Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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22 Not for long however was this Utopian state of affairs to continue, for the people of the islands make up in resourcefulness and virili- ty what they liack in fighting capacity. The fact is that when March ' 38 came along the rivals thought that the time was ripe to do a little battle. As in the previous year the pretext for hostilities was fish. There were many incidents ' leading up to the final outbreak, but it is understood that one of the most provoking was that Chief Saltus received a consignment most inadequlately done up in a mere scrap of paper. A-ctually, a state of war — which, as will be indicated later, was mainly guerilla — was, as it were, uncaged on March 22nd. when the Tribe of fishermen at St. David ' s Island went to St. George ' s to insist that chief Whitney should give them better prices and terms for their catches, Whitney refused, and rioting broke out at St. George ' s. The St. David ' s Islanders were joined in the rioting by the local fishermen. Chief Saltus, on whose finger the pulse of the whole situation rested, having heard of these disturbances, gave orders consequent- ly for his bodyguard to march to St. George ' s on 23rd. March and join hands with the rioting elements. Accordingly, he issued forth from the gates of his fortress. Having no thought for secrecy it wkas a noisy debouch for he was headed by his newly acquired band. It is not clear why he decided to do this but tacticians have it that he ' was aware that his band would be more of a menace to the enemy than of an encumbrance to himself. (Note: He saw fit to discard his instruments later feeling that protests he met with en route might amount to throwing local sympathy agtainst him). As it happened. Chief Saltus would have done very much better not to have been so cocksure and to have paid more attention to secrecy all along, for his intentions were made known to all, and Chief Whitney ' s espionage was such as to give him plenty of time to send out forces to meet Saltusi ' advance. Saltus, in fact, was no more than an hour ' s: march from his fortress when his Advanced Guard met with desultory fire from Whitney ' s scouts. The Genera- lissimo, however, )did not let this worry him, and it was only a mat- ter of minutes before he had ousted the scouts and proceeded with his advance. Shortly afterwards, he encountered more firing, this time from an enemy section secreted in a small quarry a sling-shot ahead of him and about a niblick shot to the right of the road. Sal- tus swiftly formulated la plan for attack with his leading platoon,

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21 ing by day, and furnishing watches for possible landing places by night. Actually, on Sunday, May 15th, the day of the Test, opera- tions, as ' far as we were concerned, only took place in th« afternoon, thus night patrolling had to be practised by daylight. We were allotted four areas for which to be responsible. The Posts had naturally to be established in those positions which com- manded the best view of the area, and we set up one at each of the following places — Spanish Point, Ducking Stool, Shelly Bay and El- bow Beach. These, as no doubt will be observed, were considerable distances apart, and consequently rather difficult to be adequately supervisied by any one officer. When they were visited, however, they seemed to have the situation well in hand, the only trouble being that they did not have enough to do to keep them well occupied through- out the afternoon. The main part of their activity, in fact, was tele- phoning. Each post was by a telephone and there was also a group H. Q. for the two posts in the Pembroke area. Each one of these was in touch with Command H. Q. and with each- other. The telephone for the Ducking Stool was at Government House which was very fortunate for those on duty there, as they received afternoon tea for their pains. It is the fervent hope of all that an emergency such as the one envisaged in this Test will never arise. If it should arise, however, surely it would be as unreasonable as it would be impossible to try to restrain the youth of Bermuda from going out and doing what they could to defend their country and protect their home. The Cadet Camp begins this: year on Tuesday, June 24th. In the last camp, the Saltus Platoon was very successful and won most of the competitions. Everyone enjoyed himself and seemed to be ex- tremely glad that he went. It is hoped that we will get an even better turn-out this year. BERMUDA CADET CORPS FIELD DAY. March 23rd., 1938. ' Way back in early 38, before the days of Test Mobilization, operations were carried on in no small way along the North shore of the Bermuda Islands, approximately Lat. 32° 18 ' N and between Long. 64° 46 ' W and 64° 47 ' W. Except for a few vendettas, there had been no bloodshed on the Bermoothes for a twelvemonth; the rival chiefs of Saltus and Whitney having been silenced by debt and loss of fighting strength sustained in their last campaign, the islands: had known peace.

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23 and by means of some rather nasty enfilade fire from a concealed position to the left of the road he received sufficient covering for two rifle sections to be able to approach over open ground and look as if they might have done an assault had the enemy section re- mained. This movement wlas carried out not without casualty and not without dismay for, in spite of the activities of non-intervention committees, Whitney had been receiving supplies from outside, one form of which he used at this juncture, niamely containers which, when ignited, belched forth volumes of horrid yellow smoke which Saltus found most unpleasing. Somewhat shocked at the underhand methods of his foe, h© reorganized his: forces, putting his rear platoon in front under one of his hired generals. This plan availed him little, however, for shortly his two platoons were to be separated, the latter being enticed well off the road to the right over a ridge where they only just escaped an ambush with a full measure of treachery. Meanwhile, anxious for the speedy fulfilment of his mission, Saltus continued his advance with his: main platoon. Endeavour- ing not to be surprised again, he sent iahead sections on either side of the road. Hoping to have things his own way for a bit, he was not a little aggravated when he was fired on again. Incensed by this time, he flung caution to the winds and determined to have at Whitney now and finish him once and for lall — a decision which he was bitterly to rue in a moment, for it was: not until after he had cast the die that he discovered that Whitney was occupying what looked to him to be as good as an impregnable position, on top of one of Bermuda ' s highest peaks. Well did he realise thiat he was vulnerable now and how he wished that, instead of being halved, he had been doubled, for only under those circumstances did he feel that he could get them down. He had posted his sections and there was nothing for it but to go through with it now. Taking what cover he could in a clump of bananas, he gave the signal for his men to start up the acclivity. Their cover was good to begin with. Then, after occupying his final position, his men by now heavily under fire, he had his bugler blow a succession of sounds which was the signal for the assault. His men went well for five yards, and then, whether in anticipation of more yellow unpleasantness or not, they stopped. Whitney had cleverly taken his men back a little, and were evidently having excellent sport at stationary targets at unusually close range. Chief Saltus, disappointed at the discovery that the zest with which his braves moved was inversely proportionate to that with which he gave his