Lives of the First World War

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The battered cruiser HMS VINDICTIVE at Dover after the Zeebrugge raid, 23 April 1918

Under the terms of clause 13 of the VC statutes, in cases where a body of men was deemed to have been so gallant, the best way to select VCs was by a ballot, enabling the men themselves to decide. Following on from a ballot for the Royal Marine participants, a ballot was held for the Royal Navy participants. These latter were the ships crews of Vindictive, Iris II, Daffodil, as well as the men of the Naval Storming Party. Captain Carpenter of the Vindictive, and AB McKenzie who belonged to B Company of the seaman storming party, were awarded the VC as a result of the ballot. These men were not from the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow, but came from the Navy barracks at Chatham. None of these men were quartered on HMS Hindustan. They are understood to have been the skeleton crew for HMS Vindictive.