Perim Island

CAPTAIN J de B HANCOCK

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Captain J de B Hancock was Assistant Resident Perim for just six months in 1904. He appears to have wiled away the time by writing letters to the Residency in Aden on matters of protocol and trying to enhance the status of the Assistant Resident Perim. He met with mixed success. His initial move was to indent to the Port Officer in Aden for a Blue Ensign for the Perim Cutter. The request was noticed by the 1st Assistant in Aden who asked the Port Officer if the Assistant at Perim was entitled to fly this ensign, the tone of the letter rather assuming that the answer would be negative. Much to Hancock’s delight the answer was yes, he could fly a ‘Blue Ensign with a lion rampant guardant and holding a crown’ and that one was being sent to Perim by the next boat.

 

His next move was not so successful. Since he flew a small Union Jack on the flagstaff at the fort ‘as the sole representative of His Majesty’s Government on the Island’, was he therefore not entitled to fly a small Union Jack on the cutter, as well as the Blue Ensign? No, definitely not, came the speedy reply from the Residency. The Union Jack was the Station Flag, similar to the one flown at Aden, and not a representative one.

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Next there was the matter of the feu de joi from the fort, or rather the absence of one on the anniversary of the King’s coronation. That day Hancock had dressed his flagstaff at the fort with signal flags and had persuaded the Royal Navy ship in the harbour to dress overall and fire a salute. But answering feu de joi from the fort came there none. Hancock was Civil Staff and therefore not OC the detachment. On complaining to the military authorities in Aden he was told that Indian Army Regulations only permitted a feu de joi being fired on the King’s Birthday and on New Year’s Day. 

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Hancock’s parting shot on leaving Perim was to put up a case to the Resident for the post of Assistant there to be upgraded to Political Agent for status purposes. The terse reply, signed by the 1st Assistant was to the effect that the Political Resident, Aden, did not think that the proposal would commend itself to Government.

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Hancock had, however, earlier achieved one other success. He had got permission to take Rs10 a month from his contingency fund to pay for a punka wallah for his office for the period 1 April to 30 September.