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This day in history: South Africa raises the flag on Prince Edward Island in a formal ceremony of annexation
January 24, 2016 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
On 24 January 1948, South Africa conducted a ceremony ashore on Prince Edward Island to proclaim that:
“His Majesty’s sovereignty of Marion Island and Prince Edward Island is henceforth to be exercised by his Majesty’s Government in the Union of South Africa. God Save the King”.
The proclamation ceremony was conducted in both English and Afrikaans in front of the cave in Cave Bay by Lieutenant Commander Richard Paul Dryden-Dymond (b. 26.07.1912), officer commanding the frigate H.M.S.A.S. Natal. He was supported by an armed guard of 11 men under the command of the First Lieutenant of the Natal, Peter Selk. Also present were Captain W.D. Anderson of the South African Engineers Corps, Lieutenant Bernard Grindley of the H.M.S.A.S. Transvaal (who was in charge of the naval occupation party on Marion Island for 16 days after the Transvaal departed) and Lieutenant J. McWade, a Cipher Officer. To record events the shore party included cinematographer Ken Sara of the African Mirror and John Marsh, journalist and author.
The proclamation document was then placed at the foot of the flagstaff the party had erected, the guard presented arms, the officers saluted as a bugler sounded the “alert” and the Union of South Africa flag was “run to the masthead”.
A case of champagne was produced and the party toasted “the future of South Africa’s first colony”. The ceremony had commenced at 11h30, after a short exploration by the officers and John Marsh – noting the presence of a sealers’ trypot in the cave – the landing party was back aboard the Natal in time for lunch by 12h25.
Feature Photograph: Lieutenant Commander Dryden-Dymond reads out the Proclamation claiming sovereignty of Prince Edward Island, Lt P. Selk behind
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 documents.
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. pp. 7-11, 14-17.
John Cooper, Principal Investigator, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University