HMS Toucan

[tigercat]

HMS Toucan a relic of an earlier age built in the last years of the 19th Century (1898). A Parrot class gunboat she survived until WW2 patrolling the rivers of West Africa. Seen as a dumping ground for rogues and reprobates in the Royal Navy. This meant that she had a crew that was probably  a combination of that from the Navy Lark and Brian Caillison's Trapp books.


HMS Toucan


In 1896 when Kitchener, the Sirdar (Commander-in-Chief) of the Egyptian Army, set out to re-conquer the Sudan in the name of the Khedive of Egypt, eleven years after the death of General Gordon, he knew that not only had he to defeat a great host of dauntless Mahdist warriors, but also to overcome the huge logistical problem of supplying 25,000 men and 10,000 beasts of burden over great distances in one of the most inhospitable climates in the world. Control of the River Nile was vital.

Ships of the gunboat Flotilla were crucial to the success of the whole enterprise.
In 1898 4 ships of the Parrot Class  were shipped in sections from England through the Suez Canal to Ismailia then towed up the Sweet Water Canal and the Nile to Wadi Halfa. These were HMS Toucan , HMS Parrot, HMS Cockatoo & HMS Macaw.


The crews were a remarkable mixture of British, Egyptian and Sudanese service personnel and civilians of many nationalities. The gunboats bristled with weapons – 12½ and 12 pounders, 4-inch howitzers and Maxim machine-guns – manned by Royal Marines.


After the campaign most of the river gunboats remained in service with the Egyptian Army and later the Sudan Defence Force. But gradually, like all Old Soldiers they faded away.


Until by the eve of World War 2  there was only HMS Toucan gently  rotting away at her moorings long stripped  of her armament  attended only by a skeleton crew from the Egyptian Naval liaison detachment of the Royal Navy  and a caretaking crew of locals. Her machinery however had been lovingly maintained by Mustafa Faisel el-Kahir  great grandson of one of the original crew who wished to honour her former glory
The Egyptian Naval liaison detachment was a dead end posting and tended to attract the scrapings of the Royal Navy , officers and ratings that their commanders wished to get rid of.


However  Lieutenant Augustus Smallbrook had other ideas and decided to make HMS Toucan a useful unit of the Royal Navy and set about rearming her.   A salvaged MTB gave her 4 torpedo tubes  and a twin 20mm Oerlikon.  Captured Axis equipment gave her an Italian 90mm AA gun , a quad  20mm AA gun and a 50mm gun. Dubious trades with other allied forces mainly of moonshine made in the ships boiler room acquired a 25 pounder and 5.5 inch howitzer. 


The detachments legal status was blurred as it was officially part of the Sudan Defence Force gave  Lieutenant Smallbrook  considerable latitude of action although rumours that he obtained a letter of Marque from the Egyptian king was only a rumour. This gave him latitude to conduct a private war against the Axis coastal shipping.

[Rheged]

I believe that this vessel  is  the same gunboat that went close inshore near Benghazi , and , single handed, comprehensively  trashed eleven Panzer IV tanks, at least three companies of Panzer Grenadiers, two  Stukas, a donkey and a  high quality racing camel,the last two  the property of Ibrahim Al Watani; an itinerant second-hand camel salesman who happened to be passing at the time

If it is the same ship,  the crew  were implicated in the theft of  Rommel's  personal  schnapps supply. This was donated to Admiral Andrew B Cunningham in exchange for him turning a thoroughly Nelsonian blind eye to their operations.    

ABC would probably have turned a blind eye anyway....he was that sort of Admiral. In fact, he'd probably have asked to join in.

[NARSES2]

Wonderful build and lovely humour in both the posts 

[sequoiaranger]

...Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn would be sent in to destroy! 

An imaginative, fun build, tigercat.

[tigercat]

They also captured a harem but this turned out to be the Luftlotte Afrika typing pool fancy dress picnic and charabanc outing

The donkeysaw the error of his ways  later became a key member of the crew and a talented engine artificer

[Rheged]

They also captured a harem but this turned out to be the Luftlotte Afrika typing pool fancy dress picnic and charabanc outing

The donkey saw the error of his ways  later became a key member of the crew and a talented engine artificer

Hence the phrase "DONKEY ENGINE"..

[tigercat]

  Beat me to the punch line   

[Rheged]

Beat me to the punch line   

but you set it up so brilliantly for me!

[NARSES2]

They also captured a harem but this turned out to be the Luftlotte Afrika typing pool fancy dress picnic and charabanc outing

OK thread drift time - why are they called Charabancs ??

[Rheged]

They also captured a harem but this turned out to be the Luftlotte Afrika typing pool fancy dress picnic and charabanc outing

OK thread drift time - why are they called Charabancs ??

OK I'll buy it. Why Are they called charabancs?

[NARSES2]

They also captured a harem but this turned out to be the Luftlotte Afrika typing pool fancy dress picnic and charabanc outing

OK thread drift time - why are they called Charabancs ??

OK I'll buy it. Why Are they called charabancs?

No idea that's why I'm asking 

[Rheged]

They also captured a harem but this turned out to be the Luftlotte Afrika typing pool fancy dress picnic and charabanc outing

OK thread drift time - why are they called Charabancs ??

OK I'll buy it. Why Are they called charabancs?

No idea that's why I'm asking 

Oh!  A sensible question!    From the French CHAR   A  BANCS   translated  CART WITH BENCHES .   Sorry, I assumed that this was  a question  with a smart answer  in the offing!

[NARSES2]

They also captured a harem but this turned out to be the Luftlotte Afrika typing pool fancy dress picnic and charabanc outing

OK thread drift time - why are they called Charabancs ??

OK I'll buy it. Why Are they called charabancs?

No idea that's why I'm asking 

Oh!  A sensible question!    From the French CHAR   A  BANCS   translated  CART WITH BENCHES .   Sorry, I assumed that this was  a question  with a smart answer  in the offing!

No problems (are you sure you wern't at school with me ?  ) Thanks for that always wondered

[Rheged]

Carlisle Grammar School  1963 to 1970.  Lancaster Uni 1970 to 1974  and then 20-odd years teaching in  primary schools here and there, before I finally managed to escape...........

[James]

This is a great build tigercat. Great backstory as well.