The Maritime Heritage Society

[BeppoSapone]

I may be trying to teach the RN buffs to "suck eggs" with this post.

This morning a booklet that I won on ebay arrived here. It deals with a little known mutiny that took place on HMS Lucia at Devonport in 1931.

This pamphlet, by Dr Charles E Scurrell, was published by the Maritime Heritage Society in 2002. On the back page is a list of the other pamphlets produced by this society. Most seem to be outside the range of WW1. However, there is one entitled "HMS Ocean and the Dardanelles Disaster" which was, last year, priced at £1.35.

There is also mention of a "forthcoming title" on HMS Bulwark, which readers will remember exploded in Sheerness in November 1914. As the pamphlet I have was published last year the Bulwark booklet COULD be available now.

For more details contact the society at the following address:

The Maritime Heritage Society

6 Norton Avenue

Plymouth

PL4 7PE

Devon

I would like to say at this time that I am not now, and never have been, a member of the Maritime Heritage Society. I simply thought that other Pals might be interested in this information.

[Frank_East]

BeppoSapone

I have just seen your post on the mutiny at Devonport in 1931.

This is an interesting piece of history for at this time the Royal Navy in the era of the economic depression reduced the pay of ratings.It caused some dissent at the then base of Invergordon in Scotland. It was thought to be so serious by the Admiralty that it was interpretated as mutiny.I think that the "leaders" were dismissed from the Navy.

One individual decided that life would be better in Russia and left to start a new life there.Apparently he had a paricularly bad experience of life under the Soviet regime.

The account was revealed a few years ago probably when the file was released to the public.Apparently the account of the event was kept from the public at the time and hidden in the confidential files of state.

Regards

Frank East

[BeppoSapone]

BeppoSapone

I have just seen your post on the mutiny at Devonport in 1931.

This is an interesting piece of history for at this time the Royal Navy in the era of the economic depression reduced the pay of ratings.It caused some dissent at the then base of Invergordon in Scotland. It was thought to be so serious by the Admiralty that it was interpretated as mutiny.I think that the "leaders" were dismissed from the Navy.

One individual decided that life would be better in Russia and left to start a new life there.Apparently he had a paricularly bad experience of life under the Soviet regime.

The account was revealed a few years ago probably when the file was released to the public.Apparently the account of the event was kept from the public at the time and hidden in the confidential files of state.

Regards

Frank East

Frank

There are some good general histories of the events at Invergordon in 1931. "The Invergordon Mutiny" by Alan Ereira and "Mutiny at Invergordon" by David Divine spring to mind. The mutiny/strike on HMS Lucia is mentioned in passing in both of these books.

You are quite right in saying that the Royal Navy dismissed "leaders", despite "no victimisation" promises made. They also used it as an excuse to "sack" a lot more people that they did not want: suspected homosexuals, barrack room lawyers etc etc etc.

One of the "sacked" "ringleaders" was Fred Copeman, from Wangford in Suffolk. He is the same Fred Copeman who fought in Spain with the "International Brigade". His autobiography is called "Reason in Revolt".

The "sacked" "ringleader" who left to start a new life in Russia was Leicester born Len Wincott. He spent eleven years in one of Stalin's labour camps. His autobiography is called "Invergordon Mutineer".

IIRC both of the above men were serving on "HMS Norfolk" in 1931.

There was also another mutiny in the Royal Navy in 1945, when part of the fleet sent out to fight Japan after VE Day mutinied.