|
...That Every Man Will Do His Duty.
The 21st of October is a very special date for anyone who serves, or has served in the
Royal Navy for it is the anniversary of, arguably, the greatest sea battle in British naval history - the Battle of Trafalgar.
______________________
At dawn on Monday 21st October 1805, off Cape Trafalgar on the south-western coast of Spain, the British fleet, comprising
of 27 ships of the line under the command of Admiral Horatio Nelson, and the combined fleets of France and Spain, comprisng
of 33 ships under the command of Admiral Pierre Villeneuve, were in visual contact. Nelson ordered the British fleet to prepare
for battle - it was 06.00 hrs.
Because of the light winds, it took several hours for the opposing fleets to engage
in battle
At 11.48 hrs Nelson ordered the, now famous, signal to be sent from HMS Victory to the rest of the ships
under his command: "England expects that every man will do his duty". Twelve minutes later the first shot was fired
at HMS Royal Sovereign - the battle had begun.
It was 13.30 hrs and Nelson, wishing to encourage and urge his men
on, was on the quarterdeck of Victory when a sniper from the French ship Redoubtable fired a shot at the British Admiral.
The musket ball entered Nelson's left shoulder, passed through his lung and broke his spine.
In immense agony
the great Admiral was carried below deck where his condition worsened. During the next three hours he was kept updated on
the progress of the battle and he died, aged just 47, at about 16.30 hrs knowing that victory had been won and the words:
"Thank God I have done my duty" on his lips.
__________________________________________________________
Figurehead of HMS Victory, HM Dockyard, Portsmouth.
Nelson's Prayer (written on the morning of 21st October 1805)
May the great God, whom I worship, grant to my Country and for the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious
victory: and may no misconduct, in anyone, tarnish it: and may humanity after victory be the predominant feature in the British
Fleet.
For myself individually, I commit my life to Him who made me and may His blessing light upon my endeavours
for serving my Country faithfully. To Him I resign and the just cause which is entrusted to me to defend.
Amen,
Amen, Amen.
__________________________________________________________
|
