TROUBLE IN FLEET

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 18, 22 January 1938, Page 13

TROUBLE IN FLEET

FACTS Glf EN-; AT'LAST

MUTINY At INVERGORDON

"Six years ago', Von;, September 15, 1931, a mutiny, occurred.in ;the.. ships of the Home Fleet ;at, Jm'er'gordon. This week the whole■ story ■ of. that disastrous event, which/nearly 'destroyed the morale-of :the entire British Navy, and for a time-threatened the safety of the Empire'-itself; is told for the first time,"- says:'-the "Morning Post." . /■";■':V:;..;•;:..;. /:;:. The,.author' ol f Mutiny, at Inver-gordon,"".-L:ieutehant-Cb^iinander. Ken-neth-Edwards, had; ;,a "distinguished career in the Navy ' until''his retirement in 1932. The volume, is valuable, therefore, quite apart' from its worth as a history, since it puts forward the point of view of the serving officers at a period when they'1 were discouraged and embittered.

"The cause of'the■ mutiny,'"' adds the "Morning Post," -"was -'the pay cuts instituted in "the. Navy at'the= time of the financial crisis ,irl 1931." "The. Cabinet," r states ..Lieutenant-Commander Edward's- ""'asked'•whettier ■cuj.s in; pay would be accepted, by' thq: Jiften ;q1 the Royal Navy if the cuts were part of a national sacrifice" iii which all: Government servants' add the .fl"gl\ting Services would share equally: •■■<■■ v. = '

"To this tli.e.: : A'd.mirany'replied.'in the .affirmative.;. . '■~ Tliei-e.. is no. d.oubt that the Admiralty were-right in: their opinion. The.men pi the.Royal Navy would have accepted;a.-percentage .reduction if everybody' else'paid by the State suffered an identical percentage reduction. *■ ■ ■•'■■

BACK TO 1925 LEVEL.

"No such.percentage'Reduction was, however, made. 'The cuts -'enforced were reduction's to .t,he-i;925 rates- of p a y_the one form ';pf' reduction which would be regarded'; by the men as a betrayal of trust,--and-, which--would impose a far .greater ■.degree of;-reduc-tion and c'onßequVri-t,';VnaJdship..upon certain classes of naval:ratings-than upon anybody; else in,; the \cotm: try." The facts abbut -.the.. Administrative blunders have not '^previously- ;been known publicly,'' ■'"says: the'; naval:; correspondent of . tHe.:-. ■.'"Manchester Guardian." Lieutenant-Cemmander-Ed-wards' '- ffetails\ thqm :rA6st 'Clearly and carefully. In outline, events-happened thus:— : ■•.--.■■ i ••

The Governnieh^ decided.' to 'impose cuts in pay. ' ■ . - ' -'■• ,

The Admiralty-signalled to all Com-manders-in-Chief a "message explaining the position. -..:..:-;- ~,.-.,: ' ,

The Commander-in-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet was. suddenly- taken to hospital ill and the,signalir'emained in the office of his:fiagship,--■ the Nelson, unknown to Rear-Admiral Tomkinson in H.M.S. Hood, on whom the commands temporarily devolved.

Neither'the officials at the :, Admiralty, nor th : e. staff" officers'in tfie Fleet flagship .thought, of advising- Admiral Tomkinson ..of the Signal.' ...'■'.'..'■

"The signal.was followed by .a. Jetter from the Admiralty explaining the ; necessity for' the 'cuts and the• nature' of,-them.. .'This, too :went'to, the Fleet; flagship, but the -Admiralty . officials, again never thought of sending a copy to: the Acting Commariderrin-Chief in, the Hood, though:--he'w.ould'have to' deal with the .situation. ; ; ";. •■ '

NOT REALISED,

Lieutenant-Commander' ' Edwards says that the thought *that a duplicate of-the-vital letter had not been sent by the Admiralty' ■ to* . Rear-Admiral Tomkinson was never .entertained by the-staff-in the-Nelson. It may be suggested ' that-such a contingency should have appeared possible to the staff of the absent Commander-in-Chief. Here was an. instance, with serious consequences, of failure of the human element,--both .at the Admiralty and in the Fleet, to rise superior to the occasion!. . . .. '

There is much in Lieutenant-Com-mander Edwards's narrative that shows the other .side. The general.behaviour, of the men, even at the .of the mutiny,- for example, is a fine, testimony . to. their r'egard .for. their, officers, to. ; their- ■ sense oi. ."ordered.- ..protest," which is ■ what. they really aimed at. The book deserves '.wide;,-study. The plain citizen . will, learn much: from- it that he could not-have-obtained from the."newspaper accounts. "