HMS Birkenhead - Origin of 'Women and Children First'

HMS Birkenhead struck an uncharted rock off Danger Point, South Africa, on February 26, 1852, while transporting British troops and their families to the Eastern Cape. As the ship rapidly broke apart and sank, Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Seton ordered the soldiers to stand fast at attention on deck, allowing women and children to board the limited lifeboats while the men maintained discipline and went down with the ship. Of the 643 people aboard, only 193 survived; all women and children were saved while 445 soldiers and crew drowned or were taken by sharks. This supreme act of sacrifice became known as the “Birkenhead Drill” and established the maritime protocol of “women and children first.” The wreck site off South Africa is reportedly haunted by the spirits of drowned soldiers, but paranormal activity has also been reported at military barracks and memorials throughout the UK connected to the regiments that lost men in the disaster.

At Fulwood Barracks in Preston and other military installations where the dead soldiers had served, witnesses report seeing ghostly soldiers in 1850s-era uniforms standing at attention in formation, particularly on the anniversary of the sinking. The apparitions appear soaking wet with expressions of calm resignation before fading away. Military personnel and historians visiting the regimental museums that commemorate the Birkenhead have reported objects moving on their own, sudden drops in temperature, and the sound of military commands being given in the clipped accents of Victorian-era officers. Some witnesses describe hearing the screams of drowning men mixed with the sound of a military band playing “God Save the Queen” as the ship went down.

The most haunting phenomenon occurs at maritime museums and military memorials where artifacts from the wreck or related to the disaster are displayed. Staff members report seeing the ghost of a young drummer boy, one of several who drowned with the ship, standing near exhibits with his drum, eternally keeping time for soldiers who will never march again. Paranormal investigators have recorded EVP phenomena including what sounds like orders to “stand fast,” the screaming of horses (over 100 cavalry horses drowned with the ship), and prayers being recited in desperate tones. The Birkenhead disaster had a profound impact on Victorian society, with newspapers praising the soldiers’ discipline and sacrifice as the highest example of British military values. Researchers believe this intense national emotional response, combined with the horrific nature of the sinking and the deliberate choice of the soldiers to die rather than break ranks, created a powerful psychic imprint that transcends the physical location of the wreck and manifests wherever the memory of these brave men is honored.