This day in history: South Africa holds a formal ceremony ashore on Marion Island to complete the annexation of the Prince Edward Islands in 1948

Following on from the ceremony claiming Prince Edward Island for South Africa on 24 January 1948,  a similar formal ceremony was held on Marion Island on the 26th.

The proclamation ceremony was conducted above Boulder Beach near Gunner’s Point by Lieutenant Commander Richard Paul Dryden-Dymond, Officer Commanding the frigate H.M.S.A.S. Natal.  On the morning of the 26th, Mr H.P. Dike of the Public Works Department, who had come south on the S.S. Gamtoos, erected a flagstaff in the swampy ground.  Wire netting was then laid down to allow those participating to be able to stand to attention.  An armed guard of ratings was landed from the Natal in the mid-afternoon and by 16h00 60 men formed up in a hollow square around the mast.  The four sides were made up of the Natal’s naval guard, the naval occupation party from the H.M.S.A.S. Transvaal who had been ashore from 4-20 January under canvas on Gunner’s Point, army personnel landed from the Gamtoos on the 20th and a civilian contingent.

Lt Commander Dryden-Diamond read out the Proclamation signed earlier by the South African President and Prime Minister as the military personnel present came to attention, officers saluted, a bugler played, civilians removed head dress and the Natal fired a 21-gun salute from its four-inch battery as the South African flag was raised to the masthead.  As on Prince Edward Island two days previously, the shore party included cinematographer Ken Sara of the African Mirror and John Marsh, journalist and author to record events  for the media and for posterity.  By 17h30 those going back to the Natal had been re-embarked and the ship stood out to sea for the night.

The need for secrecy was now over and South Africa – and the World – got to hear of South Africa’s new overseas possessions, which corrected quite a deal of speculative information that had been published in the press up until then.

With thanks to the South African Naval Museum, Simon’s Town for photographs and articles and the South African National Defence Force Documentation Centre, Pretoria for access to unpublished documents.

Feature photograph: the South African flag is raised on Marion Island, S.S. Gamtoos and H.M.S.A.S. Natal at sea in the background.

Selected References

Dryden-Dymond, R.P. 1948.  Report of Proceedings of H.M.S.A.S. “Natal” from 7th January, 1948 to 2nd February, 1948.  Pretoria: South African National Defence Force Documentation Centre.  9 pp.

Grindley, B. 1954. Marion Island.  Kommando July 1954.  pp. 14-16.

Marsh, J.H. 1948.  No Pathway Here.  Cape Town: Howard B. Timmins.  200 pp.

Marsh, J.H. 1049.  Marion Island: a new world to know.  The Sailor February 1949.  pp. 7-11, 14-17.

John Cooper, Principal Investigator, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University