Sailors of the Nile

Royal Navy, Royal Marine and Royal Engineer Officers

The Gunboats and Steamers had an unusual mix of crews. Each was commanded by a British Officer, who was either loaned from the Royal Navy or the Royal Engineers. The guns and artillery pieces were under the command of two senior Royal Marine NCOs, with a team of Egyptian gunners. The gunboats themselves were operated by a mixture of senior Royal Navy ratings, civilian engineers with local fireman to serve the boilers. These civilian engineers comprise many different nationalities including Armenians, Greeks, Egyptians and Maltese.

Gunner Edward H Baldwin
Lt David Beatty, R N

later Admiral Earl

Atbara, Khartoum FATEH
Engineer Edmund H Bond RN Chief Engineer of

The Flotilla

Captain The Hon S C Colville RN

later Admiral

Severely wounded in 1896 HAFIR
Lt Walter Cowan RN

later Admiral

Khartoum, Gedaref SULTAN
Captain Ernest David RM With EA on land
Lt William Drury RN Worked in Sudd
Lt Harold Escombe RN

later Captain

Lt Harold Fell RN Worked in Sudd Died 1905
Major W S Gordon RE MELIK
Captain F M B Hobbs RM Khartoum
Lt Hon H L Hood

Later Admiral

NASR
Commander Colin R Keppel RN

later Admiral

Flotilla Commander ZAPHIR
Captain Godfrey Matthews RM Atbara, Khartoum

With EA on land

Lt Edward O Newcombe RE ABU KLEA
Captain  Humphrey Oldfield RM Khartoum HAFIR
Gunner William E Pauley RN
Gunner John W Renshaw RN
Commander Charles H Robertson

later Admiral

HAFIR
Captain Robert Slessor RM

later Colonel

Khartoum
Lt Alexander G Stevenson RE METEMMAH
Lt John B Sparks RN SHEIKH
Lt Cecil M Staveley RN

Later Admiral

HAFIR
Lt Henry F G Talbot RN

later Captain

TAMAI
Gunner Samuel Williamson

Note: It is interesting to note how many RN officers went on to gain senior rank

RN Ratings

Ldg Stoker John Bramble Khartoum
Chief ERA Thomas Makepiece Khartoum
Ldg Stoker Robert Mathews Drowned off Melik
Chief ERA Samuel G Milton
Ldg Stoker Frederick Pinder
Steward William Snook
Chief ERA John R Williams

Royal Marine NCOs

Bombardier Alfred V Conway
Corporal Alfred Dalton
Sergeant Frank Ede MID
Sergeant Hugh Evans MID
Colour Sergeant H E Gregg
Sergeant James Harris
Corporal  T E Hearne
Sergeant S M Jenkins DCM
Colour Sergeant J  C Lambert DCM
Corporal G T Manley
Sergeant Samuel T Matheson DCM
Sergeant James F Maynard MID
Sergeant Arthur W Mead
Sergeant Charles W Muller MID
Sergeant Albert G Pain
Bombardier Herbert Phillips
Sergeant George Phipps MID
Sergeant Edward M Price
Colour Sergeant John Richards
Sergeant William Russell DCM
Sergeant Frederick Saddon DCM
Colour Sergeant George F Seabright DCM*
Sergeant Frederick Sears DCM*
Bombardier William J Sills
Corporal Edwin Tims
Sergeant R  A Trowbridge DCM

Note: Many of the NCOs also served on land with the Maxim Machine Gunners of the Egyptian Army

Civilian Engineers who served on the Gunboats and Steamers

William Allam
B G Archer
A J Bond
J Campbell
C Catena
C G Cortesis
A E Fairminer
James Howell MELIK
T James
C Jerich
G Lennox
A Lonman
F F Manning
A Mitchnik
E Mizzi
C H Page
R C Poole
A C Potts
E Scilpini
Thomas Seed
A Travlas
E Tucker
G E Warder
H Walker
A Zara

Note: The above roll has been compiled from information held at the Public Record Office at Kew, London.