Serious disturbances took place on Sunday and Monday night at
the Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth. It appears that owing to some disorder caused by the stokers, of whom some nine hundred were living in the barracks, when leaving the parade-ground, they were ordered to fall in in the drill-hall by the officer in charge, who before addressing them gave the order "On the knee!" so that all the men might hear more clearly. The men resented the order, disobeyed it, and refused to turn in until the ringleaders who had been arrested were released. On Monday the Commodore commanding the barracks received a deputation of stokers, and after hearing their complaint reproved them for objecting to an order well known in the Service for years. The men dispersed quietly, but rioting was resumed at 10 p.m., and on the return of the men from ordinary evening leave assumed such dimensions that patrols had to be landed from the ships in harbour to clear the streets and restore order. The windows of the officers' quarters were broken, but no injuries were caused to the men in barracks, nor was any personal violence used ; and though a hundred and twenty men were arrested, only the ringleaders, thirty in all, were detained. As the bluejackets took no part in the disturbance, and most of the stokers were young men, the authorities are justified in ascribing their action to inexperience rather than discontent. At the same time, the incident illustrates the disadvantages of keeping large numbers of sailors in barracks, and four hundred of the stokers have already been drafted to ships in harbour. A sailor is best at sea.
Previous page
