[Tobias]

G'day everyone
As well as being a Roman History buff, i have great interest in the Napoleonic Wars. So, as tomorrow, October the 21st, is the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, the turning point at sea of Britain's war against Napoleon, i thought i'd start a thread to inform those who don't know about it. i'm sure most of the Britons on this site will know about it, and it may be a bit galling to have a mere colonial australian ("Australians, what next?" To quote Prince Charles) lecture you Britons on your own history, and it may not be appropriate on a site for Roman discussion, but i'm going to do it anyway. So, happy Trafalgar Day to everyone, and may Nelson's great victory be celebrated for evermore, even after Britannia no longer rules the waves :rolleyes:

http://www.voodoo.cz.../pic/bboard.jpg

[Spurius]

A great and terrible day....

In the museum in Westminster Abbey, there are several death mask molded historic figures wearing garb from their time periods. One of Nelson's uniforms is on display, and they have a life sized standing figure of him. Yes he was a small guy, but the sculpter managed to convey his innate devilish, scrappy fighting personality.

[Viggen]

an interesting story regarding Trafalgar Day...

Letters of Trafalgar warrior, aged 11

A REMARKABLE series of unpublished letters written by an 11-year-old midshipman who was at the Battle of Trafalgar has been acquired for the nation. The vivid eyewitness account of George James Perceval, who served on HMS Orion, a 74-gun battleship that played a key role in the closing stages of the battle, has been purchased by the National Maritime Museum.

full article at Times Online

[Princeps]

England expects that every man shall do his duty.

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/photodraw/portraits/nelson.jpg

By the time of his death in 1805, Nelson had been shot in the head, lost an arm, and an eye.

His death, at the moment of his greatest victory, won him redemption, and elevation to the pinnacle of military glory.

TO NELSON, AND VICTORY!

[longbow]

http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/645/botleyhmsvictory6eh.th.jpg

the bullet what killed Nelson hit him in the top of his shoulder,the ball went through his chest cutting his spine and finally lodged in his lung.After his death the sailors put his body in a barrel of brandy to preserve his remains untill they could get back to England.
Nelson was one of those sailors who had a feel for the sea,he knew just what to do and just when to do it.He would even dissobey his orders to achieve the victory,a very risky business.
St Vincent

[Tobias]

Yeah, same with at the bombardment of Copenhagen. He was given orders to withdraw, and placed his telescope to his blind eye, saying "I really cannot see that signal" :huh:

[Silentium]

I'm a bit late..

Spurius, on Oct 20 2005, 04:32 PM, said:

A great and terrible day....

True, a terrible day also in terms of human lives loss but surely a day Britain can be proud of =)