Halton Stirling Lecky & Mutinous Conduct Amongst H.M.S. Zealandia's. Stokers.

[Felix C]

An article in the Mariner's Mirror reads as follows:

HMS Zealandia was hit by a work stoppage when stokers refused to perform extra duty assigned as punishment for slowness during coaling operations. Eight men were convicted by a court-martial called on the spot, but this incensed the rest of the crew, "whose dissatisfaction apparently focused upon the vessel's newly appointed executive officer." Given the Admiralty's penchant for enforcing the authority of its officers, it surprisingly "wasted no time before relieving him [the executive officer] of his post - in mortifying fashion because the order to that effect was read aloud before the ship's officers assembled on deck. The stokers' prison sentences were set aside."

Leckey was the XO. Anyone have more detail on the story?

Stephen King-Hall writes how Commodore Cecil Foley Lambert taunted Leckey who was Flag Captain on HMS Southampton during 1917 to the effect of he could not afford another court-martial. Unfortunately he was court-martialed again in 1917 following a sea misshape which killed four men washed overboard.

Edited 26 January , 2023 by Felix C

[KizmeRD]

No such thing as convening an on the spot Court Martial. 

Extra duties assigned as punishment would be awarded at XO’s or Capt’s Table, again not something any officer can dish out without due process.

We seem to be lacking any information as to the date when this all happened.

Probably just a one-sided version of what actually occurred, and there’s a bit more to the story than is currently being related.

MB

 

[KizmeRD]

TNA Ref ADM 156/77 (not available for download) ‘Sentences considered too severe and annulled owing to irregularities in proceedings of Court. - Stoker A.J. Langley R.N. and others. HMS ZEALANDIA. Making a mutinous assembly etc.’ Appears to date from Spring of 1914 when the ship was in Portsmouth.  Arosa Bay, Spain. 

MB

Edit - Would appear Cdr. Halton Lecky very much over-stepped his authority in his whole handling of the affair and for sentencing eight stokers to two year’s imprisonment. He was subsequently suspended pending an enquiry, and received their Lordships ‘disappropriation’. Apparently the stokers were ordered to report on the quarter deck to clean the brass immediately on completion of coaling ship, at a time when they were still trimming coal down below (it was an impossible order to comply with).

Edited 27 January , 2023 by KizmeRD