21 October 2006

England expects

201 years ago this day, 21 October 1805 at 1630 hours (local time), Admiral Horatio Nelson died of his wounds aboard HMS Victory off Cape Trafalgar, Spain. The flags represent the first two of a twelve-hoist signal, perhaps the most famous in naval history:

England expects that every man will do his duty

My history buff, Brown , reminds me: "An extraordinary man, of an extraordinary culture, in an extraordinary time… What might we, in our culture and time, learn from him? Much, I would reckon."
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2 comments:

  1. Anonymous21.10.06

    La Perfida Albion ?

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  2. Anonymous22.10.06

    "Not over the side" were Nelson's last words as he expressed his dying wish to be returned to England instead of burial at sea. He took the prime spot under the St. Pauls dome in the tomb designed for Cardinal Woolsey and displacing Wellington who wanted that spot. Packed in a barrel of rum he was transported back to the UK. A guard was posted but perhaps hispurpose was to keep the sailors from taking an extra ration of grog.

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