Jellicoe’s flagship was the Prince of Wales, and while she was in dock, many delightful entertainments were given on board, the Admiral’s daughters doing their share—even Miss Norah, “the baby of the fleet,” inviting equally small craft (of the human kind) to tea on the flagship with the request that they would “bring their own bottles.”
The Rock benefited considerably by the three months’ visit of the Fleet, under Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, and by the presence of Lady Jellicoe and her family.
All work and no play make Jack a dull boy, but Lady Jellicoe saw to it that Jack got his fair share of amusement. At the Annual Rifle Meeting, the Vice-Admiral’s Cup, presented by Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, was won by the Vice-Admiral’s B Team from his flagship, with A team, also from the flagship, second.
In the individual competitions the Five Hundred Yards was won by Sir John himself with the Commander of his flagship—Commander Dryer—second. The Prince of Wales took many other firsts and seconds, and to just show that he still kept hand and eye in practice, Sir John Jellicoe and Naval Instructor Holt, representing the Navy, won the Garrison Racquet Tournament against the Army, by four games to one. Sir John also won the Racquet Handicap of the Atlantic Fleet, defeating Mr. Wardlaw in the final by three games to love.
Sir John’s handicap was minus eight.
These meetings took place during the first anniversary of King George’s accession; the celebrations lasted a week, and the Kaiser’s yacht, Hohenzollern, and the German cruisers Konigsberg and Sleepner were both in port and took part in the festivities; the Emperor’s Imperial Band from the Hohenzollern played at the Victoria Villa before Sir John and Lady Jellicoe and their guests.
It is rather interesting to note that the Musikfolge on this occasion commenced with a selection from Wagner and ended with the “British Grenadiers” March.
Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe returned from Gibraltar to England in time to take part in the great Naval Review at Spithead on June 24th. H.M. King George, on board the Royal yacht, received a splendid welcome from the hundred and sixty-seven British ships anchored off Spithead and the eighteen foreign warships which were also present. Our boats included twelve Dreadnoughts, thirty cruisers and seventy-two destroyers.
Among the foreign ships present were the Danton (France), Rossiza (Russia), Kurama (Japan), Radetzky (Austria), Von der Tann (German) and Hamídich (Turkey), all of which afterwards became involved in the world war.
After the Review the Naval Manœuvres took place, in which Jellicoe commanded the Atlantic Fleet. It was at the conclusion of these manœuvres that vague rumours of a crisis with Germany over the Moroccan affair appeared in certain newspapers. The “scare” was short-lived, and there was no real ground for the rumours of war between England, France and Germany that were circulated.