The Invergordon Mutiny was an industrial action by around a thousand sailors in the British Atlantic Fleet, that took place 15-16 September 1931. For two days, ships of the Royal Navy at Invergordon were in open mutiny, in one of the few military strikes in British history. Strike action (or simply strike) describes collective action undertaken by groups of workers in the form of a refusal to perform work. ... A sailor is a member of the crew of a ship or boat. ... The British Atlantic Fleet was a major fleet formation of the Royal Navy. ... (Redirected from 15 September) September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... Invergordon is a town and port in northern Scotland. ... Mutiny is the crime of conspiring to disobey an order that a group of similarly-situated individuals (typically members of the military; or the crew of any ship, even if they are civilians) is legally obliged to obey. ...

Causes

In September 1931, as part of its attempts to deal with the Great Depression in the United Kingdom, the new National Government launched cuts to public spending. The recommended cuts in spending on the navy were translated into a 10% pay cut (matching 10% cuts across the board for public sector workers) for officers and NCOs, and for all ratings on the "new rate" of pay (introduced for new entrants from 1925). A 10% cut would cause great hardship to the already poorly-paid ratings. Those ratings below Petty Officer who had joined before 1925, would also have their pay reduced to the new rate; this amounted to a cut of 25%. On top of this, many working-class sailors shared the sense of betrayal felt in the labour movement, at Ramsay Macdonald's split with the Labour Party and his formation of a new government with the Conservatives. This article deals with the effects of the Great Depression of the 1930s on the United Kingdom. ... In the United Kingdom the term National Government is in an abstract sense used to refer to a coalition of some or all major political parties. ... < [[[[math>Insert formula here</math>The public sector is that part of economic and administrative life that deals with the delivery of goods and services by and for the [[government </math></math></math></math> Direct administration funded through taxation; the delivering organisation generally has no specific requirement to meet commercial... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... A Petty Officer is a noncommissioned officer or equivalent in many navies. ... James Ramsay MacDonald (12 October 1866–9 November 1937) was a British politician and twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... The Labour Party has been, since its founding in the early 20th century, the main left-wing political party of the United Kingdom. ... The Conservative Party is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting MPs, and the largest by of public membership. ...

Sailors of the Atlantic Fleet, arriving at Invergordon, on the Cromarty Firth in Scotland, in the afternoon of Friday 11th September, learned about the cuts from newspaper reports; some reports implied that a 25% cut would be imposed on all ratings. The shock of this news had a palpable effect. On 12th September, orders were received from the Admiralty confirming the pay cuts. On the evening of the 13th September, by which time sailors had already started agitating, Rear Admiral Wilfrid Tomkinson (in temporary command of the fleet whilst Admiral Sir Michael Hodges was in hospital) received a letter from the Admiralty dated 10th September. This letter stated the reasons for the reduction in pay and the principles on which it had been based. The following morning, Tomkinson ordered the commanders of all ships present to read sections of the Admiralty letter out to their officers and crew. However, several ships had not received copies of the letter and some were unable to pass the information on to their companies until the next day. By that time, the mood for a strike had taken hold in many crews. External link Cromarty Firth Port Authority Categories: 1911 Britannica | UK geography stubs | Geography of Scotland | Special protection areas in the UK | Ports and harbours of the UK ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I 843  Area    - Total 78... (Redirected from 11th September) September 11 is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years). ... (Redirected from 12th September) September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... (Redirected from 13th September) September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... The term Rear Admiral originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons, and can trace its origins to the British Royal Navy. ... Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. ... Old Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, Thomas Ripley, architect, 1723-26, was not admired by his contemporaries and earned him some scathing couplets from Alexander Pope The Admiralty was historically the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ... (Redirected from 10th September) September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ...

Initial Disturbances

Ten warships arrived in port on the eleventh: Hood (the flagship), Adventure, Dorsetshire, Malaya, Norfolk, Repulse, Rodney, Valiant, Warspite and York. After arriving, officers and crew had access to newspapers, which contained reports of the pay cuts. On the night of the twelfth, a group of sailors met at a football field on land. They voted to organise a strike and left singing the Red flag. The following evening, a number of them made speeches criticising the cuts, at the canteen ashore. The Officer of the Patrol reported this disturbance to the Warspite, the ship of the watch that night, and requested reinforcements. Extra patrols were sent, led by the commander of the Warspite himself, Captain Wake, and the canteen was closed early. The crews left peacefully, although further speeches were made at the pier. After considering reports about the incident from Wake and the Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Colvin, Tomkinson decided not to take disciplinary action over the disturbances. He reported the incident, and his decision, to the Admiralty by telegram. Meanwhile, HMS Nelson arrived at port. HMS Hood was a battlecruiser of the Royal Navy. ... A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ... HMS Dorsetshire (pennant number 40) was a heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the English county (now called Dorset). ... HMS Malaya was a Queen Elizabeth class battleship of the Royal Navy built by Armstrong Whitworth and launched in March 1915. ... A long absence of a Norfolk in the Royal Navy was finally ended in the commissioning of County-class heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk (78), which displaced 10,035 tons. ... HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser, the second to last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. ... HMS Rodney was a Nelson-class battleship of the Royal Navy. ... HMS Valiant was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the Royal Navy built at the Fairfield shipyards in Glasgow and launched in November 1914. ... HMS Warspite was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the British Royal Navy. ... HMS York (90), launched in 1928, was a County class cruiser. ... Historically, and most generally, the red flag is an international symbol for the blood of angry workers. ... HMS Nelson was a Nelson-class battleship of the Royal Navy active in World War II. She was named in honour of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson. ...

On the 14th September, Warspite and Malaya left the harbour to perform planned exercises, and during the day four more ships arrived: Centurion, Shikari, Snapdragon and Tetrarch. That evening, Tomkinson hosted a dinner attended by most of the ships' commanders along with the various flag officers present. Shortly before dinner, Tomkinson was informed that patrols had been dispatched from Hood and Valiant to deal with further disturbances at the canteen and in the open air ashore. These disturbances were characterised as disorderly, and civilians were reportedly spotted amongst the sailors. The Officer of the Patrol was able to address the assembly, but speeches, cheering and singing recommenced after he had finished. The sailors returned to their ships, however many gathered on deck after their return and continued their protests. Tomkinson informed the Admiralty of the protests, stating that the cause seemed to be the disproportionate pay-cut of 25% for some ratings. He ordered commanders to return to their ships and report on the situation. (Redirected from 14th September) September 14 is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years). ... HMS Centurion was the second battleship of the King George V class, built at HM Dockyard, Devonport. ...

The reports indicated that there was no trouble in the cruisers, nor on the battlecruiser Repulse, but crews on four other battleships (Rodney, Hood, Valiant and Nelson) intended to prevent their ships from sailing in practice manoeuvres the next day; the protests were confined to ratings below leading rate, and did not show any animosity towards officers. In the early hours of the 15th September, Tomkinson considered cancelling the exercises. However, after discussions with several flag officers, the commanders of Hood and Nelson and the Officers of the Patrol who had witnessed events, he decided against this, expecting that Repulse would follow orders and this would quell any resistance on other ships. He ordered commanders to investigate complaints in due course and report typical cases that he could use to represent the protests to the Admiralty, and informed the Admiralty that he expected problems launching in the morning. (Redirected from 15th September) September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ...

The Mutiny

On the morning of the fifteenth, Repulse sailed on time at 06:30. However, sailors on the other four battleships due to sail had already begun to refuse orders. On Hood and Nelson, crews carried out the ordinary harbour routine, merely refusing to put to sea. On Valiant and Rodney, crews only carried out essential duties, including the provision of safety patrols and fire guards, and did so without any recourse to their officers. Throughout the day, cheering crowds massed on the forecastles of all ships except Centurion and Exeter; on Rodney, a piano was dragged on deck and songs were sung. Officers, who issued orders and threats through loudspeakers, were ignored and ridiculed. Valiant unmoored and attempted to put to sea with a limited number of men on duty, but was unable to proceed. On Tomkinson's own ship, Hood, striking crewmembers prevented officers and NCOs from unmooring the ship. Even Royal Marines, expected to enforce discipline and break-up any mutiny, joined the strike. Tomkinson suspended the exercises until further notice, cancelled all leave and called for the investigations of complaints to proceed as quickly as possible. Warspite, Malaya and Repulse were ordered to return to harbour. Her Majestys Royal Marines, also known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the Royal Navys Light Infantry, the United Kingdoms amphibious force and specialists in Arctic and Mountain Warfare. ...

In the afternoon, Tomkinson again informed the Admiralty of the situation and its chief cause, asking for an early decision to be communicated and stating he did not believe it would be possible to restore order, or prevent further deterioration of the situation, until a decision was received. He finally received a reply at 20:00, instructing him to inform sailors that the existing pay rates would remain in force until the end of the month and that the Admiralty expected the men to uphold the traditions of service and carry out their duties. The Admiralty stated that the cut in pay was only 10%, but this ignored the situation for those on the old pay rate. In a second telegram, Tomkinson was instructed to resume exercises as soon as he had completed his investigations into the complaints. Tomkinson believed that this response showed he had failed to communicate the gravity of the situation and replied that it would be impossible to resume exercises in the circumstances. Incitements to stop work were spreading from deck to deck: Crews on Norfolk and Adventure had joined those on Rodney and Valiant in only performing essential duties, with Dorsetshire and Hood set to follow suit. There were also reports that some of the Petty Officers, who had so far continued to follow orders though they had not attempted to get lower ratings to return to work, were starting to join the strike.

In the early hours of 16 September, Tomkinson informed the Fleet that Admiral Colvin had been dispatched to the Admiralty to present sailors' complaints in person, but no decision could reasonably be expected for a day or two; he expected all crews to return to duty. September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ...

On the morning of the sixteenth, Tomkinson received the last of the complaints. He dispatched the Fleet Accountant Officer with these to the Admiralty, and sent extracts by telegram. Having discussed the situation with Rear Admirals Astley-Rushton (Second Cruiser Squadron, on Dorsetshire) and French (Second Battle Squadron, on Warspite), he reported his belief that the mutiny would worsen unless an immediate concession was made. He suggested lower ratings on the old rate should remain on that rate with a cut of 10%, and marriage allowances should be extended to ratings under the age of 25. He also asked that members of the Admiralty board visit Invergordon to discuss matters in person. Shortly afterwards, he was informed by the Admiralty that the matter was being considered by the cabinet, and communicated this to the Fleet. Meanwhile, the crew of Hood had ceased all but essential duties. Some sailors were threatening to damage machinery and leave ships without permission. In the afternoon, the Admiralty ordered the ships of the Fleet to return to their home ports immediately. Tomkinson directed the ships to proceed in their squadrons as soon as possible, and gave officers and crew with family at Invergordon leave to visit the shore and say their goodbyes. That night, all ships sailed from Invergordon as ordered. Starting around the time that steam cruisers became popular in the 1870s, the Royal Navy tended to organise such ships into groups called Cruiser Squadrons. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In the Politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is a formal body comprised of government officials chosen by the Prime Minister. ...

Aftermath

In summarising the mutiny for the Admiralty, Tomkinson reported that the crews had remained respectful to their officers throughout, and that officers had done their best to explain the government's reasons for the cut in pay and that complaints would be taken seriously. He concluded that the mutiny had been caused primarily by the 25% cut for lower ratings that joined the service before 1925, that there were no grievances besides the pay cut, and his belief that the complaint was well founded. He also believed that any use of force would have made the situation much worse.

The Cabinet accepted Tomkinson's recommendation that ratings on the old rate of pay remained on that rate, with a 10% cut in line with the rest of the service. It was made clear that further acts of insurrection would be severely punished. A number of the organisers of the strike were jailed, while a total of 200 sailors from the Atlantic Fleet were discharged from the service. A further 200 odd sailors were purged from elsewhere in the navy, accused of attempting to incite similar incidents. The Admiralty held Tomkinson accountable for the mutiny, blaming him for failing to punish dissidents after the first protests.

The Invergordon Mutiny was a key event in forcing Britain off the Gold Standard the following month. In 1932, the name of the Atlantic Fleet was changed to the Home Fleet, ostensibly to purge the memory of the mutiny. This article is on the monetary principle. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... The Home Fleet is the traditional name of the fleet of the Royal Navy that protects the United Kingdoms territorial waters. ...