The birkenhead drill prose questions answers english xi. The troops onboard included drafts of fusiliers, highlanders, lancers, foresters, rifles, green jackets and assorted other regiments of the british army. Introduction birkenhead drill is a story of extravagant deed of heroism and shvarism shown by the soldiers of british. Under the command of robert salmond, the vessel left portsmouth in early january 1852, stopped in cork, ireland, to pick up more men. For they werent no special chrysanthemumssoldier an sailor too. The lines given for explanation are an extract from the lesson, pakistan zindabad that has been taken from quaideazam, by john walton. She was designed as a steam frigate, but was converted to a troopship before being commissioned she was wrecked on 26 february 1852, while transporting troops to algoa bay at danger point near gansbaai, 87 miles 140 kilometres from cape. Hms birkenhead and the birkenhead drill women and children first. Learn about the birkhead through this stirring collection of s. The birkenhead, one of the first iron hulled paddle steamers in service travelled to southern ireland, before heading for the cape on 17th january. The women and children first ethos was later called the birkenhead drill and was celebrated in verse by rudyard kipling in his moral boosting work soldier an sailor too. It was one of the first ironhulled ships built for the royal navy. The birkenhead drill became standard practice with women and children first being the response to the evacuation of sinking ships. Drill is a venue for community based activities in birkenhead.
Hms birkenhead was launched on 30th december 1845 by the marchioness of westminster, and it was one of the first ironhulled ships built for the royal navy. Most of the soldiers and sailors on board were drowned or eaten by sharks, but all the women and children survived. To take your chance in the thick of a rush, with firing all about, is nothing so bad when youve cover to and, an leave an likin to shout. The organisation that manages the activities and the building is called birkenhead community development committee bcdc our core activities include artistic gymnastics, trampolining and cheerleading. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Hms birkenhead, also referred to as hm troopship birkenhead or steam frigate birkenhead. The sacrifice by the troops who stood fast on deck while the women and children were lowered into. The term birkenhead drill became defined as courageous behaviour in hopeless circumstances and appeared in rudyard kiplings 1893. Junior ganymede servants to folly, creation, and the. Know your country the hms birkenhead rooms for africa. English xi notes, summary, mcqs, question answers, online test english xi.
Southern book publishers pty ltd, po box 548, bergvlei 2012. English xi notes, summary, mcqs, question answers, online. She was the fastest and most comfortable troop transport ship of the time, capable of. The troopship hms birkenhead, 210 feet long and steam driven, moved smoothly out of port. On the night of february 26, 1852, she was sailing for the coast of south africa with about 638. After the sinking of the titanic in 1912, shaw wrote a. It was carrying soldiers and their families on board. The birkenhead was laid down at john lairds shipyard at birkenhead as the frigate hms vulcan, but renamed soon afterwards to birkenhead after the town where she was built. The birkenhead drill was a troop ship, which come across with sudden accident which has brought a dramatic change in the life of soldiers. I read about this sinking a few years ago in a book by a young man who had been taught it in school as an example of how men should behave in the face of certain doom. It was rumored that this episode lay in a secret chamber along with the 116 lost pages of the book of mormon. A troopship called the birkenhead launched in 1845 was chosen to deliver men and supplies.
On board were more than seven hundred men, women, and children. A new maritime protocol, nicknamed the birkenhead drill, was adopted, in which women and children would always be evacuated first. Pub hires mural ace for birkenhead drill by richard garnett audience and content editor the completed artwork of hms birkenhead on the side of gallaghers pub. But to stand an be still to the birkenead drill is a damn tough bullet to chew. The birkenhead drill was implemented women and children were loaded first into the lifeboats, then the wounded and sick. The birkenhead urban area defined as the contiguous builtup area along the eastern side of the wirral had a total population of 325,264 in the 2011. Frederick edwin smith, 1st earl of birkenhead british. Pub hires mural ace for birkenhead drill wirral globe. George bernard shaw, ever the skeptic, thought the romance of birkenhead drill the height of distasteful, childish mythmaking.
After taking on fresh water and supplies the birkenhead steamed out of simons bay near cape town, in the late afternoon of 25th february, with about 634 men, women and children on board. Birkenhead drill is a story of extravagant deed of heroism and shvarism shown by the soldiers of british 963army. The hms birkenhead was a british troopship that sank on 25 february 1852 near cape town, south africa. The sinking of the birkenhead is one of the earliest maritime disaster evacuations during which the concept of women and children first is known to have been applied. Historically in cheshire, it is on the wirral peninsula, along the west bank of the river mersey, opposite the city of liverpool. The birkenhead was an iron paddle steamer of 1400 tons, and was launched in. The first ironhulled vessel of war, she was believed to be unusually resilient and seaworthy.
She was the fastest and most comfortable troop transport ship of the era, capable of. Birkenhead left portsmouth in january 1852 taking troops to fight in the frontier war in south africa. Women and children first subsequently became standard procedure in relation to the evacuation of sinking ships, in fiction and in life. The birkenhead unit 2 is located in hermanus and has a private pool, a kitchen and sea views. The word of god enshrines that spirit of self sacrifice as the greatest demonstration of love for another. Birkenhead house is a chic and intimate beach hotel in the seaside town of hermanus. However, it was the first time ever that records show that a captain gave the actual order, women and children first and so it. Hms birkenhead, also referred to as hm troopship birkenhead or steam frigate birkenhead, was one of the first ironhulled ships built for the royal navy. I was browsing in a secondhand bookshop when i came upon this book. In february 1851, more than a hundred years ago, it happened to be sailing to cape town in south africa. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. The apartment has a satellite flatscreen tv and 3 bedrooms.
Episode 12 is our longawaited books for boys episode, recorded several months ago. Drill at grange road west, birkenhead, united kingdom. Women and children first or to a lesser extent, the birkenhead drill is a code of conduct dating from 1852, whereby the lives of women and children were to be saved first in a lifethreatening situation, typically abandoning ship, when survival resources such as lifeboats were limited. Hms birkenhead was launched on december 30, 1845, by the marchioness of westminster, and it was one of the first ironhulled ships built for the british royal navy. The history guy uses images that are in the public domain. The settlement, such as it was, consisted of a mere scatter of farmhouses and cottages which supported a population in 1801 of just 11017 families living in 16 houses. Academy of excellence birkenhead drill xienglish short story explained by sir zaheer farooq for more videos subscribe our channel. The 15 best things to do in birkenhead 2020 with photos. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The history guy remembers the birkenhead disaster and explains where the protocol women and children first was first used. Memorials were erected in hospitals and churches, with queen victoria taking a personal interest. Initially, hms birkenhead was intended to be a steam frigate, but due to some technical reasons she was converted into a troopship.
Author of the birkenhead drill, poems for patriarchs, and the little boy down the road. Sixty years later, the men on the titanic liars and thieves, wealthy and powerful, poor and obscure. The birkenhead drill prose questions answers english xi questions answers from prose section the birkenhead drill for class 11th, xi, first year. Birkenhead house sets the standard for luxury hotels in hermanus. The birkenhead drill greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends john 15. Troopship birkenhead was traveling to south africa when she hit a ledge and foundered. Birkenhead house luxury hermanus hotel the royal portfolio. Frederick edwin smith, 1st earl of birkenhead, british statesman, lawyer, and noted orator. Reference the lines given for explanation has been taken from asok readers, book iii.
Birkenheaddrill dictionary definition birkenheaddrill defined. She was designed as a steampowered frigate, but was converted to a troopship before being commissioned. Apartment the birkenhead unit 2, hermanus, south africa. Birkenhead is essentially a 19thcentury new town, its planned grid of streets still stretching westwards from the georgian elegance of hamilton square. The birkenhead drill prose questions answers english xi monday, april 21, 2014 no comments. In its initial designs birkenhead was intended to be a steam frigate, but due to some technical reasons, it was converted into a troopship. To doubt everything or to believe everything are two equally convenient solutions. The men, who together, created the the birkenhead drill, each accepted the certainty of their individual deaths, in exchange for the knowledge that others would live on through the ultimate human expression of love. By lex, on january 21st, 2012 as something of a companion piece to the post below, mark steyn relates that kiplings damn tough bullet to chew has become pretty much unchewable over the last couple centuries. Read the birkenhead drill from the story the birkenhead drill and other stories by jamescalbraith james calbraith with 300 reads. There was still enough room for the male passengers so they were loaded. This quote, although found in the 1985 scifi novel, lucifers hammer, by larry niven and jerry pournelle, may be erroneously attributed to pournelle.
She had two 564 horsepower 421 kw steam engines from forrester and co that drove a pair of 6metre 20 ft paddle wheels, and two masts rigged as a brig. Birkenhead drill xienglish short story explained by sir zaheer. Birkenhead august 12, 2017 quintus curtius history birkenhead drill, rudyard kipling, selfless heroism. Troopship birkenhead was the crowning glory of her generation. Finally, each crew member was put into the lifeboats, which were then launched. A graduate 1895 of wadham college, oxford, smith taught law at oxford until 1899, when he.
With its exhilarating clifftop position overlooking the whale watching paradise of walker bay, birkenhead house provides luxury accommodation for those seeking time out to relax and recharge. The birkenhead drill and other stories the birkenhead. The procedure, the birkenhead drill as it quickly became known, was referred to in history as the height of courageous behaviour in hopeless circumstances. Not until the loss of the titanic did another shipwreck so totally capture the public imagination. It is suggested that the captain of the concorde slipped off the deck into a lifeboat before all the passengers had been rescued. Named from hms birkenhead, which struck a rock and sank in 1852 noun. This is very short, and by a detail given about the sinking of the titanic, im afraid its not very well researched. The concept or practice of taking women and children first in an evacuation or rescue. With weather conditions perfect, a clear blue sky and a flat and calm sea, the birkenhead continued steadily on her passage. Women and children first or to a lesser extent, the birkenhead drill is a code of conduct dating from 1852, whereby the lives of women and children were to be.