Lord Cameron’s Address

The Surrender of the German High Seas Fleet – narrated by James Lawson

Lord Cameron was at the time of the surrender, a Midshipman RNVR in the destroyer HMS WINDSOR.

In 1968, he was invited to address the ship’s company of HMS Claverhouse the training centre in Granton of the Forth Division RNR, on the date of the 50th Anniversary of the Surrender, Thursday, 21st November 1968.

His speech recalled the circumstances surrounding and the event of the Surrender of the German High Seas Fleet.

Amongst those invited to the talk were a retired officer, Commander(S) F. S. Mycroft, RD, RNR, and Mrs. Mycroft. Commander Mycroft, in November, 1918 was a Paymaster Lieutenant RNR in the Battle Cruiser HMS Lion and Mrs. Mycroft, in November 1918, was serving as an Ordinary rating in the WRNS, on the books of HMS Crescent, in Rosyth. At the time she was employed as a Writer in the Captain’s Office of the 2nd Submarine Flotilla (K Class). Captain SM2 was borne in the destroyer HMS Ithuriel, and he took two of his WRNS and some wives to sea on Surrender Day, instructing them to keep out of sight of the Flagship.
Ithuriel and the 2nd Submarine Flotilla steamed as far out as the May Island, and so Mrs. Mycroft, being one of the WRNS on board, witnessed part of the Surrender.

This audio recording was made from a transcript of Lord Cameron’s original address.

You can listen to other audio accounts of the surrender from Midshipman W. B. Adam, Commodore Tweedie and his daughter Mona who was eight at the time.