Awesome - Horatio Nelson

Horatio Nelson in the year of Trafalgar

During his last year, 1805, Nelson was indefatigable.
In HMS Victory, refitted because she was already an old vessel, he set out to defeat the Combined Fleet of France and Spain under the command of Admiral Villeneuve. 

This led to the epic chase when the British fleet pursued the Combined fleet all the way across the Atlantic to the West Indies and back again!

On 20th October, Villeneuve ordered his fleet to sail in the hope of evading the British fleet and making the Strait of Gibraltar and the relative safety of the Mediterranean. He didn’t make it.

Before the Combined fleet had cleared Cadiz, Nelson was already preparing his fleet for action. He had briefed his captains on the tactics they were to employ, putting forward his novel idea “… the advance in two divisions and, if formation was lost, ‘no captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of an enemy’ ”.

Only eight of the captains had served with Nelson before, but after the meeting with them, he wrote, “When I came to explain to them the ‘Nelson Touch’, it was like an electric shock. Some shed tears, all approved. ‘It was new – it was singular – it was simple’ “.

When all was ready, Nelson said to Captain Blackwood of Euryalus (the last captain to leave for his own ship): “I’ll now amuse the Fleet with a signal.” and ordered: “England Confides that every man will do his Duty”. 

Pasco, the signal Lieutenant, asked permission to change “confides” for “expects”, because the former word in the Popham code* would have to be spelled out, instead of signalled in code (too many flags for the Mizzen Mast).

The battle lasted almost five hours, from 1258hrs to 1730hrs and Nelson, as is well-known, was hit by a round shot from an enemy mizzen-mast, and died with the words on his lips: “Thank God I have done my duty.”

Nelson’s remains are not in Burnham Thorpe (his home town). He lies in St. Paul’s Cathedral; for, in a codicil subsequent to his will to be buried with his father, Nelson added: “….unless the King decrees otherwise.” And so it was that his wish to rest in the village of his homeland was not fulfilled.

In relation to the ‘Popham Code’ (that remains to date). In 1799, Captain Sir Home Popham published his first list of words and sentences which could be referenced by a number (or "code"); three subsequent editions added letter flags, with the 1801 edition numbering 2994 codes.

It was based on the signal books created earlier by Admiral Lord Howe. Popham's code assigned the digits 0 to 9 to ten signal flags, which were used in combination. Code numbers 1–25 represented letters of the alphabet (omitting J and with V=20 before U=21); higher numbers were assigned meanings by a code book.

”England expects that every man will do his duty" was a signal sent by Vice-Admiral of the Royal Navy Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson from his flagship HMS Victory as the Battle of Trafalgar was about to commence on 21 October 1805.

During the battle, as Nelson's fleet closed in on the allied fleet, he ordered Lieutenant John Pasco to signal the British fleet as soon as possible. After Pasco suggested some changes, and Nelson agreeing to them, the signal was sent at around 1145hrs on 21 October 1805 and relayed using a numeric flag code known as the, "Telegraphic Signals of Marine Vocabulary".

Although there was much confusion surrounding the precise wording of the signal in the aftermath of the battle, the significance of the victory and Nelson's death during the battle led to the phrase becoming a standard representation of a militant English spirit of courage and virtue in the face of conflict. It has been regularly quoted, paraphrased and referenced up to the modern day.

This post has been created by the West Kent Military lodge for information. If you would like to now more about the Lodge contact us here