The magazines at Lodge Hill and Chattenden were foremost in Winston Churchill's mind during the Agadir Crisis of 1911. He was Liberal Home Secretary in early April 1911 when a rebellion broke out in Morrocco against it's Sultan. The French Government, under whose 'Sphere of Influence the North African kingdom came, prepared to send troops to put down the rebellion and protect European lives. They despatched a column of troops to Fez in late April despite pleas from the British Government to show restraint. Meanwhile the German Government, encouraged fervently by the press, ordered their gunboat the 'Panther' to the Morroccan port of Agadir and she docked there on 1st July raising tensions with the French. The British were also concerned that the Germans intended to take advantage of the crisis to create a naval base on Morrocco's Atlantic coast and so, albeit grudgingly, pledged their support to France.
Tensions were further raised on 21st July when the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, delivered his Mansion House speech warning the Germans that "...national honour was more precious than peace." Meanwhile Churchill, who as Home Secretary was in charge of the Metropolitan Police who in turn were responsible for guarding the Royal Navy's stores of cordite at Lodge Hill and Chattenden, was dining with the Met's Commissioner. Inquiring of him the prepardness of the police guards in the event of a surprise German raid on the magazines he was shocked to be told they were not armed with any firearms. Both the First Lord of the Admiralty and the First Sea Lord wew away and out of contact so Churchill made an urgent call the the C-in-C the Nore to request armed Royal Marine gurds for the magazines. This request was refused so he then contacted the Minister of War who immedietly agreed the despatch of two companies of infantry to the magazines. At the same time Churchill authorized the issuing of firearms to the magazines' Metropolitan Police guards.
Churchill's worst fears were never realised and the Crisis abated with the signing of the Treaty of Fez in November 1911.
cliveh