| Pete Dashwood 2006-06-06, 7:55 am |
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"James J. Gavan" <jgavandeletethis@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:SD0hg.241051$7a.129920@pd7tw1no...
> Chuck Stevens wrote:
<snipped GS stuff>
<snipped very interestng first hand account of D-Day. Thanks Jimmy.>
> I'm told the Dockyard is completely gone - but Nelson's flagship HMS
> Victory at Trafalgar (Oct 1805), still sits there proudly in a drydock,
> plus a museum dedicated to D-Day.
You might enjoy this story...
On first visiting Portsmouth I was very eager to get on board Victory. It
was a w day and not holiday time so it was a relatively small party of
about 6 of us. We were conducted by a Royal Naval rating who introduced
himself and was a wide mine of information. He obviously was very proud to
be serving on Victory and it is still an official RN ship of the line. (HMS)
(I believe Tower Bridge has the same distinction...). Anyway, we wandered
round the ship and saw all the areas below, including Nelson's cabin,
marvelling at the confined quarters where men lived and died amongst the
great oaken beams and cannons. Finally, we came up a companionway to the
spot on the after deck where Nelson fell, shot by a sniper in the rigging of
a nearby enemy. (The sniper was brought down immediately by returned fire
but it was too late to save the Admiral.) (there is a plaque in the deck
that marks the spot.). There was a moment's silence as we imagined the
scene.
Our guide told us that he had had a group of young Frenchmen a couple of
days previously and they had been very irreverent, made comments verging on
insulting, and actually laughed when shown where Nelson died. He had
maintained his temper with difficulty, but Royal Naval discipline being what
it is, and valuing his posting to Victory, he restrained himself. However,
he got his satisfaction at the end of the tour.
As you may recall, there is an avenue on both sides of the wharf made from
the masts of wooden ships. Dozens of them. So, as the French were leaving,
he gestured around the deck and said: "Thank you for visiting HMS Victory,
the flagship of Lord Horatio Nelson and survivor of Trafalgar, 1805. You
might wonder what became of the French ships... what's left of them is over
there (pointing to the avenue of masts)". (The avenue is made from the masts
of the prizes that were taken at Trafalgar; many more were sunk.)
Apparently, the group left quietly. :-)
Pete.
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