Join Hugh Willing as he tells the remarkable story of the HMS Birkenhead disaster, the courage of its soldiers, and the origins of the “Women and Children First” tradition.
The sinking of the HMS Birkenhead in 1852 whilst transporting troops to Algoa Bay remains one of the greatest maritime disasters in both Britain’s and South Africa’s history. But what it is chiefly remembered for is that every one of the seven women and thirteen children aboard survived the sinking owing to the gallantry and discipline of the men on board. The men’s chivalry gave rise to a new protocol in time of disaster, which is still known today as the ‘Birkenhead Drill’ and follows the principle of “Women and Children First“.
But why did the ship hit the rocks, and of the 643 passengers – soldiers, seamen and families – only 193 survive? Amongst those drowned were 59 men from two detachments of the 43rd Light Infantry and 60th Rifles destined to join their battalions in Algoa Bay. This is their story.
Hugh Willing was a professional soldier for 36 years before retiring to his wife’s family home in East Sussex in 2007. He served with the Royal Green Jackets and 2nd KEO Gurkha Rifles in many parts of the world, including command of 1 RGJ from 1992-95 in Northern Ireland and Cyprus, and was an Instructor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and at the Army Staff College Camberley. He was born in Kenya and has travelled widely in Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, Arabia and the Far East both in a military and private capacity. He now cruises the world on small cruise ships as a lecturer in British Military and Colonial History.
Doors open at 17.45 for light refreshments, and the talk begins at 18.30 with questions at the end. For those unable to join us in person, the talk is broadcast live on Zoom.
Serving Riflemen, RGJ Veterans, and Friends of the Museum may access the Zoom broadcast for free by emailing comms@riflemansmuseum.co.uk; please let us know which of these categories apply to you and that you found the event on our website.
Limited free parking is available on site, so we encourage people to travel by public transport where possible.