Friday 21 October 2011

Trafalgar Day


Today is Trafalgar Day and we gratefully commemorate the battle and remember the death of Admiral Lord Nelson. An observer onboard Lord Collingwood's HMS Royal Sovereign wrote of the moment that, victory assured, news was brought of Nelson's death: "Chaps that fought like the devil, sit down and cry like a wench."

Thousands lined the funeral route and one witness wrote: "The sound of all the men removing their hats as the coffin passed sounded like a wave breaking on the shore."

The twelve seamen from HMS Victory, who were the pall-bearers, covered Nelson's coffin with flags during the service but, as they did so, they spontaneously tore strips off the large George and put them in their coats over their hearts.

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