The Rhode Island Commandery of the Military Order of Foreign Wars cordially invites you to our
Annual Dining In
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2026
at
The Squantum Association
947 Veterans Memorial Parkway, Riverside, RI
Featuring the Court Martial of
CAPTAIN MAURICE A. BOURKE, RN
The sinking of HMS Victoria in 1893 – the pride of the Royal Navy – by being rammed by HMS Camperdown was the most famous warship collision of the 20th Century. The Mediterranean Fleet commander, Vice-Admiral Tryon, ordered an impossible maneuver for two columns of battleships to turn inwards that would likely lead to the collision. Captain Bourke, his flag captain, did not intervene, nor did Rear-Admiral Markham, his deputy and commanding HMS Camperdown, who executed the order only after a short delay when he saw the danger. The loss of over 350 lives caused huge embarrassment to the Royal Navy and the Admiralty was looking for a scapegoat. Admiral Tryon died in the collision, which left Captain Bourke or Rear-Admiral Markham as the obvious targets. Captain Bourke was court martialed. The attendees will decide, as the court martial board, whether he is guilty or not guilty.