John Lake

The Naval Brigade in Egypt and the Soudan
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Naval Brigade at El Teb & Tamaai

PO1 {BOATSWAIN’S MATE} JOHN LAKE

John Lake was born in Kingskerswell, Devon on 20 August 1852. He entered the Royal Navy as a 16 ½ year old aboard HMS
Implacable 21 January 1869 as a Boy 2nd Class. He was able to read & write.

He joined HMS Rattlesnake 27 Oct ’70 and remained aboard her was rated Ordinary Seaman 16 Jan 1871. Lake joined HMS Torch
3 June 1871 and rated Able Seaman aboard this ship 1 Jan ’73. After serving brief periods on HMS Pallas, iron Duke & Royal
Adelaide, he gets drafted to HMS Cambridge 11 July ’75 where he qualifies as a Seaman Gunner(SG) 2nd cl on 29 Feb ’76 &
advanced to Leading Seaman on 1 Apl 1877.

His next draft was to HMS Achilles, a new ironclad battleship, on 17 May ’77. On the same day he was promoted to PO2nd cl, &
rated 2nd Captain of the Forecastle.

In the day HMS Achilles was similar to HMS Warrior but carried a huge area of sail area on 4 masts, the only 4 master & the largest
ironclad in the Victorian Navy. Lake would have been involved in managing the sails of the forecastle mast. Being advanced to PO2
would have given him a position of some responsibility of the forecastle watch.

However Lake’s career was to suffer a setback, for on 10 July ’78 he was disrated to AB & deprived of his first GCB(Good
Conduct badge) for some unspecified infraction.

However he redeemed himself & was promoted to Leading Seaman on 1 May ’79, had his GCB restored & advanced again to PO2
on 1 Jan ’80. Lake must have been very good at his job as was appointed Captain of the Maintop the same day.
He left Achilles shortly afterwards & returned to Cambridge on 1 Sep to re-qualify as a SG1 on 2 Mar ’81.

His next draft was to HMS Briton, a wood screw Corvette of ’69, on 29 Mar ’81. The same day he was promoted to PO1 & appointed
Boatswain’s Mate. He was also appointed Captain of the Gun on 1 Feb ’84. HMS Briton saw service in the Egypt /Soudan theatre
from 19 Feb – 15 Aug ’84. Lake participated in the Naval Brigade Gardner’s gun crew at the battle of Tamaai on 13 Mar ’84.

He left Briton in Apl of ’84 & returned to Excellent to re-qualify in gunnery.

2nd Brigade Square at Tamaai
the Royal Naval Brigade Gatling Gun in the foreground.

The Sudanese with the Gatling Gun captured after the 2nd Brigade square broke
Painting by Douglas Giles.

On 25 Oct, Lake takes passage in HMS Tamar out to Australia to join HMS Diamond. He joins her on 14 Jan ‘85 as Captain of the Gun
but on 28 Apl was reduced to Able Seaman, for some offence. This, & his prior reduction in ’78 would disqualify him from the award of
the Long Service & Good Conduct medal.

Strangely, for this infraction, he was not deprived of his 2 Good Conduct badges.

Lake was quick in redeeming himself being advanced to 2nd Captain of the Maintop {PO2} on 25 Jan ’86, & Captain of the Forecastle
{PO1} on 1 Oct ’86.

On 20 Aug ’87 He moves to the Flagship, HMS Nelson, but on 24 Oct returns to HMS Diamond where he is again appointed Gun
Captain & Bosun’s Mate.

He remains on Diamond until the end of her commission in Mar ‘89 (she returned to UK to be sold & broken up in Aug ’89) & returns
to HMS Cambridge on 7 Mar.

His last ship was HMS Neptune, an old Ironclad Battleship of ’74 & Port Guardship at Portsmouth. He joined her on 1 Nov ’89, & left on
28 Aug when he went to pension.

The 2nd Brigade came into contact with the Mahdists and fire was
opened as the brigade square continued to advance. The brigade
then found itself on the edge of a wide deep gully. The sides of
the square were being subjected to repeated and increasingly
threatening rushes by the Mahdists. The fire discipline of the
troops began to deteriorate. Smoke from the rifle fire with the dust
from the dry plain, stirred up by the numbers of men rushing
about, made visibility difficult. The front face of the brigade square
moved down into the ravine, but the men forming the sides of the
square failed to conform fully to the movement so that the
continuity of the square was broken and it began to disintegrate.
The Mahdists launched an attack on the right face of the square,
comprising 2nd York and Lancaster, which halted to give fire,
while the front face of the square continued to advance. The York
and Lancaster fell back on the RMLI and the two battalions
became intertwined and disordered. The Black Watch, now thrown
into confusion, fell back into the square and the brigade was
forced to retreat, pressed hard by the attacking tribesmen. 3
Royal Navy guns had to be abandoned and casualties were
mounting. The tribesmen took some of the Gatling and Gardiner
guns.

Colonel Buller’s 1st Brigade now came up on the right of the 2nd
Brigade to the lip of the ravine. Not until now engaged and in good
order, Buller’s battalions opened a heavy fire on the Mahdist
tribesmen. The 2nd Brigade was reformed by General Graham
and his staff, fresh supplies of ammunition being brought forward.
The brigade, with the Black Watch taking the lead, moved back to
engage the Mahdists at the edge of the ravine, retaking the
abandoned guns. A party of tribesmen launched an attack from
concealed positions in a neighbouring gully, but were shot down
by the British troops, now well in hand. The two brigades opened a
heavy fire on the Mahdists who were withdrawing across the
ravine and up the far bank. With the 1st Brigade providing
supporting fire the 2nd Brigade stormed across the ravine. The
brigades reformed on the far bank of the ravine and moved into
the valley to occupy Osman Digna’s camp. The Mahdists
continued to resist the advance but were finally dispersed by
artillery fire. The battle was over, leaving Osman Digna’s camp in
British hands to be burnt by Colonel Buller’s brigade.