Scapa Flow Central to Military Planning for 'High North' - A Call or a Scream from the Past?
Scapa Flow Central to Military Planning for 'High North';
A Call or a Scream from the Past?
(1872-1943) NRO, MC2716 G12/13
It is strange how sometimes events seem to collide, almost as if an unseen presence had a hand in it; something of a synchronicity. This is one of those rare events that one can't but assume is anything other than a collision of the past with the present, for some purpose - But what? What could past events teach us about the present ?
Is this synchronous event a call of support, or a scream of warning, warning of events that we have already experienced within the living memory of some from reoccurring? Or, is it a call of support to be forewarned against events that may unfold in the future - Only time will tell. This renewed use of Scapa Flow in Naval strategy in not new. Scapa Flow has seen more than its fair share of battles and its use for its deep harbouring capabilities.
It is a similar situation that faced the Navy in the WWI, a piece of research carried out on a project we are working on, led me on the day this article was published by The Orcadian (Scapa Flow central to military planning for 'High North' - The Orcadian Online). We had just concluded some research on Surgeon Commander Fairman 'Rack' Rackham-Mann RN (1872-1943) who was on HMS Dreadnought in Scapa Flow in 1916 for a Royal visit, following and equally serendipitous event that returned some of his artwork lost during a house sale, to me. I looked up at my news updates and there was an article by The Orcadian, published on the 18th March 2023, that discusses the use of Scapa Flow in the 'High North' strategy. It informed of the discussions at Westminster regarding the possibility of Scapa Flow being used, once again, as it was in the first world war, only this time as a part of NATO' strategic operations returning to Scapa Flow, following Putin's invasion of Ukraine and menacing the area around the Baltic States. The Scottish Affairs Committee, on hearing evidence submitted as a part of its "Defence in Scotland: The North Atlantic and the High North" Inquiry, were told that "any outcome of the conflict in Ukraine would likely lead to increased antagonism from Russia that would see Russia assert itself in the northern regions - something that would place Orkney at the "Strategic centre of gravity for any potential conflict".
It took me a moment to register the article in my mind. Having just read very similar things regarding Surgeon Commander Rackham-Mann' own experiences during his tours of duty and exploits while in Scotland, and whilst he was temporarily on the HMS Dreadnought, docked in Scapa Flow in the beginning of the first world war. Replace Kaiser Wilhelm with Putin and the situation and strategy is the same. I wondered what 'Rack's' views of the current situation would have been, having experienced the war from quite a graphic and brutal perspective, as a Surgeon. Would he have recognised the current situation and would he have had any words of advice and wisdom to impart on a remarkably familiar situation? It has been a mere 109 years from the beginning of the First World War, at the time touted as the 'war to end all wars', yet a mere 25 years later the Second World War broke out where an estimated 50 to 56 million fatalities occurred, 880,000 of thousand of those casualties were British forces. It's a further 108 years from the First World War that Putin invaded Ukraine, 109 years if you count this year where the 'Special Operation' formally became a 'War'. Quite a striking coincidence.
The use of Scapa Flow for its deep harbour is not a new concept, in both wars the Navy were stationed at Scapa Flow. Because of this and Orkney's strategic position and access to the Northern Sea Route, which in modern times is key to Russia's Arctic Policy. The Baltic and onward to Greenland and the eastern seaboard of the US. Would the same strategic situation as the Commander's generation experienced be revisited, if so we have both learned nothing and something from the two conflicts. Deja Vu can be somewhat of a double edged sword.
Commander Fairman Rackham-Mann RN or 'Rack' to his family, was the son of the celebrated late 19th century English novelist, Mary Elizabeth Mann (1848-1929), famous for her short stories on themes of poverty and rural Norfolk life. 'Rack' wrote candid letters to his mother 'MEM' charting the development of the First World War and conversations of noted political figures of the time. In one of his letters to 'MEM' he famously described Winston Churchill as "....the most unmitigated scoundrel that his country has ever produced". He was known for his unfettered bluntness and no-nonsense approach. His letters, which form a corpus of personal effects and correspondence with various people of the time; including the famous war artist, Sir Alfred Munnings KCVO, PRA RI (1878-1959). They had a long and warm relationship borne from a mutual cynicism of life and Modernism and shared love of outdoors pursuits. 'Rack' often visited and went shooting with Sir Alfred and bought several of his paintings from him. This no doubt cemented their friendship and correspondence going back through the years, now housed in the archive at Norfolk Records office.
'Rack' was aged 44 when war broke out and, with the benefit of hindsight, he confessed that he wished he had retired before the war and had been declared so that he could have joined the Territorials instead. "It is having to be a doctor doing a job I loathe, running all the risks getting none of the glory that sticks in my gizzard". 'Racks' first letter was written before war had been declared. He seemed resigned to the inevitable but tried to reassure his beloved mother 'MEM'. " It seems absolute madness for us to think of fighting over this Balkan business....I have heard news that I think war is practically certain....I want you to realise that while I remain here I am perfectly safe......You must try not to worry. If newspapers worry you don't read them" He was of course referring to the trade war with the Germans in the Balkans that resulted in the Balkan War in 1912. This would eventually lead to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and his wife by Gavrilo Princip, which ignited the First World War.
Surgeon Commander 'Rack' Rackham-Mann RN, was promoted from Staff Surgeon to the rank of Fleet Surgeon, just four months after war was declared on 28th July 1914. On taking up his promotion he was posted to HMS Pactolus at the submarine depot based at Ardrossan in Scotland. HMS Pactolus' role was to protect the Nobel dynamite works at Ardrossan. Life there seemed to consist of drunken soldiers falling in the Basin and drowning and of the frequent explosions at the very factory they had been sent to protect. I can imagine his current posting was worlds away from his previous postings on the HMS Terpsichore and Britannia, some fourteen years prior where he wrote to his mother 'MEM' of a description of the Persian Gulf. It's during this time that he sketched little figures of some of the inhabitants and events he saw on his travels. His correspondence indicated that he was becoming restless with his posting and the war and he longed for the open sea again. He wrote to 'MEM' in 1914 "I am fed up with Scotland and long to be away. I think I would rather go to sea than stay on here much longer". An all too common feeling expressed by those enticed by the beauty of the sea and an insatiable wunderlust promoted by life in the Navy. Although 'Rack' would experience the flip side of life in the Navy.
In his letters to 'MEM' later on in the war at first, 'Rack' was quite dismissive of the Zeppelin raids. "I think the Zeppelins won't do very much". However, his views altered dover time. He attempted to explain why the Navy was not able to stop the raids. He opined "They do (Zeppelin raids) for purely political reasons. The Hun has got the idea into his thick head that we are a race of cowards and that a little frightfulness of this sort will help his side; and besides it bucks up the German masses at home who are in a pretty bad way". Words written over a century ago bear remarkable parallels with the current situation in Russia, that gave an eerie feeling of deja vu.
At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, HMS Dreadnought served as a flagship of the 4th Battle Squadron in the North Sea of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. She was based at Scapa Flow. Her one and only engagement with the enemy was the ramming and sinking of the German SMU-29, skippered by K/LT Otto Weddigen, in the Pentland Firth on the 18th March 1915; exactly 108 years today. The U-29 had broken the surface immediately ahead of the Dreadnought after firing a torpedo at the Neptune and she cut the submarine in two after a short chase, almost colliding with the Temeraire who was also in pursuit of the submarine. HMS Dreadnought was the first and only battleship to have purposely sunk an enemy submarine. She was relieved as a flagship of the 4th Battle Squadron in December by HMS Benbow. HMS Dreadnought was then sailed down to Portsmouth for refitting and became the flagship of the 3rd Battle Squadron on the 9th July 1916, based at Sheerness in Kent as a part of a force of pre-dreadnoughts intended to counter the threat of shore bombardment by German Battlecruisers.
Surgeon Commander Rackham-Mann RN, wrote to 'MEM' about the "Royal visit to HMS Dreadnought..., where Lady Constance Butler stood on the top of one of the turrets when it fired, which I wouldn't have done for a King's ransom". There's no definite date indicated but it may have been around 1915 whilst he was still stationed on HMS Pactolus that he came aboard HMS Dreadnought at the time of King George V' visit. In the time of his father, King Edward VII, he officiated over the christening of HMS Dreadnought with a bottle of Australian wine, no less, on the 10th February 1906, after four months at sea. The bottle required multiple blows to shatter on the bow which was to become famous nine years later.
HMS Dreadnought was one of eight battleships commissioned in 1906, which gave rise in 1909 to the famous slogan "we want eight and we won't wait". This sparked a scare campaign of German naval construction and proposed invasion, which was partly by the agents of certain armament firms and partly bolstered by certain British tabloid press outlets. The launch was to become a large affair, but the court was in mourning for Queen Alexandra's father who had died just twelve days before the launch and she could not attend. Surgeon Commander Rackham-Mann RN may have been at Court during this time as amongst his sketches was a loosely sketched figure of a woman resembling Queen Alexandra.
Sketch by Comdr Fairman Rackham-Mann RN circa 1906 thought to be of 'Queen Alexandra'
By all accounts, 'Rack' had grown restless and wanted to leave Scotland, which in 1916 came to fruition and he finally managed to get a posting on the HMS Agamemmnon headed out to the Aegean. He spent most of his posting in Mudros and Salonica. His artwork dating from this period consisted of port scenes and activities, which shows a more detailed and relaxed manner which his previous sketches lacked. He clearly liked the freedom that shore leave provided ant is shows in his work. His sketching abilities would be employed in again in an unofficial official capacity in 1917, when he was called to sketch the Courts Martial of the Officers involved in the mutiny aboard the HMS Jonquil a year earlier. One of four incidents aboard Dreadnought class ships where mutinies had been staged in this period.
HMS Jonquil - Courts Martial on the Officers of the Jonquil, by Surgeon Commander Fairham Rackham-Mann RN circa 1917
Each person present at the Courts Martial had been identified by 'Rack' in his sketch, making it an interesting snapshot in time on an event that's been largely overlooked and lost through the passage of time, unlike the four other mutinies that took place during this time. 'Rack' art skills would be put to good use much later in his career following his retirement from the Royal Navy. He would go on to become an 'archaeologist' where his artistic skills would be put to use helping to catalogue and draw the artefacts discovered at Caister-on-Sea excavations, which formed the corpus of illustrative work in the monograph published on the excavation. There's some confusion whether his cousin, Arthur Rackham (1867-1939), the famous English book illustrator did the illustrations for the monograph of Sutton Hoo or whether 'Rack' did them both. Its possible that 'Rack' was introduced to archaeology by his cousin Arthur as he is well known for his illustrative work in famous works like American tale Rip Van Winkle and J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, published by Hodder & Stoughton.
As always, with thanks to my cousin David Butler. Blog taken from a paper written by Marie-Claire Rackham-Mann MSc on the 18th March 2023.
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