Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, 22 June 1897

Having, for reasons best known to themselves, celebrated the Italians with a parade held in their honour on 4 May 1897, Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee on 22nd June 1897 was too good an opportunity for the British contingent on Crete to miss. Accordingly a further parade was organised, the highlight of which appears to have been a march-past by the two British battalions then on the island; the 1/Seaforths and the 1/Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

1/Seaforth Highlanders marching past International Admirals

1/Seaforth Highlanders firing salute on Queen Victoria’s Jubilee

(The natives seem somewhat underwhelmed; most seem more interested in the camera.)

Royal Welsh Fusiliers, lead by their Pioneers, march past International Admirals.

The records also indicate that the Royal Artillery battery on the island, No. 4 Mountain Battery, also took part in the parade. In addition. the ships from the various fleets also joined in the festivities; one assumes that their salute invoked a rather greater reaction than did that of the Seaforths.

Ships oif the International Fleet saluting Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. 22 June 1897

The Jubilee was further celebrated at a reception in Canea at which the Seaforth Highlanders ‘executed national dances,’ to the apparent enjoyment of the audience.*

Photographs used by kind permission of Alex Graeme and taken by his Grandfather.

*National Archive, Foreign Office file FO 195/1983, From Crete. Biliotti to Currie, 24 June 1897.

Seaforths Go Forth

Seaforth Highlanders en-route to repair water supply Candia. 1897

Having landed in Candia (Iraklion) to prevent the threatened attack on the town by Cretan Christians, the British army was faced with the problem that the water supply to the town was in the hands of the insurgents. On several occasions Cretan Christians damaged the aquaduct and attempted to disrupt the water supply necessitating British, or in this case Scottish, troops to venture out of the town and repair the pipes. The date on which the photograph was taken is unclear: Since the Seaforths left the island in November 1897, it must have being taken between March and November that year, and at least one such incident was reported by Colonel Chremside, Commander of British troops on the island, as occuring on 15th April 1897. [C.8429. Turkey No.9. Reports on the situation in Crete. Inclosure No.2 in No. 9.] A similar situation had arisen in Canea, see here.

The prominant display of the National Flag of any European troops operating outside the towns was laid down in the standing orders of the day promulgated by the Council of (European) Admirals who effectively had control of the island. It was deemed necessary in order to clearly identify the troops as European rather than Ottoman, although that didn’t stop the Cretan Christians firing on them on more than one occasion.  In this case though, given that the soldiers are wearing kilts, it seems to have been an unecessary precaution.

This photograph is one of the few taken by a British soldier, rather than by a commercial photographer, and is used here by kind permission of Alex Graeme, whose Grandfather took it.