on 20 october 1917, choules joined the battleship , which was the flagship of the first battle squadron and stationed at scapa flow in the orkney islands. while serving aboard it, choules saw action against german zeppelins, and witnessed the surrender of the german imperial navy at the firth of forth in 1918, ten days after the armistice, as well as witnessing the scuttling of the german fleet in scapa flow.