Re: OT: Ridin' tall on the Santiago Canyon Road (was Re: What could

Pete Dashwood wrote:
> "James J. Gavan" <jgavandeletethis@shaw.ca> wrote in message
> news:SD0hg.241051$7a.129920@pd7tw1no...
> 
>
> <snipped GS stuff>
> <snipped very interestng first hand account of D-Day. Thanks Jimmy.>
> 
>
> You might enjoy this story...
>
> On first visiting Portsmouth I was very eager to get on board Victory. It
> was a wday 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. (HM
S)
> (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 o
n
> insulting,  and actually laughed when shown where Nelson died. He had
> maintained his temper with difficulty, but Royal Naval discipline being wh
at
> 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 ove
r
> there (pointing to the avenue of masts)". (The avenue is made from the mas
ts
> of the prizes that were taken at Trafalgar; many more were sunk.)
>
> Apparently, the group left quietly. :-)
>
> Pete.

Last matelot that toured my party around the Victory had no concerns
abut the French. Took us into Nelson's cabin, pointed out the cot that
Lady Hamilton (Dearest Emma) had embroidered for him. The sailor
indicated that although Nelson only had use of one eye and arm - it
didn't impair him from all the pleasures of life !

I bet like me you were astonished when they turned off the electric
lighting where he died below, and showed how little light they had from
a lamp of that time to give him medical treatment.

As to the French - can you believe it - before the 200th anniversary
last year, on BBC World News they sent a reporter to ask the custodian
of the French Naval Museum in Paris what they were doing to 'celebrate'
Trafalgar. With great courtesy he replied, "Well, it was hardly a
celebration for us".

Jimmy