Rail to the Rescue - Part 2
pavements, composed largely of drunks ready to have a go at the 'nobs' who had disappointed them. In the end Beatty's group wisely decided to make a run for Waterloo Bridge; in the course of a running battle Beatty was knocked down, but Campbell rescued him and they managed to extricate themselves without further harm. Such were the perils of working with the navvies!
But as the press coverage gathered momentum, the very incongruity of the situation which had this wild and fearsome bunch sailing to the rescue of the British Army caught the public imagination and the navvies' status in public esteem underwent an instant transformation from ruffian to hero.
Beatty completed his white collar recruitment. A surgical team, cashier's team, survey team, a horsemaster, Marine Superintendent, storekeepers timekeepers and bible readers at salaries of £150 up to £500, brought the total to 26.
With no time to be lost the survey team under Donald Campbell left Victoria Station on 8th December on the overland route to Marseilles, and thence by fast packet to the Crimea. Beatty would follow, but wanted to see the first shipload off to sea first. This would be the Wildfire due to sail from Birkenhead on 15th December.
The main party left Euston by train on Wednesday 13th amid a carnival atmosphere. Spirits soon dulled however on arrival at Liverpool; the weather had taken a turn for the worse, a full fledged gale set in and it wasn't until the 20th that the wind dropped sufficiently to fix departure for the next day.That night Beatty gave a farewell dinner for the whole party at Gough's Hotel, Woodside Ferry. The following morning the Duke of Newcastle arrived to see them off. He expressed an interest in the use of the large tarpaulins which were being loaded; he was told they were used by the navvies to sleep under until they had erected their huts. But these would be ideal for the British soldiers - how could he obtain a quantity? 'Any number you wish in 2-3 Days, My Lord' replied Peto. But alas, after Newcastle had told the Ordnance Department to go ahead, he was informed it was not possible as no laid down procedure existed which would cover such a purchase!
With Wildfire away at last, Beatty could look to his own travel arrangements. The good news was that his party had a booking on the French troopship Hirondelle leaving
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