The Battle of Jutland: I Was There! Personal accounts from both sides

The Battle of Jutland, fought from 31 May to 1 June 1916, was the largest naval battle of World War I and the only time the British and German fleets of "dreadnought" battleships confronted each other. The outcome was tactically indecisive but a strategic victory for Britain, as the German High Seas Fleet remained confined to port for the rest of the war.

I Was There!

The Western Front Association's team of volunteers working on the 'I Was There! series have now completed the accounts relating to the Battle of Jutland.

Across six videos, we have the personal accounts of men from both sides who witnessed this battle first-hand. These have recently been 'voiced' from the original 'I Was There!' magazines first published just before the outbreak of the Second World War.

Commander Barry Bingham, later Rear-Admiral Bingham, took part in the battles of Heligoland Bight, the Falkland Islands, and Jutland, and won the V.C. at the last-named battle for the gallant way in which he led the 13th Destroyer Flotilla, of which he was in command, into action.

Tragedy came swiftly to the 1st Cruiser Squadron at the Battle of Jutland. Of the four ships composing the Squadron, only the Duke of Edinburgh escaped. The Defence and Black Prince blew up. The Warrior caught fire and drifted helplessly. Taken in tow by the seaplane-carrier Engadine, this cruiser had eventually to be abandoned.

Her most tragic moments aflame at sea are here narrated as recorded in the personal journal of the Engineer-Officer of the ill-fated ship.

Admiral Sir Frederic Dreyer, G.B.E., K.C.B., was at the battle of Jutland as Flag Captain in command of H.M.S. Iron Duke, which Admiral Jellicoe had made his flagship. As such he had an unrivalled opportunity of watching the progress of the battle and learning from hour to hour the decisions of his chief.

In this episode he pays eloquent tribute to the inspired leadership of Jellicoe and registers his considered opinion that the Germans "ran away".

The author of this chapter, who was Chief Petty-Officer on board the destroyer H.M.S. Fortune during the battle of Jutland, tells in most vivid detail his experiences when that gallant little ship, facing insuperable odds, was sent to the bottom by German shell fire.

C.P.O. Hammant was one of thirty-five men who clung to floating rafts, of whom only seventeen were finally rescued.

With a view to including a German account of the battle of Jutland, we publish the narrative of Commander Paschen who was aboard the Lützow, Admiral von Hipper's flagship, when she was sent to the bottom.

Commander Paschen saw the Lion, Beatty's flagship, hit, the Invincible sunk and the Queen Mary blow up. His vivid story disproves the popular idea that the executive officer necessarily sees but little of a great naval action.

The author, a midshipman at the battle of Jutland, was one of the very few survivors (about twenty) of H.M.S. Queen Mary, when she was sunk by German shell fire with a death roll of 1,266 officers and men.

He writes a truly thrilling account of his battle experience in a gun turret and his subsequent ordeal afloat in the North Sea, culminating in his rescue by the crew of H.M.S. Laurel.

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The videos are also grouped (following the format in the original magazine) into 'Chapters' (on YouTube these are 'playlists') and can be seen on the WFA's YouTube channel. These playlists are here:

I Was There! Videos on the website

With the launch of the new website, we are grouping the videos in a new area, and these can be filtered using the drop down option. Please do go and have a play with this function to pick out groups of videos - for example The retreat from Mons to the entire Gallipoli campaign.

Just click here to find these: I Was There Videos 

I Was There! Magazines - read the accounts