- Author
- Book reviewer
- Subjects
- History - general, Book reviews, Biographies
- Tags
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- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- December 1998 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
“Our Shetland Heritage and Emigration to Australia” by Janet Halcrow
Basically, this is a family history of the fifth, sixth and seventh generations of the Halcrows, probing their Shetland background of merchant seamen, fishermen and crafters before recounting the story of Gilbert Halcrow’s migration to Australia with his family in 1919.
The particular interest for naval people lies in the book’s sub-title:- “… including Gilbert Halcrow’s World War II Diaries”. For Gilbert was a merchant service officer commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant into the Royal Naval Reserve on January 15, 1915. Immediately prior to this he had been the third mate of the SS Medic which was requisitioned in Adelaide by the Australian Government on August 5, 1914 for service as a troopship. After conversion, and embarking troops and horses in Adelaide and Fremantle, she joined the first convoy which had sailed from Albany with, in all, some 28,000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers.
Gilbert Halcrow left three diaries.
- His life in the merchant service from 1904-1916
- Troop convoys from Australia to the Middle East and Gallipoli
- His time in the Caspian Special Service Force to Southern Russia in 1919.
Sadly, as the author points out, Gilbert left many gaps in the story of his career at sea. There is no record of his service in the 10th Cruiser Squadron in 1916-1918 and there are omissions in the Caspian diary. Also it is disappointing not to have more details as to the nature of the mission to Russia – the object, aims and achievements of the expedition.
However, Miss Halcrow does fill in some gaps concerning this little publicised and therefore little known operation. In 1918/1919 the world had had its fill of war and the Allies made only a token effort to assist the Russian “old guard” in its fight against Bolshevism. In this section of the book there is a wealth of material to consider, and naval historians will find that task interesting and rewarding. Accounts of the “Sydney” – “Emden” engagement first hand from someone in the convoy, and the troopship’s contributions to the landing at Suvla Bay are notable.
Emigration was a brave but long contemplated step by the master mariner. His several voyages to Australia had convinced him that this was to be his family’s future home. Readers will recognise the problems encountered by the ex-sailor, his wife and young children in starting a new life in a strange country on a forty acre uncleared piece of land. Similar problems confronted the pioneering forebears of most of us. The loneliness of distance – from homeland and neighbours – the back breaking work not only in preparing and planting an orchard but also in the early “slab shed” accommodation; a climate totally unlike that of the Shetland Islands; snakes, mosquitoes and flies! It is a story worth repeating. It is part of our heritage.