IT is often said that necessity is the mother of invention… and arguably also the father of innovation.
This innovation has led to many memorable stories, not just of improvisation but also of rather creative interpretations of laws – especially when it comes to finding loopholes in the rules.
Ever since the 1920s, it has been claimed that a six-year-old girl was temporarily “enlisted” as a sailor in the Royal Australian Navy to save her life.
Is there any truth to this claim?
VERDICT
TRUE
Yes, this is actually true as six-year-old Nancy Bentley needed immediate medical attention in 1920 when she was bitten on the wrist by a snake while playing in bushland at Port Arthur, Tasmania.
As the closest doctor was a good distance away, her father got her in a rowboat and headed out to get help from the medics on board the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) vessel HMAS Sydney as it was anchored just off Port Arthur in Carnarvon Bay at the time.
However, this was not a simple open-and-shut case given the laws of the time as Admiralty instructions and Royal regulations prohibited women (and girls) from boarding Royal Australian Navy warships
As such, this meant that the ship’s commanding officer Captain Henry Cayley had to come up with a way to work around these legal restrictions – which he did by “enlisting” Bentley into Sydney’s crew.
“On Nov 15, 1920, Nancy was formally enlisted as an honorary member of the Navy. Her service number was 000001 and her official rating was mascot,” writes David Stratton of the Naval Historical Society of Australia in an article on the event.
He added in the 2019 article that Bentley was then transported to Hobart, where she received medical treatment and visited the cinema, before being returned to Port Arthur.
“During her eight days of service, the crew doted on Nancy. She was issued with a Service Certificate, a Conduct Record Sheet and a uniform. They assessed her character as being ‘very good’ and her naval rating ability as ‘exceptional’,” said Stratton.
He added that Bentley was formally discharged from the Navy on Nov 23, 1920, with the reason given “being required by her parents”.
She then went on to live until the age of 85, passing away in 1999.
Having said this, Bentley’s legacy lives on as her image lives on in a RAN trophy; the First Lady of the Fleet.
This trophy is awarded to the oldest ship currently in service in Australia’s Navy and is customarily received by the youngest member of the crew.
Ultimately, it shows that there are occasions where rules are made to be bent and creativity can save the day – especially when lives are at stake.
SOURCES
https://navyhistory.au/before-
https://www.navy.gov.au/about-
https://www.abc.net.au/news/
