DRAKE’S ISLAND –WORLD WAR ONE
By 1915 the garrison strength had increased to around 300. The Island had 9 guns separated into 3 Battery’s of 3 guns...
THE START OF WORLD WAR ONE
The last major exercises to test the defences involving the Garrison was a Torpedo Boat and Destroyer attack on...
LEADING UP TO WORLD WAR I
By 1901 at beginning of the new Century the three new gun batteries, each consisting of 3 gun emplacements had been...
DRAKE’S ISLAND – ATTACK OF THE SLIMY DEVIL FISH
During 1900 all along the Devon and Cornwall coast including the Sound the local Crab and Lobster Fishermen found the...
THE 1890’s – BREECH LOADING QUICK FIRE GUNS ARRIVE AND GUNNER McCORMICK SELLS HIS WIFE
The last decade of the 19th Century began with Gunner Dawson of the Island Garrison saving the life of Gunner Kelly....
THE 1880’s A SLIGHT DIFFICULTY FIRING THE ONE O’CLOCK GUN ON TIME
The first reliable breech loading guns became available in 1880 so less than a decade after the Palmerston Fort on the...
MASTER GUNNER ABSCONDS TO THE AMERICAS AFTER LARGE SCALE FRAUD DISCOVERED
By 1874 the first set of Army Reforms known as the Cardwell Reforms after the Secretary of State for War had been...
THE MUTINY AGAINST THE PETTY TYRANNY OF MAJOR CUMMINGS RA
By 1873 a detachment of the 12th Brigade of the Royal Artillery were garrisoning Plymouth with 3rd Battery stationed...
A SLICE OF GARRISON LIFE – THE 1860’s AND THE HOAX ON THE HOE
During the construction of the casemates there was still a garrison on the Island, mainly provided by units of the...
THE PALMERSTON FORTS OR CASEMATES
The 2nd French Empire under Louis-Napoleon III had succeeded the 2nd French Republic in 1851. His foreign policy was...
THE 1850’s AND THE CRIMEAN WAR
After the botched attempt to diversify into brandy smuggling and national scandal involving Lieutenant Harris, Captain...
A NATIONAL SCANDAL – THE COURT MARTIAL OF LIEUTENANT HARRIS AND LIBEL OF CAPTAIN HORT
A national scandal involving allegations of bullying and counter accusations of libel and slander on Drake’s Island...