Travelling from Baltimore, the steamer,
Mermion, was destined to carry a cargo
Of oats for Antwerp, Belgium yet events
Were to make for delays and issues,
Leading to a mutiny among the crew.
The steamer Mermion departed the port
Of Baltimore, within the state of Maryland,
An independent city in the United States.
The Mermion tracked Chesapeake Bay,
By Virginia and Delaware, to Atlantic waters.
The Mermion bringing foodstuff for Belgium,
Under the Captainship of John William Clark,
And Chief Officer Gilbert Milton made progress
Across the sea -yet came unrest amid the crew.
Captain John William Clark explained how
The Mermion arrived at Flamouth, England.
Then being given orders to sail the channel
And proceed to Antwerp – yet due to war
Circumstance, it was no possible to complete
The unloading of cargo at the Belgian port.
The steamer returned to Dover, then orders
Were to go to Zeebrugge and onto Bruges -
Where finally 200 tons of oats were unloaded.
More orders for Mermion to sail onto Ostend
And progress to Calais where some crew,
Nine men in total, refused to do their duty.
On October 29 crew members had asked
The Captain for money – but were refused.
Being given reason of their unruly conduct.
At the port of Calais, this crew then threw
All the ships navigation lamps overboard.
Their recovery needing employing of divers,
As police were involved with their arrests.
The arrested men were first detained at Calais,
Before their removal back to England - escorted
By four gendarmes, armed with fixed bayonets.
The nine men after a formal hearing were charged
Under the Merchant Shipping Act, to be detained
In Folkstone, and remanded to Canterbury Prison.
With the mutiny case presented at the Folkstone
Magistrates Court, Mr Rutley Mowll of Dover,
Defended - the prosecution led by Mr Haines,
Whose outline said that on October 29, at Calais,
Nine men, being part of the crew, had shown
Open and complete disobedience of their captain.
Onboard the men let it be known of dissatisfaction
To the officer of their inadequate drinking water –
Also stating that potaotes supplies being in short
Supply, for some part of the voyage from Baltimore.
Their dissatisfaction of nine aboard the Mermion
Grew with reasons of the meat supply becoming
Rotten, while the water given them was poisoned.
Before the court, Captain Clark stated there were
No grounds for any of these men’s accusations.
Corroboration for the captain was then made,
Given by the Chief Officer, Mr Gilbert Milton.
A defence witness stated fact that all foodstuff
And water was bad - On behalf of the defence
Mr Mowll stated how clear it was, that the men
Had not been treated with any due consideration.
In the outcome of the court the magistrate
Made summary - that while circumstances were
Unusual – deciding court justice would be final.
The nine crew men had already received some
Punishment with regard to their being currently
Imprisoned - first in France and then England.
Added was a fine of £1 each to the men made
Without needs of costs. In
addition Captain
Clark of the Mermion, made swift application,
For the men’s service contracts to be annulled.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1914. Mutiny at Calais – Ships Crew Charged. The Daily
Telegraph, [online] 2 Nov. p.3.
Col.2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11200941/Daily-Telegraph-November-2-1914.html [Accessed: 2 November 2014].
Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 2 November 2014).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
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