Sprats and the Coxswain

Fifty years ago the King-Emperor was a small and mischievous midshipman, known as "Sprats"* to the ship's company aboard Her Majesty's Ironclad Bac chante. The coxswain of the captain's gig was rollicking Bill King, who wore a big straw hat with ribbons down the back and was a great favorite with the middies. Last week rollicking Bill the sailor, now a little old gentleman of 75, stumped up the gravel drive of Craigwell House, Bognor, to call on King George, with worn logbook in his arms. His Majesty was delighted. For 15 minutes King George and Bill King pawed over the log, looked at pictures of the Bacchante in fair weather and foul, and gazed thoughtfully at the awesome linea ments of their old commander, Captain Lord Charles Scott. "I made the King laugh!" cackled Old Bill, emerging from his interview in high glee. "I recalled to him how once he near upset the captain's gig, of which I was coxswain, by his skylarking! Look, he gave me his picture in an admiral's uniform." George V, still mindful of the fact that he was eleven years at sea with the Royal Navy, and once commanded H. M. S. Meiampus, wears his trousers creased down the side, sailor fashion, to this day (see cut). As a "midshipmite" he wore a smart sea jacket, carried a small ivory-handled dirk, emblem of the fact that he was neither an enlisted man nor yet an officer privileged to wear a sword. As British midshipmen still do, he always car ried when on duty a bright brass telescope, which, uncollapsed, was three-quarters as tall as himself.

* Sprats: small and bony herrings, widely used in British breakfasts.