Part 7 (1/2)

_H.M.S. ”Iron Duke.”_ 14-11-'14.

_I know you will be meeting the wives and families of the men, and I hope you will tell them of the magnificent spirit which prevails. Our troops have covered themselves with glory during this war. The Navy has not yet, as a whole, had the opportunity of showing that the old spirit which carried us to victory in the past is with us now, but when our men have had the opportunity of fighting a foe above the water, they have shown that they possess the same pluck and endurance as our comrades ash.o.r.e. Nothing can ever have been finer than the coolness and courage shown in every case where s.h.i.+ps have been sunk by mines or torpedoes. The discipline has been perfect, and men have gone to their death not only most gallantly, but most unselfishly. One hears on all sides of numerous instances of men giving up, on these occasions, the plank that has supported them, to some more feeble comrade, and I feel prouder with every day that pa.s.ses that I command such men._

_And during the period of waiting and watching they are cheerful and contented in spite of the grey dulness of their lives. I am sure you will tell the wives and children, and the sisters and mothers, of our men, of the spirit that prevails, and I know that it will make them too desire to show in their own lives that they are animated by the same desire to do the best they can for their country, so that they will be worthy of their men-kind, of whom it is difficult to say too much._ _JN. JELLICOE._

When the Atlantic Fleet visited Gibraltar, Lady Jellicoe and her family joined Sir John at the Rock, staying at the Villa Victoria.

Jellicoe's flags.h.i.+p was the _Prince of Wales_, and while she was in dock, many delightful entertainments were given on board, the Admiral's daughters doing their share--even Miss Norah, ”the baby of the fleet,” inviting equally small craft (of the human kind) to tea on the flags.h.i.+p with the request that they would ”bring their own bottles.”

The Rock benefited considerably by the three months' visit of the Fleet, under Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, and by the presence of Lady Jellicoe and her family.

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy, but Lady Jellicoe saw to it that Jack got his fair share of amus.e.m.e.nt. At the Annual Rifle Meeting, the Vice-Admiral's Cup, presented by Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, was won by the Vice-Admiral's B Team from his flags.h.i.+p, with A team, also from the flags.h.i.+p, second.

In the individual compet.i.tions the Five Hundred Yards was won by Sir John himself with the Commander of his flags.h.i.+p--Commander Dryer--second. The _Prince of Wales_ took many other firsts and seconds, and to just show that he still kept hand and eye in practice, Sir John Jellicoe and Naval Instructor Holt, representing the Navy, won the Garrison Racquet Tournament against the Army, by four games to one. Sir John also won the Racquet Handicap of the Atlantic Fleet, defeating Mr. Wardlaw in the final by three games to love.

Sir John's handicap was minus eight.

These meetings took place during the first anniversary of King George's accession; the celebrations lasted a week, and the Kaiser's yacht, _Hohenzollern_, and the German cruisers _Konigsberg_ and _Sleepner_ were both in port and took part in the festivities; the Emperor's Imperial Band from the _Hohenzollern_ played at the Victoria Villa before Sir John and Lady Jellicoe and their guests.

It is rather interesting to note that the _Musikfolge_ on this occasion commenced with a selection from Wagner and ended with the ”British Grenadiers” March.

Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe returned from Gibraltar to England in time to take part in the great Naval Review at Spithead on June 24th.

H.M. King George, on board the Royal yacht, received a splendid welcome from the hundred and sixty-seven British s.h.i.+ps anch.o.r.ed off Spithead and the eighteen foreign wars.h.i.+ps which were also present.

Our boats included twelve Dreadnoughts, thirty cruisers and seventy-two destroyers.

Among the foreign s.h.i.+ps present were the _Danton_ (France), _Rossiza_ (Russia), _Kurama_ (j.a.pan), _Radetzky_ (Austria), _Von der Tann_ (German) and _Hamidich_ (Turkey), all of which afterwards became involved in the world war.

After the Review the Naval Manoeuvres took place, in which Jellicoe commanded the Atlantic Fleet. It was at the conclusion of these manoeuvres that vague rumours of a crisis with Germany over the Moroccan affair appeared in certain newspapers. The ”scare” was short-lived, and there was no real ground for the rumours of war between England, France and Germany that were circulated.

At this time a German training s.h.i.+p, with several young officers on board, was cruising in Home waters, doubtless picking up much valuable information. The commander of this s.h.i.+p is reported to have said that war between England and Germany was unthinkable.

Late in July the Atlantic Fleet went to Cromarty for general exercises, and afterwards the Atlantic Fleet Regatta was held at Berehaven. On this occasion Jellicoe's flags.h.i.+p, the _Prince of Wales_, again distinguished herself in a remarkable manner.

Out of thirty events on the programme for the first two days' racing, her boats were first, second or third in twenty-eight events, taking fourteen ”firsts.” In the Veteran Officers' Skiffs Race Vice-Admiral Jellicoe stroked the winning boat. Of course the _Prince of Wales_ was first on the list of points in the regatta, getting fifty-and-a-half to the _Argyll's_ forty, and won the silver trophy--a figure of a giant c.o.c.k.

One amusing incident occurred at the conclusion of the regatta, when bands from the various s.h.i.+ps went down the course in their big barges playing a selection of tunes. When they pa.s.sed the _London_, last but one in the ”race” for points, they played ”When London Sleeps”--a sly dig at that boat's poor performance.

On pa.s.sing Jellicoe's flags.h.i.+p each band played ”c.o.c.k of the Walk” to the accompaniment of deafening cheers.

Sir John, as every man in the Senior Service knows, is a keen temperance man; it was he who was credited with the phrase ”the grog curve.” He believes that a sailor should have his gla.s.s of grog so long as he never takes more than he can carry, and he does not ”carry”

even that amount when on duty.

Jellicoe delivered an epoch-making speech on this very important question at a great temperance meeting held at Gibraltar in November, 1911. On this occasion he said that everyone responsible must recognize the value of temperance in fighting efficiency.

In the Navy there are three qualities upon which efficiency mainly depends--discipline, shooting, and endurance, and temperance unquestionably tends greatly to the promotion of these qualities. In regard to discipline one has only to look at the punishment returns to realize how many of the disciplinary offences are at the outset due to intemperance.