Jersey Flag
The Channel Islands and the Great War
Guernsey Flag
 

Guernsey's Zeebrugge Hero
 
Zeebrugge Raid map

Vindictive arrived alongside the Mole at one minute past midnight on the 23 April - St George's Day. Having come alongside, Captain Carpenter had difficulty in holding the ship's position and the cruiser started to drift away from the Mole before she could be secured. Daffodil's captain, Lt-Cmdr Harold Campbell, quickly realised the situation and manoeuvred his vessel into a position from which he could push the cruiser back against the Mole with the nose of his own ship. It proved impossible to secure Vindictive to the Mole using grappling irons, so Daffodil had to hold her in position throughout the raid. Despite the fact that two German shells exploded in her engine room her engineers managed to maintain full steam with her old coal-fired boiler. Some sources state that the assault team on Daffodil could not get on to the Mole and none of them were able to take part in the raid. However it is clear that Helman was involved in the action, as the official report on the raid, now in the National Archives, states that his officer, Cecil Dickinson, reported: "On the Mole I was joined by three or four of my own Company from the Daffodil…..After returning on board, I noticed Able Seamen Davies and Helman and others of my party assisting wounded on the mess deck." In addition, the local newspaper reported that Helman's companion on the raid, William Mudge, told his mother that "Jack picked up one of his wounded chums and when he came on board he noticed that the head had been blown off the body".

One hundred and sixty one men had been killed on the raid, seventy five of them by one shell which hit the ferry boat Iris soon after she left the Mole to return to Dover. In addition, three hundred and eighty three were wounded, of whom twenty eight died. Sixteen men were reported missing and thirteen were taken prisoner, having been left behind on the Mole.

Admiral Keyes knew that great bravery had been displayed and he asked Captain Carpenter, the commander of the Vindictive and the most senior officer present, to recommend who should be awarded the Victoria Cross. However, Carpenter found it impossible to choose, since he felt that all his men had shown great courage.

Keyes was still determined that several Victoria Crosses should be awarded and his solution was to invoke Clause 13 of the Victoria Cross Warrant. This allows those present at an action to choose one of their number to be awarded the VC to represent them all. Clause 13 can be used only when the combined effort of the whole unit is worthy of the Cross.

The picture on the right shows the Memorial at Dover (St. James') Cemetery to Adrmiral Sir Roger Keyes Bt., M.P., 1st Baron Keyes of Zeebrugge and Dover, GCB, KCVO, DSL, LLD, GC of Leopold, GO Legion of Honour, Croix de Guerre, DSM.

Near his memorial are the graves of Able Seaman Charles Crockford and Private Francis Fowler MA, both with Guernsey connections.

 

 

"Ostend and Zeebrugge - The Dispatches of Sir Roger Keyes". Read online

Admiral Sir Roger Keyes

Admiral Sir Roger Keyes

Following the strict divisions of the time, Naval and Marine officers each voted for their own candidates while naval ratings and marines voted for candidates from the ranks. This produced four nominees and Keyes added four more, together with a request for 21 DSOs, 29 DSCs, 16 medals for Conspicuous Gallantry, 143 medals for Distinguished Service and 283 names to be mentioned in despatches. He also submitted 56 names for immediate promotion for service in action. His recommendations were put to the Admiralty but they felt that awarding eight VC's for one action might be seen to be lowering the standard of the award and they objected to the ballot Keyes had held, even though it was quite legitimate.

Eventually they rejected his recommendations on the grounds that he had asked for too many awards for gallantry and that the proportion of officers to men was too high. Keyes refused to accept their decision, and the Lords of the Admiralty eventually gave in.

Page 1
 Page 3