1919 Southampton mutiny facts for kids
The 1919 Southampton mutiny was a time when soldiers in the British Army refused to follow orders. This happened in January 1919, right after World War I ended. The soldiers thought they were going to Southampton to be sent home from the army. Instead, they were told to get on ships going to France. The mutiny ended without anyone getting hurt. General Sir Hugh Trenchard stopped it by threatening to use strong force if they didn't obey.
The Mutiny Begins
January 1919 Events
On January 13, 1919, about 5,000 soldiers refused to follow orders in Southampton. They took control of the docks.
General Sir Hugh Trenchard, who had been a leader in the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, came to Southampton. He was asked to take charge of the situation. Trenchard had seen similar events during World War I. He was ready to be very firm.
First, Trenchard spoke to the camp leader, who wasn't doing much. Then, Trenchard walked onto the docks himself. He loudly called for all the soldiers to gather. He told them he would listen to their complaints. But first, they had to go back to their duties. The soldiers booed him, and the crowd pushed forward. Trenchard almost got knocked over.
Seeing the disorder, he decided he needed to use force. He arranged for 250 soldiers, including military police, to come to the docks. While they were on their way, another general, Sir Henry Sclater, called Trenchard. Sir Henry told Trenchard not to order his men to shoot the mutineers. Trenchard replied that he was just telling Sir Henry his plan, not asking for permission.
When the security team arrived, Trenchard spoke to his men. He explained his plan and gave them extra ammunition. He ordered them to put their bayonets on their rifles. The security team then stood in front of a large building where the mutineers were. Trenchard ordered his team to load their weapons and get ready. Then, he ordered the mutineers to give up. One sergeant yelled bad words back. Trenchard's military police quickly grabbed the sergeant. None of the other mutineers tried to stop them. Trenchard repeated his order for them to surrender. This time, the crowd agreed.
Trenchard spent the rest of the day listening to each soldier. Most of them were willing to go back to France. Trenchard told these men they wouldn't be charged with breaking military rules. He also found out that they really were going to be sent back to France.
The main leaders who had been in the building were put on a troop ship. Some other leaders were hiding in nearby huts. Trenchard got firehoses and had the windows of the huts broken. The remaining leaders were then sprayed with ice-cold water. They quickly gave up and were also put on the troop ship.
August 1919 Events
In August 1919, American newspapers reported a similar event. About 300 soldiers from the Berkshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire Regiments were involved. They were on leave in the UK. They refused to get on a ship at Southampton to go to France. They were worried they would be sent to fight in the Russian Civil War. After they shared their concerns, the men were marched back to their camp with armed guards.
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