The Cromarty Lighthoose, lets hope this light works.In 1914 Winston Churchill who was appointed as The first sea lord went to visit the fleet which was moored at Loch Ewe on the coast of Ross and Cromarty in northwest Scotland.
While aboard Admiral Jellicoe's flagship Iron Duke and drinking the Admiral's brandy Churchill convinced himself that the owner of a near-by hoose was signaling the Germans with a searchlight that was mounted on the roof.
The hoose was owned by a senile 75 year old former conservative member of parliament Sir Arthur Bignold and the light didn't even work.
The tipsy First lord got some pistols and with a Rear-Admiral, Vice-Admiral, the Director of Naval intelligence and two Commodores he held the senile old bugger and his butler at gunpoint while they investigated.
The raid was of course quite silly but the first World War had just started and they were in no doubt eager to kill some Huns, I know I always am.
Not a complete waste of time as one of the Commodores pointed out to Churchill the vulnerability of Bacchante class cruisers that had been on patrol since the start of the war, these ships because they were manned by cadets and young married reservists had been given the nickname "the Livebait Squadron" this horrified Churchill and he made changes the next day.
Later Churchill was to use the term Livebait in referring to Bacchante class cruisers and the next day 3 of them were easily sunk by German U-boats killing 1,459 men, the press made sure the Livebait comment would haunt him and tried to blame him for endangering the lives of the sailors.
While aboard Admiral Jellicoe's flagship Iron Duke and drinking the Admiral's brandy Churchill convinced himself that the owner of a near-by hoose was signaling the Germans with a searchlight that was mounted on the roof.
The hoose was owned by a senile 75 year old former conservative member of parliament Sir Arthur Bignold and the light didn't even work.
The tipsy First lord got some pistols and with a Rear-Admiral, Vice-Admiral, the Director of Naval intelligence and two Commodores he held the senile old bugger and his butler at gunpoint while they investigated.
The raid was of course quite silly but the first World War had just started and they were in no doubt eager to kill some Huns, I know I always am.
Not a complete waste of time as one of the Commodores pointed out to Churchill the vulnerability of Bacchante class cruisers that had been on patrol since the start of the war, these ships because they were manned by cadets and young married reservists had been given the nickname "the Livebait Squadron" this horrified Churchill and he made changes the next day.
Later Churchill was to use the term Livebait in referring to Bacchante class cruisers and the next day 3 of them were easily sunk by German U-boats killing 1,459 men, the press made sure the Livebait comment would haunt him and tried to blame him for endangering the lives of the sailors.
