Marking the Battle of Trafalgar

[anteros_lmc]

As well as the new Nelson Navy and Nation exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, there are a number of other events taking place to commemorate Trafalgar Day this year. One that caught my eye is the imaginatively titled Marking the Battle of Trafalgar event at the Royal Armouries at Fort Nelson on Sunday, which involves the firing of an 1805 12 pounder naval gun, by uniformed crew from Ubique Right of the Line reenactment group. The gun, which was restored to firing condition by the Royal Armouries to commemorate the anniversary of Trafalgar in 2005, will be fired at 12 noon, 1pm, and 3pm and the event also features costumed performances by Ubique and HMS Loire.

Comments

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

Huzzay! I might try and get to the 3pm firing, but it's all a bit tight.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Ooh I hope you can make it! Let us know if you do :)

[vespican.livejournal.com]

Oct 21st also marks the anniversary of the launching of USS Constitution. Evidently the turn around cruise/event for the day was cancelled due to the recent gov't shutdown.

Besides sharing the day, there is a slight connection between Lord Nelson and Old Ironsides... earlier he had evidently observed Constitution entering (or leaving) port and had remarked favorably to the seamanship. Nelson had also commented on the emerging US Navy as a future threat to the Royal Navy.

The officer's had in the pic is interesting. It appears to illustrate a fairly recent switch from athwartships to fore and aft. It looks like one that would normally have been worn in the older style.
Dave

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Interesting about the change of rig from athwart to fore and aft. I should have added that I took that picture from Unique Right of the Line's own website, so I don't know exactly what event or date they are reenacting there. I

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

I wonder how many didn't or couldn't buy a new hat, and just crammed the old one on the other way?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I was wondering about that too! I caught a bit of Loyalty on tv tonight, (only the second time I've watched it *ahem*) and noticed that while Hornblower and Bush are wearing fore and aft hats of impressive dimensions, Mr Prowse remains resolutely athwartships. Make of that what you will ;)

[vespican.livejournal.com]

In SEA OF GREY by Dewey Lambdin, supposedly at the Battle of Camperdown (1797) an English officer notices the Dutch wearing their hats fore and aft, and remarks (or thinks), never in the Royal Navy. What a difference a few years make. I think the original move to fore and aft, perhaps as a sign of nonconformity was to simply shift the traditional athwartships hat to the fore and aft style. If you look very closely at some pictures of the time, some individuals wore it half way in between. I think older, more senior officers, or older warrant officers tended to keep with the older style.
Dave