War & Post War Activities
in the Mediterranean

H.M.S. Caledon, the oldest cruiser in commission in the Royal Navy, has just returned to her base after completing one of the strangest and most irksome tasks of her 28 years' service. For over six weeks she has been "showing the flag" off the busy little Greek port of Kavalla, a hot-bed of political strife near the borders of Macedonia and Thrace. For the last month of that time, she and the few small vessels attached to her, have been the sole representatives of the Allies in that area.

Although the place was seething and simmering with rebel intrigue during the whole of the period of the Athens battle, the presence of the British cruiser was a sufficient deterrent to prevent E.A.. from starting anything serious.

In addition to this the Caledon and her tenders conducted a vigorous blockade on all gun-running caiques entering or leaving Kavalla. E.L.A.N., the Naval Branch of E.A.M., protested strongly against this, but it was found that masters of caiques made very little objection to examination when it meant obtaining British permits. There was only one case of refusal to stop when challenged.

The ship was prepared for any emergency on arrival at Kavalla on December 9, last year.

Among the ships then present were H.M.S.Welfare (Commander H.L. Jenkins, R.N., S.O. Minesweeping Flotilla), H.M.S. Octavia (Lieutenant-Commander L.C.D. Godwin, D.S.C., R.N.) and M.M.S. 103 (Lieutenant E.H. Freeman, D.S.C., R.N.V.R.). The Greek destroyer H.H.M.S. Ierax, with the Naval Offivcer-in-Charge designate, Lieutenant-Commander Veriopoulos, R.H.N. was also off the port The British Naval Liaison Officer (Lieutenant-Commander W. de B. Thomas, R.N.R.) was living ashore.

TENSE ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere was quiet but tense, when the Commanding Officer of the Caledon Captain J.R.S. Brown, R.N., went ashore to meet the Army Commander and make combined plans in case of trouble.
Captain Brown landed again on December 12 for a conference with the local E.A.M. leaders in the Town Hall.
The Greeks centred their protests mainly around the seizure of two caiques by a British trawler and a Greek destroyer. The afternoon was warm and sunny, all the windows were tightly shut and as the story was unfolded the temperature rose rapidly. Everybody was speaking at once, and to prevent an impasse, Captain Brown brought the interview to a close by thanking them all and returning on board , leaving them in no doiubt that the presence of British naval and military units meant law and order.

FALSE APPEARANCES
The presence of the cruiser and the sight of British sailors quietened things down for the time, but it was a state of "uneasy peace" and all leave was stopped for the sailors.
The presence of H.H.M.S. Ierax was viewed with great suspicion by E.A.M., the Naval Officer-in-Charge was prevented from taking over his duties and E.L.A.N. refused to supply the ship with water or to allow her to grant leave. To ease this tension she sailed back to Piraeus on December 13.
Following the arrival of E.L.A.S. reinforcements and rumours of a planned anti-British demonstration, Naval port party stores were evacuated on December 15 by a Naval party under a Royal Marine guard.
On December 18 Kavalla was evacuated by the military from the beach by "Z" lighters. Later in the day the two transports S.S. Samfinn and S.S. Ocean Glory were berthed alongside the east quay, E.L.A.N. personnel actually assisting with the berthing. Both ships loaded with men and stores that day and with the Commanding Officer of the Force in H.M.M. Caledon, the whole convoy sailed for Salonika on the 19^th.
After only 48 hours at Salonika, H.M.S. Caledon returned to Kavalla on December 22 and found things still quiet. Letters were sent to the Prefect and the Head of E.L.A.N. inviting them on board but they replied asking to be excused as they were "very busy in the office". Another later invitation was ignored.