On January 25th, 1887, WIT joined the newly commissioned HMS Calliope under Captain Henry Coey Kane and was soon promoted to the rating of Petty Officer, 2nd Class, and the duty ‘Second Captain of the Fore Top’. This meant he was in charge of one of the watches to go aloft and manage the topsail (the second sail in order upwards) on the fore mast (the leading mast of the ship). During the commissioning voyage which would include the hurricane at Apia, WIT was seriously injured in an accident at Cape Town outward bound, but elected to stay with his ship and recuperate on board, rather than stay in the hospital and when fit, try and catch up with Calliope on other British warships passing through. Though he recovered a great deal, the injury would eventually end his naval career when Calliope returned to England in April 1890.