Q.1: What was Birkenhead? Where was it going?
Ans: Birkenhead was a troopship. In February 1851, it was carrying soldiers and their families to South Africa.
Q.2: How many people were present on the ship in Birkenhead?
Ans: There were six hundred and thirty people on Birkenhead. Out of which one-hundred and seventy were women and children and the remaining four-hundred-sixty were soldiers.
Q.3: What was the professional condition of the soldiers on this ship, Birkenhead?
Ans: The soldiers on Birkenhead were young and inexperienced men in the majority. Many of them had recently joined the army. The officers were limited in numbers and they too were young and inexperienced.
Q.4: When and where did the Birkenhead sink?
Ans: On February 25, 1851, the troopship was carrying soldiers and their families to South Africa. They were sixty-four kilometres away from Cape Town when the tragic accident happened.
Q.5: What information about the rock under the surface of the sea has been given in the lesson Birkenhead Drill?
Ans: In the lesson “Birkenhead Drill”, it has been told that sixty-four kilometres from Cape Town in South Africa, there was a rock in the sea, which was then unknown and undiscovered. It was not shown in any of the maps of the sea. It was hidden under the surface of the sea as if it were a wild creature of the ocean lying in wait for its prey.
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Q.6: Why does the author call the troopship Birkenhead an unfortunate prey for the hidden rock?
Ans: According to the author the rock lay hidden under the surface of the sea, as it were a wild creature of the ocean, lying in wait for its prey. The unfortunate prey was fast approaching it, all unconscious of its fate. It was the troopship Birkenhead. Whatever it was thinking at that moment it had no idea that It was fated to suffer early destruction.
Q.7: What kind of people were being carried as passengers on the Birkenhead?
Ans: The troopship Birkenhead was carrying the British soldiers and their families to South Africa. There were 460 soldiers and 170 women and children on the ship. The soldiers were mostly young and inexperienced, most of them had joined the army recently. The officers were few and they too were young and inexperienced.
Q.8: How did the Birkenhead come to be wrecked? Was any member of her crew to blame?
Ans: It was February 25, 1851, at two o’clock in the early morning, and the Birkenhead was coming close to Cape Town. it was the end of an uneventful voyage of the troopship Birkenhead. The sea was calm as if sound sleep. Suddenly, a crash happened. the ship had struck the hidden rock. Ten minutes later the ship struck the rock again and split into two pieces.
The front half part sank but the passengers managed to get to the floating remaining part. no member of her crew was to blame for this disaster because the rock was then unknown and undiscovered. It was not shown in any of the maps of the sea.
Q.9: How did the passengers on the Birkenhead get a narrow escape from a watery grave when the Birkenhead came to be wrecked?
Ans: When the troopship Birkenhead struck the hidden rock, it split into two pieces. However, the people on the ship were awakened from a peaceful sleep by the shock. They came out from their cabins and tried to make their way to the deck. But wherever they went they found the ship damaged. They crawled among the wrecked pieces of the unfortunate ship and at last reached the deck. But wherever they went they found the ship damaged. Very few knew what had happened, but all that they knew was that it was something horrible. When the ship split into two, the front from half sank soon into the waters and disappeared. But fortunately, all the people on the ship managed to reach the remaining floating half part of the split ship.
Q.10: Why was their lifeboat accommodation for only 180 people after the collision of the Birkenhead drill with the rock?
Ans: When the troopship Birkenhead struck against the rock, most of the lifeboats were damaged or destroyed. Only three of these boats were in a useful condition, with six hundred and thirty people to be saved as against that there were only three lifeboats, each of which could carry only sixty passengers. Hence, there was lifeboat accommodation for only 180 people after the collision of the Birkenhead with the rock.
Q.11: What was the danger to the lives of the passengers on the Birkenhead after its collision with the rock?
Ans: Six hundred and thirty people on the Birkenhead to be saved as against, there were only three lifeboats, each of which could carry only sixty passengers. Thus only a hundred and eighty people would find room in these three boats. The wrecked ship could not last much longer. Any passenger who could not find a place in one of the lifeboats faced certain death, death by drowning in the sea and worse.
For the seas around were alive with sharks, whose cruel and frightful jaws awaited the unfortunate one who fell into the waves. the cruel enemy was to be seen wherever the eye was turned. There was very little chance for anyone who found himself in these dangerous waters.
Q.12: Why was everyone on the wrecked ship Birkenhead expecting a panic?
Ans: Six hundred and thirty people were on the wrecked ship Birkenhead, and room in the lifeboats for only one hundred and eighty, therefore, everyone on the wrecked ship Birkenhead was expecting a panic.
For life is sweet. Men and women, struggling for their lives, all struggling to get into one of the lifeboats, would surely have caused a panic. In the resulting confusion, men, women and children might have been crushed underfoot. They might have pushed one another into the sea in their wild efforts to make their way to the boats.
The boats might have been overloaded and sunk under the weight. Such things had happened before. Whoever was the strongest had won his way to the boats. The weakest, women, children, the old, and the sick had often been left to their fate.
Q.13: Was there enough room in the lifeboats for all the women and children on board?
Ans: There were 170 women and children on the wrecked ship Birkenhead. There were three lifeboats on the ship in useful condition, while each could carry only sixty passengers. Therefore, lifeboat accommodation was for 180 passengers. Hence, it can be said that there was enough room in the lifeboats for all women and children on board.
Q.14:What would probably have happened had there been panic on the wrecked ship Birkenhead?
Ans: If panic had happened on the wrecked ship Birkenhead, not one out of the six hundred and thirty people would have been saved. In the resulting confusion of the panic, men, women, and children might have been crushed underfoot. they might have pushed one another into the sea in their wild efforts to make their way to the boats. The boats might have been overloaded and sank under the weight.
Q.15: Was there any panic on the wrecked ship Birkenhead? How did the soldiers save women and children?
Ans: There was no panic on the wrecked ship Birkenhead. If a panic had happened on the Birkenhead not one out of six hundred and thirty people would have been saved. Some confusion there was bound to be.
“Out with the boats and let us away!” someone may have cried. Whoever it was who had cried thus, it was not one of the young soldiers. There were perfect discipline and real heroism among the troops. All the soldiers stood with set faces in their ranks calmly on the deck in their proper drill order.
Meanwhile, the lifeboats had been lowered and all the women and children had filled the boats and the boats sailed away. Thus the soldiers sacrificed their own lives but saved women and children.
Q.16 describe the behaviour of the soldiers while the women and children escaped in the boats?
Ans: These soldiers showed great discipline. They had their sense of duty. The commander of the troops called on his men to gather together on the deck in proper drill order. Line upon line of red-coated soldiers with set faces, stood in their ranks calmly, awaiting their fate. Meanwhile, the lifeboats had been lowered. When all the women and children had filled the boats, there would be room for only a very few others. The man stood still and watched as the women and children were placed in the boats. As the boats sailed away, they saw the red lines of uniformed soldiers standing at attention as if they were at their daily drill. The ship’s company with their captain stood by the soldiers and went down with them as the wrecked ship sank into the waters.
Q.17: Were any of the men rescued who remained on this sinking ship? How did the survivors among those who let on this ship manage to save themselves?
Ans: There were six hundred and thirty people on the ship Birkenhead. Out of them one hundred and seventy women and children. The women and children were filled in the three lifeboats and sailed away. Thus 460 men were present on the sinking ship. A few of them struggled to the surface of the sea and held on to pieces of wreckage until a rescue ship arrived on the scene and picked them up. But four hundred and thirty-six men went down forever. Thus only twenty-four men could be rescued.
Q.18: Describe one heroic action that took place after the Birkenhead went down?
Ans: The commander of the troops showed great heroic action even after the ship had sunk. He was hanging on to some wreckage when he saw two young sailors struggling in the water. he pushed the wreckage towards them and all three held on to it. Then the commander realized that if he hung on with the boys, the wreckage was not strong enough o support all three. So he let go of his hold and sank into the sea.
Q.19: Were the troops on board the Birkenhead experienced and used to facing danger? How do we know that they behaved with gallantry and discipline up to the very last?
Ans: Most of the troops on board the Birkenhead were young and inexperienced. they were red-coated soldiers and most of them had joined the army only recently. The officers were few and most of them were also inexperienced. They were not used to fave dangers on high seas, especially like the rash of their ship, its sinking and the contest with the high waves and horrible sharks.
They behaved with gallantry and discipline up to the very last. First, they obeyed their commander and performed the Birkenhead Drill. They stood still on the deck of the sinking ship in proper drill order and saw all the women and children leaving the sinking ship in the three lifeboats.
Then, when the ship sank, they also sank into the waters or got eaten up by the sharks. Only twenty-four of them got saved by a rescue ship.
Q.20: What did one officer of the troops report about the discipline of soldiers who was rescued?
Ans: The one officer of the troops who were rescued, reported that the determination of all the soldiers was far more than that he thought could be affected by the best discipline. Everyone did as he was directed. There was not a murmur among the soldiers' orders were carried out by soldiers as they were getting on the ship instead of going to the bottom of the sea.
Q.21: What meaning of “Birkenhead Drill” is taken today?
Ans: “Birkenhead Drill” means today “Women and Children first”. It is the order followed on all ships that are in danger. Birkenhead Drill means today is to stand and be still in facing certain death, so that weaker ones may have a chance of life.
Q.22: What is the message of the lesson “Birkenhead Drill”? OR What lesson do you learn from “Birkenhead Drill”?
Ans: “Birkenhead Drill” is the most inspiring story which shows the bravery and courage of young and inexperienced soldiers. It gives a lesson about loyalty, a sense of duty and sympathy for others. it gives a lesson that we should never lose our senses in a time of danger, we should remain loyal to ourselves and our duty and stand and be still in facing certain death for saving the lives of others, so that weaker ones may have a chance of life.