Sultan visit to RNAS base at Chukwani palace Zanzibar-Commander Barry

[kallag]

Just before Flight Commander John T Cull and his men finally departed the RNAS base at Chukwani palace in Zanzibar for England in August 1916, they were paid a visit by the Sultan of Zanzibar.

During this occasion he was treated to a live fire demonstration and also taken for a short flight in one of the Short 728 Seaplanes (Cull doing the flying) held in a hanger not far from the palace.

The Sultan was accompanied by the Mr Sinclair, the Zanzibar Resident, and several navy officers. The officers included Captain Colin Mackenzie and an unidentified Commander, both of HMS Himalaya....and a certain Commander Barry. The group posed for pictures with the RNAS personnel who included Flight Lt ER Moon,Flt Sub Lt AN Gallehawk, Flt Sub Lt G Smethurst, CPO H Norrington, CV Lacey (Shipwright),and finally Flt-Commander John T Cull.

The naval officers and Flt Lt Moon wore white uniforms whilst the rest were dressed in khaki.

I am trying to find out who Commander Barry was and whether he represented another naval vessel or whether he was a diplomat accompanying the Resident, Mr Sinclair.

Would it be possible for any of the more qualified forum members out there to advise on whether there was a Barry in charge of (or on) any of the Royal Naval vessels active in the area at the time???

Any advice on where I should be focusing my search for info on Commander Barry will be much appreciated.

Regards

Kallag

Edited 2 March , 2014 by kallag

[seaJane]

Page (9) of the appendix of the October 1918 Navy List, which I hope links successfully https://archive.org/stream/navylistoct1918grea#page/8/mode/2up/search/Barry lists Commander O.C.M. Barry, R.N. in the "Other Senior Officers (or Officers in Charge) at Ports Abroad" section, as Naval Officer-In-Charge at Zanzibar.

He is at the very foot of the page.

I haven't managed to find him anywhere else in the volume (not even in the alphabetical list) which might have told me what his full names are.

sJ

[horatio2]

Oswald Charles Merriman BARRY.

[kallag]

The link worked perfectly. Many thanks seaJane for the reference.

This certainly helps in explaining how he ended up forming part of the group escorting the Sultan on his visit to the base on that day.

I am always amazed to see the'power of the WW1 forum' in action. Long may it continue.

Horatio, I am indebted to you for your help....the second time in so many days.

Kallag