ROYAL NAVAL DIVISION

Upon the mobilisation of the Royal Navy at the outbreak of war it was quickly discovered that the numbers of men reporting for duty far exceeded the Admiralty’s requirements for the manning of ships. Accordingly, the men who were presently surplus to the Navy’s requirements were organised in Army type units under the command of the Admiralty. Each of the eight battalions so formed were given names of famous ships or admirals. Thus, Drake, Benbow, Hawke, Collingwood, Hood, Anson, Nelson and Howe. Eventually they were to wear British Army uniform but with the badges of rank insignia and traditions of the Royal Navy.

Many of the ratings were stokers of the Royal Fleet Reserve and felt ill-favoured that they were compelled to be soldiers. Given the opportunity when "ashore" from Blandford Camp, they would consume quantities of ale in the inns of Blandford Forum town and sometimes would become very drunk. Patrick Shaw Stewart found himself in command of a platoon of these men. "Queer fish" he called them. The backbone of the battalions, they were destined to show their fighting qualities throughout the war.

So Rupert Brooke having returned from Antwerp and arranged a transfer to the Hood battalion (C.O. Lieutenant-Colonel Quilter), found himself in "A" company of that battalion under the command of Bernard Freyberg. The other officers in "A" Company were Arthur "Oc" Asquith, a son of the Prime Minister, H.H.Asquith ("Oc’s" brother was Raymond Asquith, Grenadier Guards. He died on the Somme in 1916), who had arrived on 10^th November 1914 and Patrick Shaw Stewart who joined the following month. In February, Browne, Kelly, and Dodge were posted to the battalion. The son of Lord Ribblesdale – Charles Lister- also joined the battalion. Brooke’s friends were assembling.

At 7.15 p.m. on 27^th February 1915 the Division (less the Hawke, Benbow and Collingwood battalions) marched out of Blandford camp incongruously wearing pith helmets in the pouring rain. By 3.30 a.m. the next day they had entrained for Avonmouth-a tedious journey although somewhat enlivened by the antics of the mules who were causing great difficulties to the Transport officer.

The transport ready to take them to the Middle East was the Union Castle Line twin screw ship "Grantully Castle". Arthur Asquith’s sister Violet came to see her brother before he sailed. Asquith took his sister on one side and in the course of conversation said prophetically "I may be wounded but I shall come back". Then with Denis Browne, Rupert Brooke and her brother she went to a nearby hotel for lunch; Patrick Shaw Stewart could not join them, being ill in his cabin at the time. Returning to the dock they found the vessel had slipped its moorings and had moved elsewhere in the harbour. At first they were alarmed to find it anchored in the mouth of the harbour. But they ceased to worry when they found that the Hood’s Commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Quilter had joined them. After farewells on board, the vessel steamed out of harbour and the sound of the battalion’s trumpeters could be heard playing a salute to those waving on the quayside.

During the voyage, Arthur Asquith seems to have been a generous host for quite often he would send Joseph Murray, his seaman servant, (who incidentally survived to the age of 97), with an invitation for Brooke, Freyberg, Browne, Asquith, Shaw Stewart, Kelly, Dodge and later Lister to join him at table.

The story of Rupert Brooke’s illness is well known. Falling seriously ill probably consequent upon a mosquito bite, he was moved to a French hospital ship on the 22^nd April 1915. By the afternoon of the following day he was dead. The official cause of death was malignant oedema and rapid septicocomia.

In normal circumstances it would have been likely that Rupert Brooke would have been buried at sea, but his friends made the decision to bury him on the island of Skyros.

There was little time to lose. Duty watches were re-arranged and at 7 p.m. 23^rd April, Freyberg, Browne and Lister went ashore to chose a place in the olive grove where Rupert had rested a few days before during the battalion’s field exercise. Small palm trees were placed on the ship’s upper deck and Rupert’s coffin placed under them. Brooke’s name was burnt into the coffin’s woodwork with his date of death and his pith helmet, holster and revolver placed on the coffin lid.

A steam pinnace came alongside with General Paris on board. The Hood’s C.O. Colonel Quilter, the Second in command, and 12 officers from the Hood battalion were in a second boat. On the shore waiting to receive the coffin were 12 Petty Officers from the Hood battalion commanded by Patrick Shaw Stewart. Waiting to receive the Guard of Honour with Shaw Stewart in command was Charles Lister.

The coffin was lowered into a grave lined with sprigs of olive and sage flowers. Colonel Quilter threw in a wreath made of olive. A short service by the grave followed by three volleys then took place. As the Guard of Honour led by Shaw Stewart left for the ship, Asquith, Freyberg, Browne and Lister stayed behind and covered his grave with stones before they too were compelled to leave for the ship.

Rupert Brooke’s friends were off to war.

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