Diplomacy, royal duties and espionage: two years in the life of a socially well groomed Royal Navy Paymaster who was part of a covert John Buchanesque reconaissance tour of German coastal fortifications in 1909, before taking passage to South Africa with the Royal party on board the RMS/HMS Balmoral to represent George V at the first opening of the Parliament of the new South Africa. Games of ‘Spoof’ played with Princess Patricia are recounted alongside luncheon with Lloyd George and endless fact-finding missions across the Baltic ports.
The 1909 Diary of this as yet unidentified Royal Navy paymaster/purser runs to c 8000 words in a very neat and legible hand. Entries on three-quarters (c159pp.) of the leaves of a Letts’s Indian and Colonial Rough Diary - boards and binding very sound; clean and fresh throughout.
After sailing with HMS Cornwall during its 1909 Mediterranean tour the writer formed part of the notorious summer tour of the Baltic Sea which has became legendary in British naval history for the covert reconnaissance of German coastal fortifications. Two officers - Lieutenant Vivian Ronald Brandon and Lieutenant Bernard Frederic Trench - are thought to have been responsible for these activities, joining the crew at the last minute, as noted by our writer on May 15th 1909 below his daily entry, ‘Brandon and Trench joined’ and on 20th May he notes that he ‘corrected French exercise of Trench’s in the evening’. Our writer also records his own studies of the German language throughout - a sign of the times. Sailing along Holding Fjord he notes that ‘Fredericia is now quite undefended as it would take much money & too many men to make it feasible...’
Onboard were 55 training cadets, including Prince George of Battenberg; on 24th June 1909 the writer notes the visit of the German Emperor while the ship is in Kiel, Germany: he ‘Stayed for an hour. Presented Captain [later Admiral Sir]William Reginald "Blinker" Hall]..... with signed copies of his photograph and was altogether amiable’. Entries record touring several regional ports including a ten-day stop in Christiania (Oslo) to host the Norwegian Minister of War, followed by stops in Travemünde, Visby and Stockholm where an entry describes the visit by the Crown Princess of Sweden.
Later entries record how the ‘Commander in Chief, [Admiral Sir Assheton Gore Curzon-Howe (1850-1922)] comes on board to walk round the ship and stayed to church with Lady Curzon Howe'.
Our writer’s duties involved arranging supplies of fresh provisions, ‘tallying accounts’ and carrying out negotiations with contractors for supplies such as beef and laundry. Lunch with the captain, guests and other senior officers is a regular occurrence. Our author's enthusiasm for golf, however, goes beyond the call of duty and he contrives to play the game in every port from Alexandria and Helouan in Egypt to Marsa in Malta, to Kitzeberg in Germany as well as Mount Batten and Tavistock in England. Tennis, dancing, lunches, sightseeing, museums and many exploratory walks along coastlines and further inland are further described.
The year concludes with HMS Cornwall’s return to port at Devonport, where Captain Hall hands over command to Captain Ley [James Clement Ley] on 8 December 1909.
1910 DIARY: This records voyages on HMS Cornwall and RMS, requisitioned as, HMS Balmoral Castle on its trip to Cape Town where the Royal party onboard officially represented King George V at the opening of the very first Parliament of the newly formed Union of South Africa on 4 November 1910. The daily entries blend insights into naval life, global diplomacy and the social and cultural history of everyday life serving as an officer on board a Royal Navy vessel.
Commanded by Captain James Clement Ley, our writer documents the ships departure from Devenport on January 19th and its passage to Gibraltar and the Mediterranean before its return to home waters for a period of leave before a North American cruise taking in Bermuda, Halifax and Newfoundland. He records ‘shocking news’ regarding a colleague named Codrington (10th July) and ‘lunched at next table to Lloyd-George and were not favourably impressed with what we saw of him’ and ‘good news’ on June 8th regarding our writer’s new prestigious appointment to the RMS Balmoral Castle.
Home leave in Staines throughout the summer involves several documented meetings at Admiralty House preparing for the move to RMS Balmoral Castle, ‘a busy 3 hrs on board Balmoral Castle meeting commander Stapleton - next few weeks getting provisions on board etc’.
The arrival of the Royal party is documented on October 11th, ‘arrived by train at 1.10pm.... they had a big luncheon on board... Five of us dined at the Royal table’. Our writer records the ship’s departure from Portsmouth with Prince Arthur (The Duke of Connaught), the Duchess of Connaught, and Princess Patricia on board, arriving Cape Town on October 31st. November 4th’s entry begins ‘Opening of Union Parliament... I saw the procession from Adderley Street’.
From November 8th our writer’s train follows the royal train, passing through the Karoo Desert to Kimberley, thence to Bulawayo. On 12 November he records 'Many halts to allow Royal Train to keep ahead so arrived at [Victoria] Falls at 9.30 am. ‘Scenery splendid especially the climb up the River Mountains’. The return of the Royal Party to Durban following their inland tour is noted on Dec 2nd and Xmas day 1910 is spent at sea, ‘officers fell in at noon and received Xmas wishes of HRH one by one in Royal Salon’. The long journey home commences, 'After dinner played "Spoof" with Princess who looked tired & bored. Sympathised with her, but why do they not dismiss us after dinner?... Captain Dampier came on board bringing with him presents from the Governor of Sierra Leone - fruit, flowers, & a parrot for Princess Patricia’. The diary's last comment reads, 'Landed with Miller 6 p.m. Dined at Cafe Royal & went to Kings Theatre afterwards - quite a good show.
DESCRIPTION: 1910 Army and Navy Octavo Scribbling Diary: Boards, endpapers and text block all sound. Contemporary advertisements to front and rear. A few childish scrawls by Irene and Pauline Knott (grandchildren of the author?) to blank memorandum leaves to front not affecting the text. Hand written entries fill the leaves in a very legible hand. c18,000 words.
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