JOSEPH TREWAVAS  VC CGM RN

1835 - 1905

 

On Wednesday morning the 26th of June 2002 many gathered in Paul Parish Church to remember Joseph Trewavas of Mousehole and to witness the unveiling of a plaque in his honour.  Among the congregation were family members, civil dignitaries and members of the Royal British Legion and ex-service organisations.  A tribute was given by Vice-Admiral Sir James Jungius KBE (Vice Lord Lieutenant and President Cornwall Royal British Legion) and a floral tribute on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth was laid by Lady Mary Holborow (Lord Lieutenant and Patron Cornwall Royal British Legion).

 

An interview with Joe Trewavas was printed in the Western Daily Mercury about eight years before his death and tells in detail the circumstances surrounding the incident that resulted in him being awarded the Victoria Cross:-

 

“When scarcely eighteen years old, I joined the navy and served aboard the Agamemnon during the Crimean war, being in her on October 17th at the bombardment of Sebastopol.   A week after I landed on the Crimea with the naval brigade and did duty on shore until February 1st 1855.  I was in the battery during the battle of Inkerman, and we were under arms prepared to defend our camp if the necessity arose, at the time of the charge of the Light Brigade.  We experienced terrible weather, snow lay feet deep on the ground, and we wanted food and clothing.  We were obliged to take boots from the Russian dead, our clothes were so patched that you could not tell what parts remained of the old garments, and raids had to be organised to secure food.  On one occasion I went to assist at the removal of a number of wounded to Balaclava, and we had fifty funerals on the journey, burying the dead in the deep snow by the roadside.

 

Well we came aboard again on February 1st and remained there until May the 24th , when I was lent to the Beagle, gunboat under the command of Lieutenant Lyons of the Meranda, son of the Admiral (Sir H. Lyons), who had orders to burn, sink and destroy everything we could lay our hands on, with the object of weakening the enemy.  In the first forty-eight hours we destroyed 247 sail, so there were plenty of bonfires I can tell you.

 

There was a military pontoon bridge across the Genitchi Strait, connecting Genitchi with the Arabat Spit, and across this the enemy marched troops and conveyed stores, as it shortened the distance by 21 miles, a great consideration at that time. Inside this (in the Sirvash or Putrid Sea) there were a lot of merchant ships that had gone out of our way, and, as the water was very shallow, they were perfectly secure.  Lieutenant Hewett had orders to destroy that bridge at all costs, and this he tried to do without loss of life. He landed a force to reach it by night marches but the enemy prevented that.  Next he endeavoured to send men in boats by night to take the enemy by surprise and cut the bridge adrift. But the Russians were too wide awake to our movements. We went in one night but they began to fire and we were forced to retire.

 

Next day, however, the thing had to be done, no matter at what cost. To reach the bridge we had to round a stretch of low-lying ground, and thus get out of cover of our vessel. So we were provided with a paddle box boat, with one gun to cover us to the bridge.  When we had the paddle box boat moored in a position we could see Russian soldiers marching about on shore, and our gunner fired to where they were.  In the very first round the gun drew her bolts and thus was rendered useless.  That left we six men with a four-oared boat, one rifle, ten rounds of ammunition and a cutlass apiece  to face the two hundred or more soldiers who were on shore behind heaps of coal.  

 

The gunner, who was in charge, said “The gun is dismounted but my orders from the Captain are to destroy the bridge, let the consequences be what they will.  Now lads we may as well go in there and be shot, as go back to the ship and have a four-brace block for an awning.”  So we went. As we paddled we got out of sight of the ship.  On a little mound we could see a Russian motioning the soldiers on shore to keep down, and our man in the bow, with a loaded gun, wanted to have a go at him, but the gunner gave him orders not to do so.  I was pulling the bow oar, and when we were near the floating bridge the gunner told me to get on the bridge, cut the hawser, jump back to the boat again, and shove off.  I was not long in doing that as it takes to tell you.  In less than ten seconds I had cut the hawsers and was in the boat again.  

 

During this time, the Russians, who were only eighty yards off, had not fired a shot. But when they saw the boat, two hundred rifles were pointed at us, and the men shook their fists as much as to say “If you don’t come back we will open fire”.  Our man in the bow couldn’t stand that, so he let drive, and to this day he will tell you that he shot his man.  The Russians let fly.  For some time we couldn’t get much away from them, as the water was shallow, and we had to keep on their side, as we went towards our ship.  The shot came amongst us like hailstones.  We gradually increased the distance between us, and at last when we came within cover of the ship, and those on board had no cause to fear killing us, they put shot amongst the Russians and silenced them.  Three of those in the boat were wounded, and the boat was riddled and full of water when we reached our vessel.

 

On getting aboard the gunner told the Captain that we had destroyed the bridge and that I had cut the hawsers.  That was reported to the Admiral and I never expected to hear more about it, but a short time later, I received this medal, “for conspicuous gallantry” and £5, when the Victoria Cross was instituted, I was recommended, and received  that from Her Majesty, which carried with it, £10 a year.

 

I have always thought that the others in the boat ought to have received something, but they did not.  The gunner was promoted.  As we were allies of the French, I received the star of the Legion of Honour, which is thought as much of in France as the Victoria Cross is in England.  I have also a Crimean medal with three clasps (Azoff, Sebastopol and Inkerman) and a Turkish Crimean medal.  That finished the Crimean experience.”

 

At his funeral there were about 2000 people who lined the road from Mousehole to Paul Church where the interment took place.  The cortege left the house at 3 o’clock and slowly walked along the main road to the church.  The procession was nearly a mile long, this testified to the esteem in which the deceased was held.  The funeral was not a military one but Captain Runella with a detachment of Paul and Penzance Artillery Volunteers were present and walked in the procession.  The service in the church, which was filled to it’s utmost capacity, was very impressive.

 

Although we know that Joseph was buried “in a quiet corner of the cemetery” there is no record of the exact spot nor any headstone so hence the plaque in the church which is affixed to the wall in the north aisle beside the Godolphin memorial.