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 RN (later Admiral Earl)Atbara, KhartoumFATEH
Engineer Edmund H Bond RNChief Engineer of The Flotilla 
Captain The Hon S C Colville RN (later Admiral)Severely wounded in 1896HAFIR
Lt Walter Cowan RN (later Admiral)Khartoum, GedarefSULTAN
Captain Ernest David RMWith EA on landDied 1898
Lt William Drury RNWorked in Sudd 
Lt Harold Escombe RN (later Captain)  
Lt Harold Fell RNWorked in SuddDied 1905
Major W S Gordon RE MELIK
Captain F M B Hobbs RMKhartoum 
Lt Hon H L Hood (later Admiral) NASR
Commander Colin R Keppel RN (later Admiral)Flotilla CommanderZAPHIR
Captain Godfrey Matthews RMAtbara, Khartoum, With EA on land 
Lt Edward O Newcombe RE ABU KLEA
Captain Humphrey Oldfield RMKhartoumHAFIR
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 BrambleKhartoum 
Chief ERA Thomas MakepieceKhartoum 
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 EdeMID 
Sergeant Hugh EvansMID 
Colour Sergeant H E Gregg  
Sergeant James Harris  
Corporal T E Hearne  
Colour Sergeant JenveyDCM 
Colour Sergeant J C LambertDCM 
Corporal G T Manley  
Sergeant Samuel T MathesonDCM 
Sergeant James F MaynardMID 
Sergeant Arthur W Mead  
Sergeant Charles W MullerMID 
Sergeant Albert G Pain  
Bombardier Herbert Phillips  
Sergeant George PhippsMID 
Sergeant Edward M Price  
Colour Sergeant John Richards  
Sergeant William RussellDCM 
Sergeant Frederick SaddonDCM 
Colour Sergeant George F SeabrightDCM* 
Sergeant Frederick SearsDCM* 
Bombardier William J Sills  
Corporal Edwin Tims  
Sergeant R A TrowbridgeDCM 

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.