“Palow”
by
Captain Beckett
Enter the name you are looking for into the search box, results will be highlighted within the documents.
Pressing the "enter" key will find any other instances of the name.
July 1928 - Issue No. 4.
When war broke out the two steamers “Okpho,” Capt W.J. Redman and “Palow,” Capt. W.N. Beckett were running between Mandalay and Bhamo. On my last trip down from Bhamo, when going alongside carious stations, I found the Burmans, with very ugly looks, all talking and chattering more than usual and shouting out something I could not understand. I did not put my ropes on shore, but swung to my anchor till the work was done by boat. In those days we had pilots, but carried a rafts-man with us. He generally had a better knowledge of the channels than we had and when two steamers met on their passage up and down the river, the down steamer would turn round and anchor. The up steamer would then tie up alongside and the Commanders would exchange drawings and notes and crossings on the river.
I spoke to Capt. Redman about the state of things above and told him to turn his steamer round and go back to Mandalay as it was not safe to proceed and he might lose his steamer and his life. He replied “I will go on to Bhamo and remain there. It will be quite alright.” I told him I had on board going up the river the Wun of Katha his wife and 50 Burmese soldiers with their tin hats painted yellow. The Wun gave me no end trouble and could not pay the passage money. The Chief Officer, Clerk and myself interviewed him. He told me he had no money, so I asked him for the diamond ring off his finger or his wife’s ear-rings as security. He would give neither of them so I disarmed all his men and locked up the rifles in the safe. He paid all the passage money when he saw his station and got all the rifles back so that he and all his men could go on shore with great pomp.
“Now, Capt. Redman,” I said, “I am not coming up again but I am going down to Rangoon.”
On my arrival at Mandalay, I found the “Ashley Eden” Capt. Cooper, arrived there with the ultimatum, which accounted for the bad feeling of the people.
Capt. Ballantine was there with his steamer “Talifoo” and Capt. Matthews was arriving in the “Doowoon.”
The next day the Agent, Andreano, was on board the “Ashley Eden” and sent for me, all other Captains being present. He said “Capt. Beckett, you will get you steamer ready for another trip to Bhamo.” “Not I,“ I said. “But I order you to go.” “Then I am not going, Mr Agent, to lose the Company’s steamer and my life also. Let me tell you, Mr Andreano that from to-day the “Palow” belongs to me until I get her safely down to Lower Burma. I am sailing tomorrow for Myingyan to look for some cargo for Bhamo.” This of course was a blind.
At Myingyan I got 80 bales of cotton. Whilst lying alongside the bank there children began to throw mud and stones on board. I went to the gangway and threw some small money to the children, which they scrambled to get. While they were engaged at this my men let go the ropes on shore and the steamer swung to her anchor. I lifted the anchor and went out into midstream and anchored again.
For the next two days we were busy on board, raking out all the old files and other bits of iron and making long spears for every man on board, servants and cook as well. I had a rook rifle, the mate a carbine, the engineer’s two shot guns and the mate and I had a revolver each. In front of the engine room and aft, bales of cotton were placed in a kind of maze and two or three drills were gone through for repelling boarders.
I used to move the steamer every day the length of Myingyan front. The Wun sent word that he would fire on me if I moved my steamer about any more and I answered that if he did so I would fire back.
By this time the “Ashley Eden” had passed down for Rangoon and one of the Burmese stern-wheelers from Mandalay arrived. She went alongside, well ahead of where I was lying. After two hours he cast off and I saw he had trouble to get her round. I lifted my anchor and moved up and passed him. She looked fine, a perfect picture: flags and banners waving, full of troops going down to Minhla to man the forts.
When I was steaming up to pass him I had him broadside on to me once, when a voice behind me said, “run the blighter down, Capt. Beckett, what a chance to do it.” It was Jock Wright, my mate, “yes,” I said. “I would if I knew the contents of the ultimatum and the answer from the Burmese Government.”
Two days later down came the “Talifoo” Capt. Ballantine. A chit was sent over to me, “clear out, follow me, sorry you have no pilot.” Below Singu he was so far ahead that I could not follow his crossings, so I cast the flat off to anchor and proceeded single handed. At Minhla, Ballantine went alongside but had to cut his ropes to get away.
In the morning when the “Palow” cam down, she took rather a big sweep of the channel and turning below the ghat, I put the helm over and bolted. The stern-wheeler was lying with steam up and I believed followed me down with the expectation of finding me aground.
I knew that I had Battery Point to pass, off Sinboungwai and I thought that there would be something going on there in the shape of a battery. I got out a large table cloth and made a Burmese flag, which I had flying before I hove in sight.
I was allowed to pass, as they thought that I had dispatches on board from the King. But my putting my fingers to my nose plainly told them that I had none and they fired rifles at me.
In an hour’s time the Burmese steamer passed down, still following me. When I got to the frontier, I was boarded by Lt. Trench from the Government launch “Kathleen” hauled down my Burmese flag and hoisted my own. I explained to him all that took place at Minhla and below.
I believe about three or four hours after I passed on, the Burmese steamer hove in sight and came down close to the frontier, but seeing the “Kathleen” coming out from the right bank to meet him, turned round and went up stream again.
This was the steamer that was captured by the “Kathleen” and “Irrawaddy” off Sinboungwai forts and not the steamer afterwards called the “Sladen” as mentioned in the Magazine in April.)
When I reached Thayetmyo I was boarded by reporters all wanting news. At Prome I took in some coal and proceeded, and at Myanoung I met the whole Expedition of our steamers full of troops and guns on their way up river.
I went on and arrived at Donabyu about 8 p.m. I went to bed, tired out, but did not get an all night’s sleep as I expected I would. At two in the morning the “Ngawoon” came alongside with the flats in tow that were to be made over to me as my tow in the Expedition. Lt. Fagan came to my cabin and woke me up saying, “Capt. we want your steamer.” “You are not going to get my steamer,” I said, “I’m bound for Rangoon, I want coal and I want stores for my crew and myself.” I sat up in bed and we had rather heated words for a while until he told me it was Mr Kennedy’s orders, that the “Palow” was his boat when he met her. “Ah well, that is alright,” I said, “I will do anything the Manager tells me.” I had to turn out, take the tow over from the “Ngawoon” and proceed upriver at once.
Lt. Fagan said that I should be with the other steamers in the Expedition to Mandalay. “Yes, but I had to get out of Upper Burma first” I replied, “I met the whole fleet at Myanoung going up, so they must have left Rangoon four days ago and they are two days sail ahead of me.”
I moved some of the men from flat 103 on to the steamer so that they would not be so cramped for room. On my arrival at Prome, the sailors had to get busy taking in stores for big and little guns and food for themselves. I took in coal, salon stores, which I paid heavily for, the crew got in their food and we were away in five hours. We arrived at Thayetmyo about 5 p.m. and were soon off again. In the dark, near the frontier, I got amongst the sandbanks and was nearly aground twice. I backed out into good water and anchored. I told the Lieutenant that I could not proceed with safety, but I was off in the morning at daylight.
This was the day that Minhla was taken November 17th. I arrived there at 4 p.m. but passing Sinboungwai Battery we had to stop and shell the place, as we saw Burmans running about getting ready to fire on us as we passed the point. Two or three 86 lb. shells landed amongst the running Burmans allowed us to pass the point in safety and get to Minhla at 4 p.m. The fight with the forts was just over, but a flat lying alongside at Minhla blew up at 5 p.m. and burned all night.
On the 18th the whole fleet was off at daylight, the “Palow” leading with the Government steamer “Irrawaddy” second. A little above Minhla there is a dip in the land and I saw two men waving to us there. I lifted my glasses to look and knew them. I blew the whistle and eased down. Capt. Clutterbuck of the Govt. steamer “Irrawaddy” happened to be on board of my steamer with Capt. Woodward. They came running to me asking what was wrong. “Nothing,” I said, “but do you see those two men waving there? Well, one is the Burmese General Comoto and the other is Mullinarry, the Engineer and they are giving themselves up to you.”
A launch went and brought them both on board. They were put in irons till we heard from General Prendergast. He ordered the irons to be taken off and they were allowed to move about the steamer.
The fleet move on again till we came to the crossing to Magwe. Here the river was running so strong that my steamer would steam up a bit and then fall back again. I ordered the “Ngawoon” to tie up alongside of my flat as I believed we could go ahead. We did so and eventually got into slack water. Capt. Carpenter in the “Ngawoon” was buoying the river by dropping empty casks. In this strong water the “Ataran,” Capt. Somerville, lost a heavy howitzer gun. It was in a flat iron barge with very little freeboard. The rush of water between the steamer’s side and the barge mounted so high that it filled the flat before the ropes could be out. In a minute the flat and gun were gone and they still lie at the bottom of the river 1 ½ miles S.W. of Magwe pagoda.
On reaching Minbu some Burmese troops were seen beyond the town but a few shells from our heavy guns made them run. At Yenangyoung we tapped the telegraph wire to Mandalay and sent this message. “The British are passing here with 100,000 men and 1,000 heavy guns in many steamers.”
On the morning of the 21st we reached Pagan. On the hill above the ghat was a kind of fort with a pole and Burmese flag flying. On the next hill tops we saw the Commander of the troops lying in a longsleeve chair with the usual big cheroot.
All big gun steamers formed into line across the channel and at 2,000 yards commenced to fire. Their return fire had only a range of 800 yards. My heavy gun, from H.M.S. “Turquoise” took the half of a pagoda away and the rubbish landed on the man in the long chair. He did not wait for any more but ran away and I think his men ran with him as their firing stopped.
All steamers banked in and the troops were landed. An Officer of H.M.S. “Turquoise” and I went for a bullock. We found one tied to a tree with a long rope. We offered the Burman the usual Rs. 10 but he would not take it, so we shot the beast and carried it on board.
On the 23rd the mud fort at Pakokku was shelled and destroyed. On the 24th Myingyan was reached at 4 p.m. The battle started again. We opened fire at 2,000 yards, the orders being not to fire on the town but on the fort and any place where Burmese troops were to be seen. On our right hand passing up in the high sand bank we saw about twelve large holes cut in the sand. These dugouts had a small cannon in each. The first dugout fired too soon, the ball going across my bows. The “Kathleen” with her two 9lb. guns put a shell in the holes and buried the Burmese who were in them. From some of the holes higher up the Burmese got out and ran for the long grass close behind them, some of them being shot by rifle fire.
As my steamer got closer to the fort the din of war became heavy and quick and I received orders to go full speed. When my steamer was right under the guns I saw the flashes but I was not hit, with the exception of one that passed over my upper decks cutting a hole through the flat’s purdah, which was rolled up, and a little bit of a stanchion on the steamer. The wheel in front of the cabin on the upper deck of the flat was riddled with bullet holes. I had two sailors wounded, one recovering and the other dying in hospital.
After passing the forts the five fighting steamers anchored above about a mile away, the rest of the fleet anchoring below. It was now 6 p.m. and daylight was going. The Burmans were still in their fort for when dispatches were sent down to General Prendergast in the dusk, passing the fort we could see the flashes of rifle fire along the bank for about 200 yards. The launch had to run the gauntlet of a heavy fire but got down safely.
About 9 p.m. the Burmans began firing on the fighting steamers and had got a good gun to bear on us, which sent a shot close past the stern of the “Palow.” The “Yunan” at anchor below us had in tow one of our large oil flats commonly called an island. It was all done up like a land battery and had 6 nine inch howitzers in line taking up the whole length of the flat. Capt. Woodward gave orders for the “Yunan” to return the fire, which she did, landing two beautiful shots on the left of the fort and close to it, the Burmans were sitting there at their dinner. In five minutes all the houses roundabout were in a blaze. So bright were the flames that we could see the Burmans running away with their food and pots. All the rest of the troops cleared out, these two shots were too true for them to remain.
In the morning of the 25th the “Palow” hove up anchor, went down, turned round and went alongside the fort. We found the whole place deserted, plenty of blood to be seen about but no dead. The fort appeared to have got a right good smashing up, guns lying about dismantled. Now I found out how it was that my steamer was not hit when passing under the fort guns. In loading these guns, two or three balls were put in and some grass. When they depressed the guns the balls rolled out with the grass and they could all be seen lying on the bank.
The whole fleet with General Prendergast came up and some troops were landed. The “Yunan” in the meantime was shelling a village close above Myingyan, where the Burmese army had been seen. The whole village was destroyed. By 1 p.m. the whole fleet moved off up river, anchoring at Semicone for the night.
The next morning, 26th, we had some fog, but later proceeded. Close to Myinmoo a Burmese steamer was at anchor. She proved to be the steamer, after the war, renamed “Sladen.” She was well built in with bags of sand and had a large gun, I should think a 40 pounder forward and aft and some smaller guns. I asked Capt. Woodward what was it going to be “the Nelson touch?” “What do you mean, Capt. Beckett?” “Drop alongside of him.” “No, just anchor abreast.” Orders for action were given and all guns were swung round to bear on him. Lt. Trench with the “Kathleen” boarded him and found only a few men on sentry duty who were disarmed and ordered ashore. The “Sladen” was then taken into our fleet, a nice little prize for the sailors.
In the afternoon, off Ava, a Wun with twelve men paddling his boat and beautiful Burmese silk flags in the bow and stern, came alongside of us. He interviewed Capt. Woodward and was sent to the steamer that General Prendergast was in. The condition was to surrender Army, King and Country, and that in half an hour after his boat got shore. We could see the whole of the Burmese army drawn up for the fight, all our steamers were ready also and just waiting for General Prendergast to give the order to attack.
The General was watching for the boat to bring the answer to him: the roof of our steamers were busy with the signal men at work and as the half hour was up, the excitement grew. Five minutes went by, then ten, the General had said he would give them another fifteen minutes: we were closing in all the time, but before the fifteen minutes was up we saw the boat coming off with the answer which gave General Prendergast what he asked for. All steamers moved to an anchorage and the troops were landed. The Royal Welsh Fusiliers were drawn up in front of Ava Fort and the Burmese troops passed by laying down their arms. But half of the Burmese army ran away taking their arms with them.
A little above Ava the river was blocked with steamers and flats sunk by the Burmans, from Ava side two-thirds across the river, we had to make a new channel and buoy it off before proceeding. On the 28th the whole fleet arrived at Mandalay, guns and troops were landed and marched up to the Palace. We all lay at Mandalay for some days, till another expedition was made for Bhamo. The following ships made up the fleet:- “Kahbyu” “Thambyadine” “Pulu” “Col. A Fytche” “Ngawoon” “Okpho” “Palow.”
As the Admiral had arrived up in the “Pulu” he took all the officers and sailors from my steamer into the “Pulu” with the 100 men that were with him. My steamer was the told off for troops. I got the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and a Mountain Battery. I cannot give any dates for this Expedition. I know we had Christmas before we reached Bhamo. We got a bit of bad water below Moda, with just enough water for the steamer to get over. Each steamer behind one another turned the sand up so much that my steamer, being the last, sat down in the channel. I had to lay out an anchor to heave her over. I signalled to Capt. Woodward for help, but he answered that I ought to be in line. Of course the others all left me. When they got to somewhere about Shwegu, it was a case of one day one steamer to heave over.
I got the Fusiliers to move everything out of the steamer onto the flats, men and all. I had anchors and chain ready to lay out, measured the water and stuck small bamboos in to give me the best water when the last steamer got over. I was seen in for my turn. I laid out 60 fathoms of chain buoyed and went back for 45 more with anchor. Then with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers on the bars three deep I was over and away in two hours.
On arriving at Bhamo the berth for me was behind the “Kahbyu” and Capt. Woodward’s launch was lying behind the “Kahbyu” So I took my steamer in, in such a way so as to jam the launch from getting out. Woodward and some of his officers came along the bank and he called out to me to know how I managed to get over that bad place so quickly. A voice from my saloon above me, it was Col. Tilly, said, “you sailors think you are the only ones to get a steamer over a bad place. You come to us soldiers and we will show you how to do it.” Capt. Woodward and his officers had a good laugh, then he called out to me “how am I going to get my launch out?” “you ought to be in line,” I replied.
| Steamer | Captain | Chief Officer | Troops carried/additional data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Eden | J.J. Cooper | G.H. Rogers | 23rd Madras Infantry |
| Mindoon | R. Grammen | J. Wyse | Reserve Steamer, Stores, Coal, Ammunition and Coolies |
| Thooreah | G. Paterson | H. Pomeroy | 2nd Bengal Native Infantry, 11th & 13th Bengal N.I. - 3rd Brigade |
| Yankeentoun | C. Vince | J.R. Foster | Liverpool Regt. Telegraph Dept. |
| Shoaymyo | A. Backman | F.J. Richard | Sappers & Miners, Bombay Mountain Battery |
| Irrawaddy | E.R. Wells | H. Arden | 21st Madras Infantry, 25th Madras Infantry, H.Q. 1st Brigade |
| Talifoo | Ballantine | - | Mounted Infantry |
| Burma | A.M. Butterwick | A.E. Plummer | Hampshire Regt. 2nd Brigade |
| Panthay | C. Smith | F.K. Thimm | 1st R.A. Mule Mountain Cinque Ports Battery |
| Rangoon | C.E. Fuller | S. Gates | Floating Base Hospital |
| Yunan | S. Mason | H.J. Rouke | 4 Batteries of Royal Artillery - 6 - 9" Howitzers on s'tbd. side |
| Doowoon | J.W. Mathews | R.H. Sack | Possibly J.M. Matthews - no further data - |
| Aloungpayah | W.W. Jacks | F. Gartz | Royal Welsh Fusiliers |
| Palow | W.N. Beckett | W. Wright | Naval Brigade, also towed the launch Bulldog |
| Okpho | W.J. Redman* | R. Aske | Possibly carrying stores etc. Taken prisoner to Mandalay/later released |
| Pulu | W.L. Hole | J. Cooper | Naval Brigade, also towed the launch Spitfire |
| Thambyadine | E.W. Grimshaw | M. Nelson (Gunner) | General Officer Commanding & H.Q. Staff |
| Shin Tsaw Boo | W.D. Morgan | W.C. (or W.E.) Lauder | 1st Madras Pioneers & 12th Madras Infantry |
| Kahbyoo | J. Terndrup | J.W. Aspinall | Commissariat & Postal Service Personnel |
| Col. A. Fytche | R. Fenton | D. Swadrum (Clerk) | Possibly carrying stores etc. |
| Ngawoon | J.W. Newton | W.S. Rogers | Possibly carrying stores etc. |
| Panlang | A. Ramage | T. Nelson (Gunner) | Travelling Hospital |
| Waikema | C. Malling | M. Robinson (Gunner) | Travelling Hospital |
| Ananda | R. Henderson | T.J. (or T.J.) Middleton | 2nd and 3rd Batteries, Royal Artillery |
| Ataran | H. Somerville | - | 4 guns, 2nd & 3rd of 1st Royal Artillery |
| Irrawaddy | W. Clutterbuck | Govt. Steamer | Iron River boat, 614 tons |
| Bulldog | --- | Govt. Launch | Gunboat |
| Spitfire | --- | Govt. Launch | Gunboat |
| Kathleen | Lt. Trench | Govt. Launch | 2 Nordenfelt cannon - bailes of cotton as armour abreast engine & boiler |
Total number of troops carried 9,467
Capt. Jarvis may also have been with this force.
Most of the Steamers had one or more Flats in tow.
Pilot Launches used as Picket Boats:-
Apollo, Alecto, Buffalo, Dromio, Jingo, June
*Capt. Redman
The following is from Wanderings in Burma by George W. Bird published 1897.
"Another incident in which the Company's steamers and officers were concerned was the outrage at Moda, a few miles above Katha on the Upper Irrawaddy. This occurred on the 10th November 1885, shortly before the capture of Mandalay by the British. The steamer concerned was the Okpho, under the command of Capt. Redman. It left Mandalay for Bhamo on the 9th November and arrived there on the morning of the 19th, the Burmese Government ordered the steamer away. The first night was spent at Shwegh and the next morning while the steamer halted at Moda it was rushed by about two hundred of the King's troops and the officers and crew were taken prisoner and conveyed to a King's steamer at anchor near by. After suffering gross indignities and cruelties and having several times been led out to execution they were conveyed to Mandalay and were not released until the arrival of the British troops there. In spite of the fact that the last trip of the Okpho was undertaken at the special request of the Government for the relief and withdrawal of British subjects from the towns on the Upper Irrawaddy, Capt. Redman and his officers received little or no compensation and not only suffered personal injuries and discomforts but also the loss of valuable personal effects which were looted by the Burmese. The Okpho was eventually recaptured and Capt. Redman was reappointed to the command, but some years ago transferred to the new steamer Mogaung, now plying between Mandalay and Bhamo."