Terri Dunbar-Curran
THE curator of the new Transformation Display at the South African Naval Museum in Simon’s Town hopes that this small glimpse into the more integrated history of the South African Navy will not only intrigue visitors, but that it will also encourage younger Navy members to contribute to its growth.
Many of the photographs and items on display have been donated by the families of former and current members who have worked their way up the ranks over the years. And it is hoped that others will see that they too can be part of the important task of recording history.
Lieutenant Commander Leon Steyn, Officer in Charge at the SA Naval Museum, is proud of what they have managed to accomplish on a fairly limited budget compared to the funds other museums and galleries often have at their disposal.
Set aside from the more “traditional” museum with its model ships and glass cases of naval memorabilia, the Transformation Display relies more on multimedia and has a far greater focus on education. The history of the navy is explored in great depth on posters accompanied by dioramas, from 1905 through to the present day.
Visitors can read all about each historical moment and have a look at what the uniforms looked like in days gone by and see pictures of those who once served in the Navy and contributed to what it is today.
The buildings the museum is housed in date back to 1814 when the Royal Navy used them as a mast house and sail loft. Sailing vessels would dock and have their masts and sails repaired. Over the years the buildings saw a variety of different uses, until in 1993 the museum was established. “In 2005 the big concern was that the displays were not representative of the new navy we see today: it was very white dominated,” explains Steyn. “And transformation is not just limited to what happened in 1994. There’s a lot that happened before that in the South African Navy.”
The new wing, which was opened last month by Flag Officer Fleet Rear Admiral Bravo Mhlanga, gives visitors a detailed look at just how far both the Navy and South Africa have come. It’s best to set aside a little time for your visit so you can take time to read the informative posters and linger over video installations.
From 1905 to 1939 recruitment was restricted to white males, but the declaration of the Second World War in 1939 meant that manpower was a serious problem. “Ideally the Navy needed to draw on those men who already had seagoing experience, especially from those who had gained their seagoing experience on the whale catchers and fishing trawlers that were being co-opted into naval service for conversion into minesweepers and anti-submarine vessels,” the display reads, it goes on to explain that only one group of South Africans qualified, but that coloured people were barred from serving because of racial segregation.
Instead they were recruited as civilians as Merchant Ship Agreement Sailors and in 1941 some of those sailors were recruited into the SADF as Able Seamen.
“These recruits wore exactly the same uniform, received the same rates of pay and served in the same units as their ‘white’ compatriots. In the long run however, very few of them managed to get promoted to the rank of Leading Seaman.”
The exhibition is a mine of information, from highlighting the background of Kroomen, the first black sailors recruited by the Royal Navy at Sierra Leone, to the beginnings of the Herschellians, Xhosa contract workers from the Eastern Cape who would assist with the berthing of ships.
Steyn says that many of them and their families are still in Simon’s Town. “Through the years they were integrated into the SA Navy. Some of their sons and family still serve in the Navy today.”
Learn more about the South African Coloured Corps (SACC) which was based at Eersterivier in the 1960s and saw members serve aboard the SA Natal and SAS Somerset. “They were totally integrated with the crew, they shared facilities in the 1960s and 70s already, but when they came back to the shore they had to go back to segregation,” says Steyn.
One of the more poignant displays in the exhibition is a humble memorial to the Coloured Corps members who lost their lives while training when their vessel capsized on the way from Simons Town to Kalk Bay in December 1965. ‘There’s no big memorial up for them, so we put in this display,” Steyn says, indicating the collection of blank frames with the sailors names in them. He is hoping that the families would be willing to supply photos and some background on those who died that day.
The display doesn’t only deal with racial reform though, there’s a section dedicated to women and the role they played in the Navy since the 1970s. “With the emergence of women’s right and women’s liberation, women were empowered to take up their rightful place,” says Steyn. “Because of manpower shortages they were recruited.” But it was still limited – they could only be recruited in certain branches and into non combat posts. “They didn’t even have uniforms ready for them. It was a man’s world and they had to make adjustments.” The exhibition goes on to look at the first women to fulfil various roles in the Navy with achievements of women highlighted right up until the present day.
There is a lot of scope for growth in this important display, and Steyn hopes that as more people visit the resources they have access to and valuable donations will enable the exhibition to continually evolve.
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