Themes
The Navy's People
Learning
Astle Scott Littlejohns
Article highlights
-
The career of a Naval Captain who served ashore during World War One
-
Commanding armoured trains
Commanding armoured trains
Littlejohns helped with the construction of the first armoured train operating in Flanders in conjunction with Major Lefebyre of the Belgian Army, as well as six naval gunners mates.
He received the thanks of King Albert and the special thanks of General Victor Deguise, Governor General of Antwerp and Minister of War, for the assistance of the naval unit.
Littlejohns rescued the naval trains during the Allied evacuation, although wounded during the course of these operations. He then joined up with General Sir Henry Rawlinson, who was commanding the 7th Division at Ostend, and was present at the first Battle of Ypres.
He helped escort the 7th division from Roules to Ypres on 21st October 1914, working under the orders of General John Capper.
Ypres Certificate (RNM)
Littlejohns received the special thanks of General Rawlinson afterwards for the valuable assistance of the naval unit. Rawlinson stated that 'your Command were always ready to take on anything and filled many a gap when we were very shorthanded' during the fighting at Ypres and Ghent in 1914.
Littlejohns also received the special personal thanks of Sir John French, who was in command of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), on the battlefield of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915 for the Naval assistance rendered to the Army. Littlejohns then took command of all of the British Armoured Trains with the BEF.
He received the Companion of The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George in 1915. He also received two Mention in Despatches in January and November 1915.
Mention in despatches, 1915 (RNM)
Littlejohns then received instructions to turn the Armoured Train Division over to the British Army. This consisted of all of the trains which he had originated, as well as his command of 15 officers and around 200 men (including two Belgian officers and 70 men).
He had served on land service with the BEF for a total of 16 months in Belgium and France, but would now return to serving at sea.
