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The Invergordon Mutiny, 1931: Long-Term Causes, Organisation and Leadership

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2008

Anthony Carew
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On Tuesday September 15th, 1931, at 8.00 a.m. most of the stokers of the forenoon watch in the battleship HMS Valiant, under orders to sail from Invergordon for exercises in the North Sea, refused duty and prevented the ship from sailing. In the battleships Rodney and Nelson and the battle-cruiser Hood, all due to follow Valiant out to sea, the crews also refused to turn to. By 9.31 a.m. the admiral commanding the Atlantic Fleet had cancelled the exercises and recalled to Cromarty Firth those ships already at sea. What was to become known as the Invergordon Mutiny had begun. In reality it was a passive protest over recently announced cuts in pay. At various times in the course of the next thirty-six hours large numbers of the 12,000 men in the twelve capital ships at Invergordon joined in the action and refused orders.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Review of Social History , Volume 24 , Issue 2 , August 1979 , pp. 157 - 188
Copyright
Copyright © Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis 1979

References

1 Most of the research for this was undertaken with the help of an SSRC award and a Visiting Fellowship at Sussex University 1973–76.

2 For a full account of the development of lower-deck societies see Anthony Carew, The Lower Deck Reform Movement 1900–1939, forthcoming. An able seaman (AB) is a fully-trained seaman, the rate being attained at about the age of 19. The next rank up is leading seaman (LS). At the time of Invergordon this rank was reached when a man was in his mid to late twenties. Above the leading seaman is the petty officer (PO), a non-commissioned rank attained in the period under consideration in a man's early thirties.

3 The possibility of a sailors' strike was pointed out by the First Lord of the Admiralty in a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, September 3, 1918, Adm. 116/1603. By March 1919 a trade union for the armed forces, the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Union had been formed. Admiralty (Adm.) papers are held at the Public Record Office, London.

4 The Fleet, May 1928, p. 83. For an account of Yexley's role in securing improvements in lower-deck conditions and his extraordinary influence at the Admiralty see Carew, The Lower Deck Reform Movement, op. cit.

5 The Fleet, December 1919, pp. 196–97.

6 Memo of February 14, 1919, Adm. 1/8566/235.

7 Admiralty Weekly Order 737. February 24, 1919, Adm. 182/14.

8 The Fleet, June 1919, p. 90.

9 Ibid., November, p. 127.

10 Naval and Military Record, July 14, 1920.

11 The Fleet, November 1920, p. 189.

12 Naval and Military Record, August 4 and 11, 1920.

13 Hampshire Telegraph, July 2, 1920; Naval and Military Record, August 11.

14 Admiralty Weekly Order 3657, December 22, 1920, Adm. 182/19.

15 The Fleet, July 1922, p. 107.

16 Admiralty Fleet Order 3604, November 4, 1921, Adm. 182/31.

17 Secretary to Board of Admiralty, minute. March 14. 1934, Adm. 116/2891.

18 The Times, September 11, 1922.

19 The Fleet, August 1923, p. 126; September, p. 129; April 1924, p. 62.

20 Western Morning News, October 27, 1923.

21 The Fleet, November 1923, p. 174.

22 Ibid., January 1924, p. 13.

23 Ibid., December, 1923, p. 180; Western Morning News, December 27; Report of Admiral Fremantle to Admiralty, November 1, Adm. 1/8666/159.

24 Secretary to Board of Admiralty, minute, October 18, 1934, Adm. 116/3748.

25 Head of Naval Branch, minute. July 18. 1928, Adm. 1/8666/159.

26 House of Commons Debates, March 18, 1924, c. 293; The Fleet, March, p. 42.

27 Secretary to the Board of Admiralty, minute, March 14, 1934.

28 Hampshire Telegraph, July 31. 1925.

29 Secretary to the Board of Admiralty, minute, March 14, 1934.

30 Admiralty Fleet Order 2858/59, October 3, 1925, Adm. 182/42.

31 James, R. R., Memoirs of a Conservative, J. C. C. Davidson's Memoirs and Papers 1910–37 (London, 1969), pp. 206–15Google Scholar; The Times. July 22, 1925.

32 Admiralty Weekly Order 2359, August 5, 1920, Adm. 182/19.

33 Admiralty Fleet Order 2858/59. October 3. 1925.

34 The Fleet, February 1930. p. 21.

35 Ibid., August 1929, p. 134; June 1934, p. 92.

36 Ibid., August 1929. p. 134.

37 Assuming the seaman had served 3 years' man's time – i.e. from the age of 18.

38 Report of Committee of Enquiry into Hardships. Portsmouth, September 22, 1931, Adm. 116/2891.

39 Ibid.

40 Lt. Commander J. H. Owen, Insubordination and Mutiny in the Navy: Staff Monograph, Vol. II, ch. 3, p. 8, Adm. 178/133.

41 Report of Committee of Enquiry into Hardships, Plymouth, September 22, 1931, Adm. 116/2891.

42 Report of Commodore. Portsmouth Barracks, July 1934, Adm. 116/2891.

43 The Fleet, February 1930, p. 21.

44 Ibid., April, p. 63.

45 Ibid., September, p. 169.

46 House of Commons Debates, March 11, 1931. c. 1347.

47 The Fleet, March 1924, p. 40.

48 Owen, Insubordination and Mutiny. Vol. II, ch. 3, p. 9.

49 The Fleet. August 1929, p. 134.

50 Report of Admiral Kelly, November 9. 1931, Adm. 1/8761/240.

51 Journal of the Royal United Service Institute, May 1930. p. 419.

52 Committee on National Expenditure Report [Cmd 3920].

53 Ibid., p. 39.

54 Portsmouth Evening News, July 31; Western Morning News, August 1; Daily Worker, August 6.

55 Portsmouth Evening News. August 26; Daily Worker. August 7 and 19: Hampshire Telegraph, August 21 and 28.

56 Daily Worker, August 6.

57 Ibid., August 7.

58 Report of Admiral Kelly.

59 The Fleet, September 1931, p. 169.

60 Trory, Ernie, Between the Wars, (Brighton, 1974), pp. 26Google Scholar; Duncan, Barry, Invergordon '31 (Southampton, 1976), pp. 13.Google Scholar

61 Report of Director of Naval Intelligence, May 1932, Adm. 178/110. This interpretation is supported by Commander Harry Pursey, who was the commander's assistant on the flagship Hood at Invergordon. Interview, January 23, 1974.

62 Head of Naval Law, minute, December 12, 1934, Adm. 178/90.

63 Parliamentary Secretary, minute. September 20, 1929, Adm. 178/90; House of Commons Debates. July 24, 1929, c. 1314.

64 Report of Director of Naval Intelligence.

65 Ibid.

66 Divine, David, Mutiny at Invergordon (London, 1970), pp. 67, 207, 209.Google Scholar See also Roskill, Stephen, Naval Policy Between the Wars. II (London, 1976), ch. 4Google Scholar; Commander Pursey, Harry, “Invergordon – First Hand, Last Word ”, in: Naval Review, April 1976.Google Scholar

67 Roskill, Stephen, Hankey: Man of Secrets, 1919–31 (London, 1972), II, pp. 498, 509.Google Scholar

68 Divine, Mutiny at Invergordon, op. cit., p. 81.

69 Ibid., p. 83.

70 Ibid., p. 87.

71 Ibid., pp. 94–95.

72 Admiralty Letter CW 8284/31, September 10, 1931, Adm. 1/8747.

73 Divine, Mutiny at Invergordon, pp. 108–09.

74 Daily Express and Scottish Daily Record, September 11.

75 Report of Captain P. M. Bellairs, September 18, 1931, Kelly Papers, National Maritime Museum.

76 Report of Commander (D), quoted in Owen, Insubordination and Mutiny, Vol. II, ch. V, p. 45.

77 216 men from Rodney landed. Report of Captain Bellairs; letter from ex-CPO Telegraphist C. Beecroft, October 18, 1973.

78 Report of Captain Cochrane, September 19, 1931, Kelly Papers.

79 Interview with ex-Chief Blacksmith S. Rammell, April 1974.

80 Owen, Insubordination and Mutiny, Vol. II, ch. IV, p. 3.

81 Divine, Mutiny at Invergordon, pp. 110–13.

82 Letter of August 14, 1974. The same point is made by ex-AB George Day, who was prominent among the mutineers in the Valiant, interview of August 1976.

83 Report of Admiral Kelly.

84 The idea that all men who were free to do so made for the canteen for a meeting (see Len Wincott, The Spirit of Invergordon (London, 1931)) is not borne out by the facts. For example, twice the number of ratings from Rodney had landed the previous day. If canteen discussions were of importance for the crew of Rodney, it seems probable that Saturday's gathering was more significant than Sunday's. Report of Captain Bellairs.

85 Owen, Insubordination and Mutiny, Vol. II, ch. IV, p. 3.

86 Report of Gunner F. J. Wood, officer of the Warspite patrol, September 13, 1931, Henderson Papers, Imperial War Museum.

87 Day, interview of August 1976; Wincott, The Spirit of Invergordon; Wincott's current claim is that he was the only speaker, interview of July 24, 1974.

88 Owen, Insubordination and Mutiny, Vol. II, ch. IV, p. 4.

89 In the course of Monday September 14 the pay cuts were explained to the men by the captains of Hood, Repulse, Dorsetshire, Norfolk, York and Adventure.

90 Report of Proceedings September 11–16, 1931, Senior Officer Atlantic Fleet, September 24, 1931, Kelly Papers.

91 The following narrative is based on the reports of the various ships' captains, except where stated.

92 This point is made by Day, interview of August 1976; Rammel, interview of April 1974; ex-AB Fred Copeman, interview of January 1974; ex-Stoker B. Jowett, interview of December 1973. All were present, but none of them normally spent time in the canteen.

93 Report of Lt. R. Elkins, Officer Commanding Shore Patrol, September 25, 1931, Kelly Papers; Roskill, Naval Policy Between the Wars, II, op. cit., p. 102.

94 Diary entry by Lt. Commander Charles Drage, Signals Officer, September 14, 1931. private papers of Commander Drage.

95 Ibid.

96 Letter from ex-CPO Telegraphist C. Beecroft, November 25, 1977.

97 Invergordon – Copies of Signals, Henderson Papers.

98 Ibid.

99 Day, interview of August 1976; Drage. Diary, September 15, 1931.

100 Invergordon – Copies of Signals.

101 Divine, Mutiny at Invergordon, p. 160.

102 Pursey, interview of January 23, 1974.

103 Again this is important for an appraisal of the conspiracy theory, since at various times these two have both been branded as lead ships.

104 Report of Director of Naval Intelligence.

105 See Carew, The Lower Deck Reform Movement.

106 Hampshire Telegraph, January 23, 1931; House of Commons Debates, January 28, cc. 949–50; Owen, Insubordination and Mutiny. Vol. II, ch. 1. pp. 28–29. Adm. 178/135.

107 Commander R. Rodger, interview of November 1974.

108 Copeman, interview of January 1974.

109 pursey, interview of January 4, 1978.

110 Invergordon – Copies of Signals.

111 Divine, Mutiny at Invergordon, p. 167.

112 Pursey, “Invergordon – First Hand, Last Word ”, loc. cit., p. 162.

113 In effect a free afternoon.

114 Jowett, interview of December 1973.

115 Drage, Diary, September 16. 1931. AB Riggs had the distinction of being the last man to return to duty on HMS Norfolk, but he does not figure in the list of “ringleaders ” compiled by Naval Intelligence.

116 Barry Duncan, letter to Tribune, August 30, 1974.

117 The Spirit of Invergordon. Wincott now admits that he did not write the pamphlet and probably did not read it before it was published, interview of July 24, 1974.

118 The Admiralty's view was largely based on Wincott's version as retailed second-hand by AB Terry Gentry, an informer. Owen, Insubordination and Mutiny; Wincott, Len, Invergordon Mutineer, (London, 1976), ch. 13.Google Scholar

119 Interviews with Wincott of July 24, 1974, Copeman of January 1974 and Rodger of November 1974; letter from Hill, August 14, 1974.

120 Letters from F. J. Brooks, July 24, 1973, and W. G. Reid, August 31, 1973.

121 Copeman, interview of January 1974.

122 Letters from J. Malyon, March 22, 1978, and A. L. Colton, March 23, 1978; Captain of HMS Revenge to C-in-C Devenport, December 9, 1931, Adm. 178/112.

123 Invergordon Incident, Vol. I, September 1931, Adm. 178/112.

124 Director of Naval Intelligence, minute, September 29, 1931, Adm. 178/80.

125 Quite possibly the Admiralty's decision in 1932 not to renew the appointment of the Director of Naval Intelligence was a reflection of this. Meeting of Sea Lords, January 1, 1932, Adm. 178/129.

126 The discharges were made in the first week of November, but it seems likely that the decision in principle had been taken by mid October. Sir Vernon Kell to Director of Naval Intelligence, October 15, 1931, Adm. 1/8757/181. The General Election was held on October 28 and the Prime Minister gave his personal consent to their discharge. Invergordon Incident, September 1931, Vol. IV, Adm. 178/113.