

prevari- from arguing against a fortunate Captain, that it is un- ing caused it, or suggest any afternoon, Johnstone

And Leder. With this and the likely that a single person quer reason for Its cause?".

cated and equivocated, tioned Bourke's apparently re- With soma reluctance and after, he had withdrawn on the that I was serving under an Camperdown's Admiral whose experience was luctant method of stating this only after being told by the fourth day, the

reaching, and whose vist gave cyi- for atrong pleen of evidence in his President: "You are bound to offeer-of-the-woich

that he heard Rear knowledge of the subject of own favour and against that of answer every question that is dence "my chief and my indest asked you unless it tends to 1- Admiral Markham still ex- manoeuvre was admited by all,

bewilderment about

have left his I poem lo friend,"

criminate yourself," Lord Cili pressing Bourke then went to ford replied in a low voice: the meaning of the signal when not clear in my mind what was answer the question "Can you "The Admiral cald 'It was all he had tested that he had to happen, but confident sonr

how

the Commander- that understood Tryon's intention. account for the great number of my fault?***

Lord Gillford's statement was The evidence of Markham and in-Chief himself must be clear men drowned?

by his Flag-Captain and Fing as to his intention." "I-thinic what must have hap- corroborated shortly after pohod

was, that when she the Victoria's Staff Commander Lieutenant was clearly so un- The Court.. rose at '11 o'clock struck the bottom, going head- Thomas Hawkins-Smith who satisfactory and had revealed so and at seven minutes past three frut downwards, the boilers reported Admiraj Tryon as say many contradletions and incon- the prisoners were escorted fu. must have gone and the whole Ing: "It to entirely my doing, sistencies, as well as a situation In front of the President lay the

fault"

amounting almost to pandemon- shining sword, and not one in thing gone to

up entirely my placer, arxi

the bridge of the the assembly of rearly 800 pack- came this enormous gwiri

On the third morning the ium on water carrying with it spara Court called its most important Camperdown, that the question ed under the awnings com- wreckage and things, and witness, Rear-Admiral Markham, of mishandling and neglect of mented on Its position with the

inability to duties on that ship had to be hilt towards Bourke.... undoubtedly, a great many ram He explained' his

The Court found that ite must have been struck by them understand Admiral Tryon's further investigated. Markham because of the number even signal outlining the manoeuvre. had no illusions about his pool collision was due to an order now who are in hospital with He also explained the inter- tion. The sword lying across the given by Vice Admiral Sir

pretation ho family put on table, might belong to Captain George Tryong broken ribs," salt Bourke,

and

to Captain Bourko or to any

It was not only the members. Tryon's order which was that the Bourke but it was his own It found no blame attributable of the Freas who were aware Victoria would "use' her helm future that was at slako,

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