Canea on Fire. 23 February 1897

On Tuesday 23 February 1897, fire broke out in the Konak, the Governmental buildings, in Canea. The following report was made in one of the more sensationalist British newspapers of the time: the Penny Illustrated Paper.

“The Services of British Marines and Bluejackets at the Great Fire in Canea. illustrated on our front page, exemplified the general smartness of all our services. Again, did the Daily News Special Correspondent at Canea distinguish himself in being the first to send home details of this gallant achievement.

On Tuesday evening, Feb. 23, a fire broke out at the Government Palace at Canea, which resulted in the entire destruction of the Palace buildings. The fire was discovered next morning, at five o’clock, in a room in the centre of the building, next door to the bedroom of the Italian Commandant. It was already so fierce that the Commandant was unable to dress, and was forced to escape in a blanket. The flames spread rapidly, and the entire building, which was of wood, was speedily ablaze.

The British Marines quartered at the Greek School close to the palace were immediately marched to the square by Major Brittan, who with Lieutenant Nelson (good name) proceeded to attempt to extinguish the fire; but the palace being a Turkish Government institution, of course neither pumps, hose, axes, buckets, water, nor other appliances were available. The difficulties, therefore, were immense. Major Brittan and Lieutenant Nelson, seeing the impossibility of otherwise saving the quarter, then set to work with their men to insulate the fire, tearing down the buildings abutting on the palace literally with their hands, having no other means.

The Marines worked splendidly, displaying infinite pluck and indefatigable energy. The struggle lasted three hours before success appeared even possible. Ultimately the efforts of the Marines prevailed, and the quarter was saved. During the progress of the fire, bands of sailors from the war-ships, British and foreign, arrived to take part in the work of salvage, but although the British sailors did excellent work, it is not too much to say that the chief credit in saving the town from another appalling disaster rests with Major Brittan and Lieutenant Nelson and their men.

While the fire was in progress at the palace, the Moslem rabble profited by the confusion to set fire to several houses in the town and suburbs. Major Bor and the Montenegrin police force patrolled the streets, extinguishing the flames where possible, but three large houses in the suburbs, the property of absent Christian merchants, were burned to the ground.”[1]

[1] The Penny Illustrated Paper. 6 March 1897

Marines and Bluejackets fighting Canea fire. Penny Illustrated Paper. 6 March 1897.

The Great Fire of Canea: Ruins of the Market. The Penny Illustrated Paper, 13th March 1897.

Canea Ruins. The Graphic 6th March 1897

Canea Ruins. The Graphic, 6th March 1897.

The battle of Livadia, 19 February 1897.

Colonel vassos. ‘Round the World’ American magazine 25 March 1897

Livadia battle

Following the fall of the Tower of Voukolies on 19 February 1897, the Greek forces prepared to return to Platanias. However, news of a sortie of Ottoman troops and Bashi-Bazouks from Canea brought about a change in orders. The Daily News* reported what happened next:

“The morning [Friday 19 February] was spent in burying the dead, and the afternoon the fort was blown up, after which the force started to return Platania. Meanwhile the Cretans had advanced and surrounded a portion of the Turkish force, which had taken refuge in a strong position an inaccessible hill. Here they still remain. The rest have apparently dispersed in various directions.

In the afternoon the main body of the Greek troops arrived at Platania. There they learned that a strong force of Moslems — about five hundred Turks and as many Bashi-Bazouks – were advancing from Canea towards Voukoulies. The news was sent by the Cretans, two hundred of whom were holding the Turks in check in a narrow place, and now begged assistance. Colonel Vassos ordered battalion of infantry and a company of Chasseurs to go in support of the Cretans.

The country is very difficult, much wooded, and greatly broken up, and it is possible to see only a short distance ahead. Thus the troops suddenly found themselves the middle an olive grove occupied by the Turks.’ The Moslems abandoned the wood in five minutes, the troops followed up and severe fight ensued, lasting near three hours. The Turks took up positions on the heights, thus forcing the Greek enemy to fight up them.

The young Greek soldiers fought admirably. They drove the Turks from one position after another, capturing first the Tower of Ayah, then the Tower of Monkundro, and finally the barracks of Livadia, which were burned about five o’clock. This last position having fallen into the bands of the Greeks the Moslems retreated, taking with them three guns which had been stationed at the barracks, but which had done no execution. The Greeks pursued the retiring columns to within mile the fortifications this town, and then fell back to Platanias.

The Turkish loss in this engagement is unknown, but I have seen number of wounded brought into the lines on donkeys. The Greeks suffered severely. They had three officers killed, and one severely wounded. Two sergeants were killed, and eight privates and men were wounded. The Greek troops are all young soldiers who have never before been under fire. They displayed courage, coolness, and enthusiasm, and their general behaviour is highly creditable. Fighting side by side with the regular troops were the Students’ Corps under Captain Zimbarkakis, with which I came from Athens. The Greeks took ten Turkish prisoners of the regular troops. Three are now prisoners in camp at Platanias.”[1]

The same incident was described rather more briefly by Rear Admiral Harris, the ultimate commander of the newly landed British forces:

Today [ 19 February] a Greek force of about 9,000 Regulars and insurgents [a grossly exagerated figure; Vassos had a total of about 1,500 men], with five guns, advanced from the westward against Middle Age Fort and attacked it. The Turks, after firing, evacuated the fort, falling back on the town [Canea] outposts. The insurgents are now advancing their guns. The Admirals are unanimous that any further advance must be stopped. This step is necessary to prevent loss of life among our men in temporary occupation of Canea, which would be very likely to occur should investment become closer.[2]

This despatch was transmitted on 20 February but drafted on 19 February, presumably shortly after Vassos men moved on from Voukolies towards Livadia. The decision of the Admirals was to assume greater significance in the following weeks when the Admirals carried out their threat, and, on several occasions, opened fire upon Greek and insurgent forces to prevent them advancing on Canea.

*This article appeared in the Sheffield Independent and is credited to the Canea Correspondent of the Daily News.

La Tribuna Illustrata della Domenica. 28 Fwebruary 1897. (According to one source, this was apparently meant to illustrate the fight at Livadia.)

Route taken by Colonel Vassos’ forces.

[1] The Daily News, Canea Correspondent, reported in The Sheffield Independent 23 February 1897.

[2] C.8437. Turkey No. 10 (1897) Further Correspondence respecting the Affairs in Crete. Item No. 169, Rear Admiral Harris to Admiralty, 19 February 1897.

The Fall of the Tower of Voukolies – An Eyewitness account

Remains of the Tower of Voukolies with modern replacement.

The following report of the fall of the Tower of Voukolies, seemingly based on an eyewitness account, was published in the Penny Illustrated Paper on 27 February 1897. (Spelling of Voukolies as in the original!)

The Capture of Voukoulies by the Greeks and Cretans, under Colonel Vassos.

“The Daily News Special Commissioner with the Greek troops in Crete made the English-reading public his debtors by his prompt war despatches. Writing from Canea, on Saturday, Feb. 20, he said:

The following are the full details of the fighting in the hills behind Canea during the past few days: On Wednesday [17th February] Colonel Vassos decided to attack the Turkish position at Voukoulies. At two in the afternoon he despatched Major Constantinidis with a force of three hundred infantry, with artillery and two mountain guns, and nearly two thousand Cretans. This force encamped for the night at Gavalomouri, a mile and a half from Voukoulies, from which it is separated by three ravines.

At dawn [18th February] the troops took up position in the valley with the artillery on the heights above, the Cretans surrounding Voukoulies in a circle, which, however, was not complete. The commander then summoned the Turks to surrender. As I have already telegraphed, the Bimbashi refused. Thereupon, at eight o’clock, the artillery opened fire. The Turkish position is a small fort flanked at the corners with fire redoubts. The garrison consisted of about three hundred soldiers with Bashi-Bazouks whose number was unknown. The first shot told, knocking a hole in the upper works of the fort. After eight rounds, the position of the guns was changed to a height fourteen hundred yards from the fort, where the fire brought a reply of heavy rifle practice. After thirty-eight shells the Greeks found that by error, they had no more ammunition. It was then noon. Hitherto they had only one casualty, a lieutenant of the Greek regulars being severely wounded. The Cretans suffered heavily by their own fault. Major Constantinidis had given orders that there should be no musketry fire till the artillery work was done and the signal given. This order the Cretans disregarded, maintaining a furious and foolish fire throughout the morning advancing to within a hundred yards of the redoubt s and wasting some fifty thousand cartridges, and losing thirty men. The Turks fired splendidly, wasting few bullets. Messengers were sent to Platania for ammunition which arrived at night with a further battery of four guns. The Cretans maintained a desultory fire, the Turks replying till sundown. At night the Cretans surrounding the fort, disobeyed orders, and dispersed in search of food. The Turks, profiting by this, evacuated their position, and slipped through, making in the direction of Canea.

On Friday [19th February] the guns had been placed in position, and the firing was about to begin at dawn when the gunners saw Cretans mount the parapet, and plant the Greek flag on the walls. This was the first intimation that the Turks had gone. The Greek troops now occupied the fort. They found several graves, twelve bodies in the well, and twenty unburied dead. The Turkish killed are estimated at fifty, some being Bashi-Bazouks.…”[1]

A despatch from the Chronicle in Athens with a London dateline of 22 February described the aftermath:

Young Soldiers of Greece Win Praise by Their Bravery, But Require To Be Disciplined.

London, Feb. 22.— A dispatch to the Chronicle from Athens says: “When Fort Voukolies fell Col. Vassos learned that the Turkish garrison from Canea was advancing to succour the defeated Turks. He dispatched a body of insurgents to meet them and speedily followed himself with his troops. In the Plain of Livadia 1,600 Turks and 2,000 Turkish-Cretans with three guns were engaged in a battle with the Cretan insurgents. The Greek troops deployed, and after ninety minutes fighting swept the plain, forcing the Turks to take refuge in Canea. Col. Vassos burned the fortified barracks at Livadia and the Aghi blockhouse. The Greeks lost four sub-lieutenants killed and twenty officers and men wounded. The Turkish losses are unknown. In obedience to the order of the King of Greece, Col. Vassos recalled his troops to Platanias.”[2]

 

[1] The Penny Illustrated Paper, 27 February 1897

[2] https://archive.org/stream/dailycolonist18970223uvic/18970223#mode/1up/search/Crete

The only Cretan in London in 1897?

In early 1897, following the attempted annexation of Crete by Greece, the subsequent involvement of British military in the island’s affairs and the outbreak of the Thirty Day’s War between Greece and the Ottoman Empire, recieived a very large amount of coverage in the British newspapers of the time. However, not all of it dwelt on the serious aspects of the situation. At least one paper attempted to find some humour, albeit satirical, in what was going on by explaining to their readers how the events in Crete and Greece were having consequences on at least one ex-patriate Cretan in London. 

 

Freeman’s Exmouth Journal Saturday  17^th April 1897.

CRETE IN LONDON. A ONE-MAN COLONY.

There is a Cretan colony in London. It is not a very large colony, but it exists. He stands (remarks writer in the Daily Mail) in Bishopsgate-street, and sells bootlaces and collar-buttons. He—for, not to deal in mystery, the Cretan colony consists of but one man—occasionally goes in for umbrella-rings and pipe-cleaners, and once he tried hokey-pokey; but Italian and a Greek, descendants of two mighty races, came along and coerced him into retiring from the business they regarded their own by right of birth. So Elioin Matapa, London’s solitary Cretan, sells bootlaces and collar-buttons, and sniffs the battle from afar.

At present be resides—that is to say, the headquarters of the Crete in London are—at the Victoria doss-house in Commercial-road, E, but so many people are after M. Matapa just now that he will be obliged to change his habitat by the time these lines are in print. For instance, when the Greeks who assembled at the Baltic [Exchange] became aware that the thin, shabby, old man in Bishopsgate-street was Cretan, they decided to annex him bodily. But M. Matapa has resisted all their overtures, and remains faithful to the Turks. Even the entreaties of M. Messinesi, the Greek Consul-General, have left him cold.

The rumour that he is followed by crowd of circus and music hall agents, who want him to appear at the Alhambra, the Palace, the Tivoli, Earl’s Court and Moore and Burgess Minstrels at are fabulous salary is devoid of foundation. Nor is there any truth in the story that there is another Cretan in London. M. Effendi, the Consul-General for the Ottoman Empire, in Old Broad-street, was most positive to me on this point. M. Matapa is unique.

……….I had meant to devote some space to a description of the Turkish colony in London. First, because they are very agreeable gentlemen, both of them, and, secondly, because Turkey is on the tapis just now. But l can find nothing to say them that I would not say of a Frenchman, for while the Ambassador in Bryanston-square lives precisely like a Parisian of the faubourg, the Consul-General, in Union-court, looks and acts like a Parisian of the boulevards, even to what Mr. Gus Elen calls “the window in his eye.” And the councillor and the naval attaché are both out of town.

 

 

A few words of explanation for my Greek, Cretan, and probably English, readers.

Hokey-Pokey….a type of ice cream popular in England in the late 19C. Usually made and sold by Italian immigrants.

[Victoria] doss-house… a place where for a penny or two, homeless men could spend the night.

Baltic Exchange…one of the business and meeting places of merchants and ship-owners, particularly those involved in trade in the Baltic.

The Alhambra, the Palace, the Tivoli, Earl’s Court and Moore and Burgess Minstrels…music halls and places of cheap entertainment.

A Parisian of the faubourg….a Parisian of the suburbs; an unfashionable man.

A Parisian of the boulevards…one who fancies himself a fashionable man given over to strolling and leisure.

Gus Elen calls “the window in his eye…Gus Elen was a very famous music hall entertainer of this period; a”[Piccadilly] window in his eye” was a monocle worn for affectation by those who fancied themselves to be members of the aristocratic elite, but weren’t.

HMS Revenge arrives in Canea, 9 February 1897

On 24^th February 1897, Rear Robert Admiral Harris reported to the Admiralty from his flagship, H.M.S. Revenge, in Canea:[1]

“Sir,

I have the honour to report that at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, the 9^th, I arrived at Canea from Smyrna, and took over charge of affairs here from Captain Custance of Her Majesty’s ship “Barfleur.”

On the following day (10^th) I consulted with her Majesty’s Consul [Sir Alfred Biliotti] as to the state of affairs, and received a telegram from Her Majesty’s ship ”Trafalgar” at Candia, that the situation there had suddenly changed for the worse.

I found that the arrival of Greek war-ships on the coast, ostensibly to make provision for Greek refugees, had created much excitement on both sides, the Mussulmans apprehending actual assistance to the revolutionists, the Christians being fortified by rumours of the same nature. The idea was fostered by the Greek officers, and the actual landing in a Greek transport of arms at the Greek Consulate here.

From what I can gather, the Greek Consul appears to have committed himself to the policy of fostering the revolution, which is not surprising considering the attitude of the ships of the Greek Royal Navy.

The action of the Greek ships is condemned by all the foreign naval officers, not excepting the Russian and French…”

HMS Revenge

HMS Revenge 1897

Prior to Harris’ arrival, the Royal Navy had been present off Crete on an ad-hoc basis, visiting as necessary to provide assistance to British subjects and British business. However, the situation changed following the outbreak of inter-communal violence on 6 February 1897. With the increasing involvement of the Greek Navy in support of the Cretan Christian insurrection threatening to overturn the status quo on the island, the European Powers took the decision to intervene; an intervention that would result in the granting of autonomy to the island* and the presence of European naval forces in the waters off Crete until 1913.

 

*Shortly after the arrival off the European naval forces, on 11th February 1897 Rear Admiral Harris was one of the signatories to the document proclaiming the taking over control of Crete by the Powers in order to ‘…pacify [the island] and restore tranquillity as a preliminary to a satisfactory solution of the Cretan question by an agreement of the Powers whom they represent[ed].’ [2] On 20th July 1897, questions were subsequently asked in parliament in London over the French translation of the document stating that Rear Admiral Harris was in command of the English Naval Division, rather than the British Naval Division; one M.P. going so far as to suggest this mistranslation rendered the document illegal.[3]

[1] 1897 [C.8429] Turkey. No. 9 (1897). Reports on the situation in Crete. No.1 Harris to Admiralty 24 February 1897.

[2] Ibid. Inclosure 1 in No.2.p11.

[3] https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1897-07-20/debates/f65502a4-a66e-4a50-a815-686ec6168c6e/Crete

Doctor Carter’s photograph album

Lieutenant Herbert St. Maur Carter arrived on Crete on 24 February 1907.

Lt herbert St Maur Carter RAMC 1906

An Irish  Doctor in the Royal Army Medical Corps, he appears to have taken a number of photographs of his time in Crete which were eventually deposited in the RAMC archives and are now available in the Wellcome Collection. One of the images in his collection also appears on a widely available postcard featuring an photograph taken by the Canea photographer Rahmizâde Bahaeddin Bey, and in this image Carter is identified.

Arrival of 1/Royal Inniskinning Fusiliers February 1907. Carter identified with an X

Carter’s photograph of arrival of Inniskillings

He served on Crete from February 1907, being promoted to Captain in January 1908, and returning to Malta in February that year. During his time in Crete he was nominally assigned to the Military Hospital in Candia, but posted to Canea, in charge of the British medical detachment there. On one occasion he was commended by Colonel Delaine, Officer Commanding the International troops, following the successful turnout of a picket from the Inniskilling Fusiliers, the battalion to which Carter was attached. [This appears to be an error on the original author’s part, the French Commander at this time was Colonel Delarue. Many thanks to J-P Destelle for the correction.]

Carter’s Commmendation

Following his service in Crete, Carter was seconded to the Red Cross during the First Balkan War. He served in the RAMC, mostly in France, throughout the First World War, reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel, before retiring in 1933.

Herbert St Maur Carter, Crete 1907

Russian 13th Regiment feast Rethymno August 1907

The ‘Dog’s Home’ Canea – probably Halepa.

The ‘Club House’ Halepa.

Gonia 1907

Medical Officers Huts, Candia

British Hospital, Candia

1907 map of Selino

The map is included in the Welcome collection but it’s unclear whether or not it belonged to Carter.

The Fall of the Tower of Voukolies

Heading south from Chania, shortly after the junction with the National Road at Tavronites, the road to Paleochora passes through the village of Voukolies, on the outskirts of which is located the ‘Tower of Voukolies’; one of a series of guard posts created by the Ottoman authorities to protect and watch over the Cretan countryside following the Cretan Insurrection of 1866. Standing on a hill overlooking Voukolies, in 1897 the tower was the base for an Ottoman garrison of some 300 troops located there in order to dominate the road to Chania, disrupt any attempt by Cretan rebels to move forces from the south west of the island to the cities on the north coast and to provide security for the large Cretan Muslim population of the Voukolies area.

Current Tower at Voukolies

On 13/14th February 1897, a Greek force of some 1500 men, complete with artillery, under the command of Colonel Timothy Vassos landed at Kolymbari and proceeded to declare the union of Crete with Greece. By 17th February the force had moved inland and, having established their headquarters in Alikianos, a mixed detachment under the command of Major Konstantinidis and including an artillery platoon and an engineer platoon, was ordered to Voukolies to capture the tower: also with the force were many Cretans and the company of students under the command of Captain Em. Zimvrakakidon.[1]

The British Consul in Chania, Sir Alfred Biliotti, described the fall of the tower as follows in a telegraphed despatch to the Foreign Office:

“Two companies, about 300 men. Turkish troops garrisoned during last four months Voukoulies to afford protection to the Turkish emigrants, who returned to their village in that commune; their block-house was destroyed by Greek regular artillery; the garrison sallied out at night, but was afterwards surrounded. Major and many killed, over 100 taken prisoners, about 80 found their way back; no sortie was made from Canea in connection with Voukoulies affair…”[2]

However, the capture of the tower was not as straight forward as Biliotti implied. After surrounding the village and calling on the garrison to surrender, the Cretan troops made an initial attempt to storm the position but were beaten off with some loss. According to one contemporary account:

“The Cretans suffered heavily by their own fault. They disobeyed the order to withhold their musketry fire until the work of the artillery had been completed. They wasted 50,000 cartridges and lost thirty men in maintaining a foolish fire, advancing to within 100 yards of the redoubts while the Turks fired splendidly, wasting few bullets. The Cretans were obliged to send to Platonica for more ammunition which arrived on Thursday night, with four guns. The Cretans at this time surrounding the fort disobeyed orders and dispersed in search of food, the Turks profiting by the position evacuated by the Cretans.”[3]

Food was eventually provided by the local Cretan Christians, including by monks from a local monastery, though ammunition appears to have been in short supply, poorly made and expensive.[4] Following the initial rebuff, Greek artillery fire was then concentrated on the tower. On the night of 6/7 February [Old Style, 18/19 February Gregorian calendar], the garrison, under the command of a Major Fouad,[5] attempted to break out. However, during the course of the sally the major was killed and subsequently 100 or so of the garrison who had failed to get through the Greek/Cretan lines surrendered and were taken prisoner.[6]

“On Friday morning, when the guns had been placed in position, and they were about to resume the bombarding, the troops were surprised to see the Cretans plant their flag upon the deserted fort. Thirty-two dead Turks were found inside the fortifications, which were blown up with dynamite. The Greek troops were all young men who had never before been under fire, and they displayed coolness, courage and enthusiasm. The Greeks took ten Turkish soldiers prisoners.” [7]

Ottoman losses were in the region of 35 killed: Cretan losses, depending on the account read, amounted to 15 or 30 dead and nearly 40 wounded; while the Greek army lost one man killed and two wounded.

The tower itself was destroyed prior to the Greek/Cretan withdrawal; the one to be seen today is a modern replica. Though militarily of minor significance, the action demonstrated to the Cretans that Greek forces landed on the island were there in sufficient numbers and suitably equipped to be able to engage and defeat the entrenched Ottoman forces and in doing so a Voukolies, provided a significant boost to Cretan Christian morale.

Plaque on current Tower at Voukolies

Cretan commemorations of the fall of the Tower took a slightly different view of events.

The fall of the Tower of Voulokies. The Cretan version.

The fall of the Tower of Voukolies. Date unknown.

Note that the European naval forces are shown in the background of this illustration. In reality one cannot see the sea from Voukalies and the Tower was out of range, and thus out of the protective field, of European naval guns; one of the reasons for its downfall to the Cretan/Greek forces.

[1] History of the Tower of Voukolies. Information from the work of pupils of the Lyceum Voukolies, as the professors epivlexi Alysavaki Kiki and Kouroupou Anastasia, presented in February 2005. 

[2] House of Commons debate 26 February 1897. Vol. 46. cc.1264-6

[3] The Chania correspondent of the Daily News. Reported in The Penny Illustrated Paper, 27 February 1897.

[4] History of the Tower of Voukolies. Information from the work of pupils of the Lyceum Voukolies, as the professors epivlexi Alysavaki Kiki and Kouroupou Anastasia, presented in February 2005. 

[5]Ibid.

[6] House of Commons debate. 26 February 1897. Vol.46 cc.1264-6

[7]The Chronicle from Athens . Reported in The Daily Colonist, Victoria, British Columbia.Tuesday 23 February 1897. http://archive.org/stream/dailycolonist18970223uvic/18970223#mode/1up/search/Crete