Falklands Joins in Trafalgar Commemorations

Penguin News, October 2005

Falklands Events

Britain will unite this month to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and to remember the heroism of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson and the gallant crews of his outnumbered fleet.

The Falklands will play a part in these celebrations with a range of events, coordinated by the Museum and National Trust, taking place over the Trafalgar Weekend.

The weekend begins on Friday, October 21 with the Falklands taking part in a worldwide ringing of church bells, organised by the Nelson Commemorations Committee. Christ Church Cathedral's bells will ring around lunchtime on Trafalgar Day - part of a sequence that will include more than 100 other churches throughout the world.

On Friday afternoon, Falklands Scouts will tow a newly-refurbished two ton cannon along the Bypass Road to the Falkland Islands Defence Force Drill Hall. The barrel, which is some 150 years old, was dug up from in front of the bank. Mike Butcher made a new gun base for the cannon and donated it to the Museum, which is where the cannon will eventually be relocated.

On Friday night the Museum is hosting a banquet and ball. Museum Manager Leona Roberts said the evening will follow Trafalgar Night traditions as closely as possible, with guests being treated to a five-course banquet and invited to enjoy the pomp and ceremony that is such an important part of any Trafalgar celebration.

She added, "Several extremely special items, never before seen in the Islands, will be on display for a short time before dinner, so guests are encouraged to arrive at the FIDF Hall early. A small selection of items will be auctioned on the night, including a spectacular limited edition Trafalgar Bicentenary Pusser's Rum ship's decanter - a beautiful item which is sure to become a collector's piece. (Anyone interested in bidding for the item, but unable to attend the dinner, is very welcome to register a bid with the Museum before the event.)"

With a limited number of places available, tickets were sold extemely quickly, and the Museum regrets that there are no more available.

Despite his ruthless commitment in battle, Nelson strongly believed in Christian charity and insisted that the enemy should be treated humanely after the cause was won - along with cathedrals, churches and chapels all over Britain, Christ Church Cathedral will be hosting a Service of Commemoration on Sunday, October 23.

Youth organisations will be in attendance and it is hoped that, as well as veterans' organisations and associations, many members of the public will attend to remember Nelson and the crews from both sides of the battle. The service will begin at 10am and will be followed by refreshments in the Parish Hall.

"This is a very special anniversary," Mrs Roberts said. "The Battle of Trafalgar was a defining moment in Britain's history and it is important that we recognise the achievements of Nelson and his men. We are delighted that the Trust has been able to coordinate these events and that the Falklands are included in these worldwide celebrations that are historic in their own right."

Admiral Horatio Nelson

Horatio Nelson was born on September 29, 1758, in the North Norfolk village of Burnham Thorpe, where his father, Edmund, was the local rector. His mother, Catherine, died when he was 9. Horatio was just 12 when he joined the Royal Navy on his uncle's ship, HMS Raisonnable, in 1771. He later stated that the 1770 dispute between Britain and Spain over the settlement at Port Egmont in the Falkland Islands was the reason for his decision to join the Navy.

It was the start of an extraordinary seafaring career which saw Nelson achieve international super-stardom as the scourge of Napoleon. His great victories saw him mobbed in the street and thousands of souvenirs bearing his image were produced. Nelson commanded tremendous loyalty and affection. Though slight of stature and physically frail he was brave, considerate and a born leader.

In 1794 he lost the sight of his right eye when it was damaged by stones thrown up by an enemy cannon ball during the siege of the Corsican port of Calvi. Three years later he lost his right arm during the attack on the Spanish at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, when a musket ball shattered the bone.

Nelson's remarkable victory at the Battle of the Nile in 1798 made him a national hero then, in 1801, when signalled to withdraw during the Battle of Copenhagen, he famously put his telescope to his blind eye, saying: "I really do not see the signal." (The Danes were defeated and Nelson became a viscount.)

In 1802 the Treaty of Amiens briefly ended hostilities with France, but the next year they were at war again, and Nelson was appointed commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean fleet. During 1804 Nelson blockaded the French Mediterranean ports, knowing that Napoleon's plans to invade England depended on putting together a combined Franco-Spanish fleet big enough to defeat the Royal Navy.

The Battle of Trafalgar

The following year a combined fleet under Admiral Villeneuve set sail for the West Indies in an effort to divert Nelson, who followed the French across the Atlantic and back again before eventually catching up with the enemy off the Spanish coast between Cadiz and Cape Trafalgar.

The Battle of Trafalgar took place on October 21, 1805. Villeneuve had 33 ships to Nelson's 27, but Horatio opted to attack. "England expects that every man will do his duty," read the most famous signal ever made.

Nelson's tactics were a triumph. He attacked in two columns at right angle to the single enemy line, splitting the combined fleet into three, before turning his guns on them. But at around 1.30pm, as his flagships HMS Victory engaged the French ship Redoubtable, Nelson was shot from above by a French sharpshooter and mortally wounded. Before his death he knew that he had won a great victory and died saying, "Thank God I have done my duty."

The English lost around 450 men, with 1,250 wounded. However, none of their 27 ships had been sunk or captured. By contrast, Villeneuve had lost 18 ships sunk or captured, as well as 6,000 men killed or wounded and 20,000 taken prisoner. Trafalgar dealt a devastating blow to Napoleon's invasion plans. The French navy never recovered, and the victory ensured that Britain remained the major naval power for the next 100 years.

Nelson is also known for his infamous affair with Lady Emma Hamilton. Both were already married, but they lived quite openly together, and their daughter, Horatia, was born in 1801.

Looking back on events

Falkland Islanders at home and abroad celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar at a number of events at the weekend.

Four Sea and Marine Cadets and their leader joined former councillor Norma Edwards and Falkland Islands Government UK Representative Sukey Cameron at the Trafalgar Day Parade, in Trafalgar Square, for the Sea Cadet Corps commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

Tansi Bonner and Marc Courtney (both age 13), Shane Mitchell (14) and Dion Robertson (15) were all chosen to attend the festivities at which representatives from the Sea Cadet branches all over the UK and overseas performed and paraded during the hour long ceremony.

The Sea Cadets from the Falklands acted as wreath bearers to the VIP guests - HRH The Duke of York, The First Sea Lord and the Lord Mayor of Westminster - who laid wreaths at the foot of Nelson's Column. The finale included a march past of all those who took part, including the wreath bearers, with HRH The Duke of York taking the Salute.

The Islands' participation was mentioned on the BBC News and Dion Robertson, who had the honour of handing the wreath to the Duke of York, was interviewed.

The Sea Cadets Unit Officer in Charge, Sgt Ken Newton, commented; "We were thrilled to be invited to travel to London to be part of this celebration of the greatest moment in our naval history. For the Cadets it will be the experience of a lifetime."

The Parade was followed by a lunch hosted by the First Sea Lord and the Sea Cadets and guests were then bussed from Whitehall to St. Paul's Cathedral for the National Commemoration in the presence of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duke of York, Princess Royal and Rear Admiral Tim Lawrence.

A Reception at the Guildhall followed where Mrs Edwards and Ms Cameron met, amongst many others, the Princess Royal, who fondly remembered her visit to the Islands in 1996.

In the Falkland Islands, commemorations lasted the entire weekend.

On Friday, the actual anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, members of the Royal Navy were privileged to have Commodore Michael Clapp ring the Eight Bells on board HMS Southampton at exactly 1200 hrs. All the Royal Navy ships and those of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary were decked out with flags for the occasion.

Commodore Clapp commanded the Amphibious Task Force in the Falklands War. He planned and commanded the landings and inshore operations of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines in close cooperation with the Royal Navy during the 1982 conflict, and for this role he was made a CB (Commander of the Bath).

Commodore Clapp had an extremely busy career serving all over the world including on operations in the Far East during the Korean War. The Falklands Conflict was the last operation in a busy career before retiring in 1983 to Devon where he lives with his wife Sarah.

In Stanley the church bells at Christ Church Cathedral were rung at noon, as part of a worldwide ringing of church bells involving more than 100 other churches throughout the world.

Later that afternoon, members of the Scouts and a number of their friends from other community groups helped them tow a newly-refurbished two-tonne cannon along the Bypass Road to the headquarters of the Falkland Islands Defence Force. They managed to achieve the feat in around 35 minutes.

That evening, black tie was the order for a banquet and ball at the FIDF HQ, where the guest of honour was Commodore Clapp.

Before enjoying a five course meal by candlelight, guests were able to examine original letters by Lord Nelson loaned to the museum by Mr PC Laskaridis, a noted Nelsonian collector.

Museum Manager Leona Roberts said she was grateful to Mr Laskaridis for the "outstanding loan" of the six Nelson letters and for his sponsorship of the banquet and ball. "To have these letters in the Falklands is just amazing and something that we could never have hoped for - they are absolutely priceless and the Trust is honoured that they should be in the museum." They are on display in the museum for one week.

An auction followed the dinner; on offer were a seascape on canvas, a painting of the William Scoresby by Gerald Roberts and a Trafalgar Bicentenary limited edition decanter from Pusser's Rum. The auction raised £760 for the Museum and National Trust.

Mrs Roberts said she was "absolutely delighted" with how the evening went. "It seems to have been enjoyed by all those who attended and we have already had tremendous feedback from many of those who were there. It was a huge amount of work and I am grateful to everyone involved."

The Trafalgar commemorations were rounded off on Sunday, with a combined-churches service in Christ Church Cathedral. Community groups were out in force for the occasion and members of the Rainbows formed a welcoming guard outside the church.

Many representatives of the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy attended the service. Readings were given by the Civil/Military Liaison Officer, Lieutenant Commander John Maskill-Bott and Acting Governor Harriet Hall. Sea Cadet Joe Birmingham and Marine Cadet James Barrett read an account of the Battle of Trafalgar written by Paul Harris Nicholas, a lieutenant in the Royal Marines who served on HMS Belle Isle.

The Battle of Trafalgar was a defining moment in British military history. Although outnumbered, the British navy, under the command of Lord Nelson, was victorious. Nelson, however, lost his life after he was shot by a French sharpshooter. The victory ensured that Britain remained the major naval power for the next 100 years.

The Falkland Islands commemorations of Trafalgar were an initiative of the Museum and National Trust. Museum Manager Leona Roberts explained: "We decided last year that we would like to celebrate Trafalgar and were given the go-ahead by the SeaBritain 2005 and the Trafalgar 200 committees to coordinate events in the Falklands. We felt that it was only right that such an important anniversary be commemorated in the Islands - particularly given the fact that Nelson himself said that the 1770 dispute with Spain over Port Egmont was one of his reasons for wanting to join the navy. 2005 has been the Year of the Sea and the Trafalgar Weekend was the inspiration for the whole year's events."

These articles first appeared in the Penguin News on 7 and 28 October 2005 and are reproduced by kind permission of the Editor

Introduction, Brief History, Timeline, 1982 Articles, 1982 Timeline, 1982 Documents, Articles, Agreements, UN Resolutions
HOME, FACT FILE, BACKGROUND, HISTORY, NOTICE BOARD, BOOKS, LINKS

Site Designed and Maintained by eb-host.com