THE VIKING SPIRIT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3442, 2 March 1920, Page 60

THE VIKING SPIRIT.

By Sibius, Author of "Disappointment and Salvage," "The Devon Trawler," etc. The Eoyal Navy stood at the beginning of the war with a personnel approximating 250,000 officers and men; when the armistice was declared there were over 750,000. It is not to be assumed that this enormous addition of 50,000 consisted of men who went down to the sea in ships—in fact, it was very much the reverse, for, indeed, many of them had never seen the sea, and of these there was the Naval Division, inaugurated at the Crystal Palace by the policy of Mr Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty. They were known in the service as "Winnie's darlings." They were primarily used, however, at the Dardanelles and in France in conjunction with the Royal Marine Light Infantry. They were trained in a course of lectures; and classes for seamanship assisted them to get ideas about hammocks, rigging, and ship's construction. This prepared them for going afloat, being finally completed for active naval service by the usual rifle and heavy gun drill.

There was in vogue for many years prior to the war the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, but it was composed entirely of landsmen; except in the sense of being amateur seamen due to the perfunctory knowledge of the art gained from yachts. They were mobilised at the outbreak of hostilities and drafted to the fleet. The training they had during the years prior to mobilisation at their depots, combined with an annual fortnight afloat in some of the squadrons, showed the far-sighted policy of the Admiralty. For these men were of superior quality, and formed separate gun's crews, were detailed for decoding duties, also a variety of work not strictly of a seaman nature fell to the lot of the R.N.V.R.'s.

When once 'the ; Royal Naval Reserves and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves were absorbed into the Royal Navy, their various headquarters were continuously supplied by voluntary means. Marches through the city of London were instituted by a section from the trained divisions, and this, combined with the natural impulses of the British race for the sea, served the recruiting purposes. Sometimes a distant relative was a sailor, or a harbour full of shipping prompted them to wear the blue in preference to khaki. It would be nearer the truth to say the Vikincf spirit coursing in their blood caused them to rally to the call of the ocean.,.'. ■ &

"He is a jolly good hand, sir." The scene is on the quarterdeck of H.M.S. Dreadnought, and a request man stands respectfully and at attention before the captain.

The commander is there with the usual master-at-arms, marines for sentry duty, and supernumeraries, required for the daily routine at 11 a.m. for request men and defaulters.

At the commander's remark the captain looked up from the tiny desk he was sitting . behind, where official papers are placed for his convenience. He gazed at the solid, intelligent face of the R.N.V.R. seaman. His appearance justified the commander's remarks. -

"You have heen two years in the ship, an excellent record, and belong to the R.N.V.R. London Division," slowly enunciated the captain. "Yes, sir."

'You are desirous of becoming an assistant-paymaster, E.N.E." ?

"Yes, sir." "I had said to some of the R.N.V.R.'s that they were surely fitter to he other than mere hewers of wood and drawers of water, and' that is why Baker sent in his request," observed the commander. "Won't you be sorry to lose these men," asked the captain? "Yes, sir, but I can afford to, as .we are in excess of complement." "What were you. in civil life, Baker"? "I was studying for the Civil Service, sir." "Very well, commander; requestgranted." "Bequest granted, about turn, double march," ordered the master-at-arms. Baker saluted smartly, turned, and doubled off the quarterdeck. "What would the navy have done without such as these," remarked the captain significantly ? Assistant-paymaster Frank J. Baker. R.N.R., left it.M.S. Dreadnought a week later to proceed to Portsmouth depot, and the navy knew him no more as a seaman.

A journalist emerged from Whitehall. He seemed pleased, for a broad smile lit up his features, and he fingered a document that he had inserted in his inner pocket, as he descended the steps. It was headed as follows, viz.—To Edward Frederick Wharton, Esq. "The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having appointed you temporary-lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, their lordships hereby direct you. ..." Then followed specific orders re conduct, bearing, and the penalty in default thereof, while another directed him to whom he was to report. It is a far cry from dusty newspaper offices to the quarterdeck, with commissioned rank"'in-'the' Royal Navy, but Edward Frederick Wharton, Esq., had known Oxford and lived in the Near East, where he had acquired an excellent knowledge of Turkish and Arabic. It was essential that His Majesty's ships operating there should have interpreters, and hence the reason a journalist was appointed to the rank of temporary lieutenant in the R.N.V.R, He was attached to the Naval Intelligence Department, and forthwith proceeded in accordance with Admiralty instructions to obey the lawful commands of his superior officers. Landing in Egypt he rsceived hurried orders to repair on

board a light cruiser, -that was ordered to patrol the Palestine coast, which his previous sojourns as a corespondent for a London daily had enabled him to get an intimate knowledge of. It was only a small affair; a naval landing party ambushed, but fighting doggedly, covered by a splendid barrage from the cruiser's 4.7'5. This occurred in the locality of mystic mythological lore, near to Jonah's Pillar, where the whale vomited forth Jonah to dry land, as well as thankfulness to the Almighty for his deliverance. Here Edward Frederick Wharton, Esq., lay on his stomach; bullets spat and stung the air. A shriek and i seaman rolled and lay face upwards. The lieutenant in charge had ordered a retirement, keeping under cover to the beach, where Jay the cutter, zipp, zipping with the machine gun, manipulated by a most unconcerned seaman gunner. "What the devil am I to do," thought Temporary Lieutenant Edward Frederick Wharton, R.N.V.R.? There was no time to argue, so he picked up the body of the seaman and calmly walked down to a bank, overhanging the beach, where he encountered some of the party taking cover. There was the long beach, exposed, and the still larger pull to the ship. How well these 4.7's searched the roads and gullies, and the fire of the Turk slackened perceptibly. Dusk enabled them to return on board minus a few seamen, whose bodies, however, were all recovered, and some were wounded. The action was alluded to as a small engagement where valuable information of the enemy's movements was procured, as well as considerable casualties being inflicted. The losses were not heavy, but for cool behaviour and excellent conduct while under fire, Temporary Lieutenant Edward Frederick Wharton, R.N.V.R., was awarded the D.S.C?

He was wealthy and a man about town. He frequented Stock Exchange meetings, but this did not deter him from offering his services. He was appointed Sublieutenant, R.N.V.R., and sent to the Royal Naval Barracks, Devonport, for training. An over-worked R..N.R. lieutenant required an assistant for chart correcting, and this was the cause of his appearance in the parent ship of the Destroyer Flotilla based at Plymouth. He turned his brains to decoding and helped the issue of type written sailing orders to captains .of destroyers. It all came quite easy to Sub-lieutenant R. S. T. Storey, R.N.V.R., in fact he often supplied tht> instructions himself, when the staff was overwhelmed with work. . Submarine hunting, assistance to torpedoed ships, and information of mines were the gist of these parting orders, which more -than once meant sending the men to death. "He is cute," said the captain when discussing Sub-lieutenant R. S. L. Storey, R.N.V.R., with the navigator. "Yes, sir, he owns a yacht, has pots of money, and draws better buoys and beacons on the charts than I can."

"We will keep him in the 'Operations Room' where he can study the convoy tracks, and it might ease the pressure of work for some of you." Sub-lieutenant R. - S.' L. Storey, R.N.V.R., eventually ran and bossed this department, for the experts had enough in their particular appointments to do, and were content to see him gathering in the information for the varied wants oi a crowd of destroyer captains. You may be sure he was carrying on the good work when the armistice brought the destroyers home to rest.

The rush for London Regiments by the city clerks, business men, and from all callings had made it impossible for Percival Claude Sampson to be admitted as a recruit. Slight and graceful, fitter to move in more exclusive spheres, than to shoulder a rifle in the infantry, he despaired of doing his bit. "What about a Scotch regiment?" and forthwith went North.

Bedford saw him lined up with another half dozen to pass the doctor, and by night he was in camp with the "Seaforths" and Union Discount Leader, Hall street, London, saw him no more. The route marches, physical drill, camp life in general he shared with big Highlanders, uncouth and to him unintelligible in speech. 0 "What aye did ye get intae the regiment, ye're nae a Highlander," asked 'the quartermaster-sergeant? "You hadn't enough Scotchmen willing to fight, and so Englishmen must fill the ranks. You ought to be proud to have an Englishman in your regiment." "Proud, d'ye say, many the Huns, when they tak ye prisoner will winner hoo ye canie to leave yer mither." "Then I'll be a loss to the regiment." "Hoots many, ye've got oure' mackle conceit o' yersel, and some of the Seaforth lads will be tackin it oot o' ye." The quartermaster-sergeant strode off. "The wee bit callant will hae to hauld his tongue, it widraa do for him to open his mooth oure wide."

Night leave was not granted, but Private Percival Claudso Sampson donned mufti and slipped through the lines, taking a night train to London. He carried his uniform in a parcel. Arriving at King's Cross, he" obtained a room at the Station Hotel, and issued later in his Highland uniform. He arrived at the Admiralty and found the office labelled 'Admiral Commanding Coastguards and Reserves."

The admiral in charge of this immense department was disturbed by the entry of his writer. He laid before him the form used by applicants requiring a personal interview. »

"He is a Highland soldier, sir." "How do you know?" "He is in kilts, sir." "Let him in." The admiral appeared interested, for wasn't he Scotch, too? "Good morning, sir."

It must have been the first occasion of a "Seaforth. Highlander" meeting an admiral in his inner sanctum, for there

was quite a pronounced pause, ere the admiral could bring himself to speak. "What can I do for you, my man?" "Can I be appointed as a Royal Naval Reserve Paymaster? I have had experience in accounts, and have qualified as a chartered accountant." The bald plain statement seemed grotesque, coming from the .lips of a private in a Highland regiment. "What regiment do you belong to?" "B Company, 4th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, Territorial Force." "Fine Scotch regiment that," observed the admiral. "Thought I recognised the tartan. lam Scotch myself." Further conversation ensued, but it was all heather and moss, and Private Percival Claude Sampson knew the game. As he was about to leave, he again brought the admiral to the point. "Wha,t about _my commission, sir?" Calling his secretary, the admiral said a few words and remarked it would he all right. Passing out of the offices eventually, he held an official paper addressed as Assistant Paymaster P. C. Sampson, R.N.R. It was quick promotion from private to commissioned rank in the Royal Navv, for he had only joined up three months before to do his bit. Two years later he was on the admiral's staff as secretary, with the rank of Staff Paymaster, R.N.R., known latterly in the war as Paymaster Lieutenant Commander, R.N.R. The old titles were abolished, a reform that to some was rather distasteful. However, Sampson's abilities under this substantial rank were noted for tact and acumen, Such are some of the ways and means adopted, when the Admiralty wanted officers and men, and that the material was the right sort must surely now be accredited, when a glance is given to a map of the seas. There is no ocean that has not been traversed some time or another during the war by a vessel flying the White ~Ensign. It lias expanded its folds to all the winds of the deep, and symbolised to all whom it may concern. "This is British Naval Power that stands fca- freedom," or in the language of the Navy's daily prayer, "That those on the land may pursue their lawful occasions and enjoy the fruits of their labours."