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Trafalgar
Remembered
by Nitin K. Shankar
The sea battle of Trafalgar fought in 1805 is strongly linked to memories of my
school history lessons in 1951, a visit to the HMS Victory in
Portsmouth in 1957 and a day spent in Cadiz in 1987. My school history
book described the victor of the battle, Horatio Nelson, as a 'weak and sickly
child' who distinguished himself through great personal courage and went on to
become the Royal Navy's greatest admirals. It was the combination of Nelson's
puny appearance and daring that inspired me to read more about him. Born in
1758, Nelson entered the Royal Navy at the age of 12. He passed his
lieutenant's exam more than a year under the official age in 1777 and was made
post-captain at the age of 21. His youthfulness stood out and even the Prince
of Wales, who was then a young midshipman on board Admiral Samuel Hood's
flagship, the Barfleur, noticed Nelson. The future King William IV
described Nelson as 'the merest boy of a captain I ever beheld.'
Read more...
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