[Battle of Jutland, 1916.] Eye-witness article titled ‘H.M.S. “Ardent” and the Jutland Action. / By A. M.’, i.e. Arthur Marsden, ship’s commander and one of two survivors of her sinking, in ‘The Britannia Magazine’ (Royal Naval College, Dartmouth).

This is an extremely scarce item, not held by the Imperial War Museum, and significant for the five-page eye-witness account it contains (pp.29-33): ‘‘H.M.S. “Ardent” and the Jutland Action. / By A. M.’, i.e. Lieutenant-Commander Arthur Marsden, who was in command of the Ardent and one of only two survivors of its sinking. It is remarkable that he was allowed to disseminate such a candid account (for the perusal of naval cadets!) within months of the engagement. On cover: ‘The Britannia Magazine / Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. / Christmas, 1916.’ and printers’ slug. 4to, 36pp and further three plates. On shiny paper and in brown printed wraps. Staples rusted and some leaves loose; some staining and wear, but in fair condition for such a frail survival. Containing - after list of officers, masters and cadets - editorial and ‘chapel’ notes, correspondence, articles, cartoons, reports of ‘Soccer’ and ‘Rugger’, ‘Beagling Notes’. But it is Marsden’s account that is of significance. Two extracts will convey the tone: ‘The enemy ships suddenly switched off lights and “ceased fire.” I could feel the ship was sinking, and said so to my 1st Lieutenant (Lieut. C. E. F. Egan) who was also on the bridge, and told him to get out the boats and rafts, or what might be left of them. I tried to get down the starboard bridge ladder, but that was shot away. The port one was hanging by a shred, and I slid down that. The Leading Telegraphist came up to me in the quietest and most matter-of-fact way and asked if he should make any report. I told him what to make, and he saluted, disappeared, and I never saw him again. The Leading Signalman came up and said in the most cheerful way, “Well, the old Argent done her bit all right, Sir.” The ship was nearly gone; so it remained for us to try and save as many of the crew as possible.’ And: ‘I spoke to many men, and saw most of them die one by one. Not a man of them showed any fear of death, and there was never a murmur, complaint, or cry for help from a single soul. Their joy was, andn they talked about it to the end, that they and the Ardent had “done their bit,” as they put it. While there were still many alive, a German came close and fired a star-shell over us. I could see her distinctly and was all for giving her a hail, but the men all said “No”; they agreed that they would sooner take the remote chance of beig saved by an English ship rather than be a prisoner in Germany. I was nearly done in once or twice in the first hour by men hanging on to me in the last stages of exhaustion and I was separated from my lifebuoy and was pulled right over in the water, but managed to recover myself and the buoy. None of the men seemed to suffer at all; they just seemed to lay back and go to sleep.’