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Reoccupation of Perim 1857
The credit and foresight for the reoccupation of Perim
in January 1857 can be attributed to Brigadier Coghlan,
the Political Resident in Aden, as early as November
1855 when he put up a case for a
lighthouse to be
built on the island. The battles of the Crimean War,
with the redoubt to the fore in defence, and artillery
still firing cannon balls, were of very recent memory.
In 1855 the Suez Canal was but a feasibility study, and
a French one at that; steamships were almost exclusively
warships or mail packets; and the Indian Mutiny was yet
to come.
Coghlan had hoped to visit Perim to do a personal
reconnaissance and survey but he took the opportunity of
complaining that his plans had been ‘deranged’ by the
withdrawal of the station steamer in which he had been
about to travel there. He suggested that the interval
until another opportunity presented itself could be well
be employed by sounding out the views of Government. He
finished his letter on rather a contentious note: he did
not know who laid claim to Perim, although he presumed
it to be Turkey. First thoughts in Bombay were
favourable. The Government in Bombay took Coghlan’s
advice and the first opinion to be sought was that of
the naval Commander-in-Chief in India who took a long
three and a half months to consider his response. When
it came he was emphatic: he urged that if possible
immediate possession be taken.
From a military point of view it was clear that whoever
possessed Perim would have the key to the Red Sea and in
the event of a ship canal being cut between Suez and
Alexandria, the value of such an island to the interests
of trade was very apparent and of the utmost importance
to England and India. The building of a lighthouse would
considerably lessen the difficulties of navigation. The
admiral also mentioned that Perim was the best natural
harbour in his command as it was almost landlocked and
had a depth of water sufficient for large ships to
anchor close to the shore. If Britain did not occupy the
island another power surely would. He added a pertinent
postscript to his letter which galvanised the Government
into action: Since writing his letter he had heard that
a French engineer was about to survey Perim and the
islands in the Red Sea.
In August 1856 Coghlan sent a naval officer to Perim to
make a reconnaissance. In his report on this Coghlan
took the opportunity of introducing a new justification
for taking the island: patrols from a small naval base
on Perim would largely eliminate the extensive slave
trade from eastern Africa and Zanzibar to ports in the
Yemen.
One of the problem areas was who owned Perim. Did Turkey
claim it? Was Murray’s possession of it in 1799 still
valid? Coghlan thought it essential not to ask the Turks
for it to be ceded to Britain as not only would such a
request be an admission of the Sultan’s sovereignty over
it, but the French influence at Constantinople might
perhaps frustrate the scheme.
Coghlan then mentioned that with reference to the
Admiral’s postscript an agent of a French firm trading
with Mauritius had recently visited and surveyed Perim
and that he did not hide the fact that he had
recommended the French Government to occupy it. In
addition a French shipping line would soon be starting a
service between Suez and China and this might have a
bearing on the agent’s visit. Coghlan had heard that the
French frigate Sybille was due to visit Aden, ostensibly
to take away the boats and stores of a wrecked steamer.
By early October Lord Elphinstone in Bombay had written
a strongly worded memorandum that Perim must be occupied
before the French did so; and if they did there was the
danger that they might then turn the island into another
Cronstadt1. If the Suez canal was made
it was not desirable that any foreign power should hold
a Cronstadt in what was likely to become the great
highway between Europe and India. If Perim was to be
occupied by Britain it should be taken possession of
without any reference to the Porte, or any other power.
Elphinstone’s memorandum was forwarded on to London and
on 10 November instructions were sent to Bombay that ‘Brigadier
Coghlan to be directed forthwith to take possession
quietly of the Island of Perim.’ This order was
passed on to Coghlan in a letter dated 17 December.
Coghlan acknowledged receipt of these orders on
29 December confirming that the utmost secrecy would be
observed and that no time would be lost in preparing the
personnel and materiel for the task, so that the party
could be despatched as soon as the schooner Mahi
returned to Aden. The Mahi was the only Government
vessel on the Aden station at that time, the sloop
Elphinstone being away at Zanzibar. Coghlan took the
opportunity of adding that it was scarcely necessary for
him to point out that the lack of a station steamer at
Aden was now more urgent than ever. He also put in a
request for a small water condenser for the detachment
so that there would be a back-up in the event that
normal supplies failed or were interrupted. Also on 29
December Coghlan issued written orders to Lieutenant
Greig RE, the Assistant Executive Engineer in Aden and
the officer selected by Coghlan to command the party
occupying Perim. The orders included a clear mission
statement as well as illustrating a willingness to
delegate, something not always evident in this era.
Greig was to reoccupy Perim with a view to erecting a
lighthouse there; how
he did it Coghlan ‘left to his zeal and discretion, in
which he had perfect reliance’.
The Mahi did not return to Aden until 6 January 1857,
but Greig’s detachment was not ready to leave for
another week. The Mahi left Aden on the evening of 13
January and Perim was reoccupied the following day.
Greig and the sappers were aboard the Mahi whilst the
artificers and labourers were split between a number of
buggalows that also carried stores. The non-military
personnel had needed an inducement to go to Perim and
since there were no shops there in which to buy
provisions Greig on his own initiative offered them free
rations. He also arranged to take an English sergeant as
the presence of a second European was deemed most
desirable.
The above was the sequence of events as to how Perim was
occupied – not one might add as it is described
in the long poem by ‘Aliph Cheem’ entitled ‘Perfide
Albion’ which describes how the French sloop had to put
in at Aden to repair storm damage before it could
proceed on to Perim, the crew being wined and dined to
delay their departure to allow the British to get there
before them.
1
Cronstadt.
This was a strongly fortified small island on the sea
approach to St Petersburg, which came to prominence
during the Crimean War. |
