The Hampshire Family Historian | Vol.49 No.1 | June 2022

Member’s article

Continued from page 17

their way to Stockholm. When daylight came a party of about twenty was put aboard to help clear the wreckage and to try and keep the Danish vessel afloat. An attempt was made to tow her to Copenhagen but the wind freshened to almost gale force and her bows were torn wide open, soon she sank. When the party that had been sent aboard was mustered, it was discovered that seven were missing. This was a tragic loss. The disaster meant an official enquiry had to be held but on the following morning, through diplomatic channels. Richard’s ship was permitted to continue on to Stockholm and thereby join the rest of the squadron. In the calm water at Stockholm the ships were once more at ease and were free from drills but it was the turn of Richard to take a dip when he fell off the boom into the harbour. Luckily for him, he managed to grab the gunwale of another boat and scramble aboard with nothing more than a ducking. Soon they were on their way again now to Norway. This time it was to Oslo (then known as Christiania) and to enjoy the wonderful voyage up the fjord to the capital. Sail drill in the morning, a few hours of shore leave in the afternoon and then back aboard in the still bright sunshine of the evening. From Oslo the next ports of call were Bergen and Molde; the voyage permitted just a little more sail drill. Heavy rain at Molde prevented any shore going and after more official recognitions, the squadron passed on to Trondheim where, in this fine anchorage was found the Geran Imperial Yacht with the Kaiser onboard. He was paid and his flag the squadron’s greatest compliment by manning ship, that is to say,

members of the crew stood on the yards of the ships and around the bulwarks and linked hands whilst a Royal Salute of 21 guns was fired. (Among the senior naval officers accompanying the Kaiser in Trondheim was Count Felix von Luckner. Richard Gordon, towards of WW1, served with the Australians in the Pacific. The Count was also serving, but on the other side, in this part of the world and was causing a lot of concern to our allies by raiding British merchantmen. The Count was eventually run to earth off Fiji where Richard was serving on HMAS Brisbane , a recently Australian built light cruiser.) Leaving Trondheim the ships of the squadron continued northwards to Hammerfest and Vadso. This really enabled the young seamen in training to appreciate each ship’s sailing ability and whilst HMS Raleigh was the oldest of the four, she out sailed the rest. It was often said that she could do under her topsails far more than the others could under all possible sail. The young seamen continued to enjoy the lasting daylight of the borders of Lapland where they thought the inhabitants with their little kayaks seemed to live in a paradise all of their own! For the seamen this dreaming was not to last for long because they were soon sailing for home, still in a competitive spirit, but always under the all seeing eye of the ever vigilant Commodore, who never allowed any man to become ‘hull down’ in the horizon. James Dewey HGS Member # 11167 In memory of my great uncle Richard J.B Gordon

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