Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: StarOfAfrica2 on October 21, 2005, 06:24:41 PM
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October 21st 1805.
On this, the 200th anniversary of that great battle, I raise my glass to all Britons who love and defend their country, as we do ours.
Here's to hoping the blood that made such men has not thinned.
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Is it too late to place a bet?
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"When I am without orders and unexpected occurrences arrive I shall always act as I think the honour and glory of my King and Country demand. But in case signals can neither be seen or perfectly understood, no captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy." [/i]
Nelson, Briefing his Captains before Trafalgar
I shall have a drink in honour of Englands greatest Admiral, and I shall dampen the carpet with the finest scotch for those who fell in Englands most glorious sea battle.
For England! God Save the Queen!
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Ahh... I've been drinking beers with Horatio Nelson on the labels of the bottles (a Finnish one, "Admiral"), once upon a time they had some more seafarers on the etiquettes, but since the label got pwnd (actually the brewery went bankrupt and after that it's ownership has been dealt around - now it's under the Scotish & Newcastle group) they've been limiting their admirals to Nelson only... Too bad, since the beer was originally from my home town - now here are only a couple of small breweries. But I'm not complaining, I live close to a decent pub. :)
Aww, back to the subject... Nelson. :)
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Kiss me Hardy.
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According to the accounts, Nelson said: "Take care of my dear Lady Hamilton, Hardy, take care of poor Lady Hamilton." He paused then said very faintly, "Kiss me, Hardy." This, Hardy did, on the cheek. Nelson then said, "Now I am satisfied. Thank God I have done my duty." Hardy rose to his feet, paused silently, then knelt again and kissed Nelson on the forehead. Hardy may well have been "unsettled" about Nelson's dying words, but he understood the importance of making a personal gesture in circumstances that were certain to be recorded for posterity. Every sailor in the fleet knew that when the inevitable battle between two large and powerful fleets eventually took place it would be a moment in history and to those who knew that Nelson was dying it was doubly important that every detail should be reported.
No-one questioned this incident until late in the nineteenth century when it seems likely that the notion of a great naval commander asking a captain to kiss him was something that polite Victorian society could not accept. But, Nelson was attended, closely, by Alexander Scott, his Chaplain, and William Beatty, the surgeon, was also present at this moment. It is likely that the noise from the lower gundeck beneath which Nelson lay was very loud but even if those present couldn't hear what Nelson had said they could certainly see what Hardy did, not once but twice. And that is precisely what the witnesses recorded.
Nelson did ask Hardy to kiss him.
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...in case you are wondering.
Still, I would have kissed him if I was Hardy. Pretty much anyone in Britain at the time would have.
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to britains greatest military hero.
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Curvall,
Apparently you forgot to mention the next to last words of Nelson to Hardy, just prior to expiring: Who's a cheeky boy then?
Ah well, you're probably right - "kismet" would have been overly Byronic.
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky,
- SEAGOON;)
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Great history there!
Nelson was a right-on kind of fella. And he severely spanked spaniards and frenchmen, my kind of Brit :)
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Originally posted by Yeager
Nelson was a right-on kind of fella.......my kind of Brit :)
Of course, you do know that Nelson was a nance? :p
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Hardy was the one that wuz a little light in the loafers... tho back then all yer damn officers were a little too fond of the damn cabin boys.
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Bah... The British Fleet was overmodeled
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Originally posted by Hangtime
Hardy was the one that wuz a little light in the loafers... tho back then all yer damn officers were a little too fond of the damn cabin boys.
And there from comes the phrase "Aft the most honor, fore the better man"