I am not a religious person but I did attend the Chapel at Greenwich on Sunday for their Trafalgar Tide service. As it is the Naval College, all things Sea are within their domain.
As Trafalgar was one of the momentous occasions in the history of the UK, arguably the last time the shores were threatened with invasion (although the Battle of Britain has an equally good claim). It is very likely that had Nelson lost that battle, we would have been fighting the Napoleonic forces on the beaches of Britain.
He faced off against the combined might of France and Spain, 33 ships of the line to Britain's 27 ships of the line.
Prior to the battle, Nelson knew this would be his last stand but insisted on wearing his uniform, marking him as the prime target for sharpshooters.
I shan't go into the details of the battle, that has been written about by people far more knowledgeable than me but sufficed to say, the British didn't lose a ship and captured 22 of the Spanish-Franco ships but they did lose Nelson, a man of indomitable and sometimes rebellious will, reckless and brave and Trafalgar was his epitaph.
He was laid in state in Greenwich Naval College upon his return, so it was moving to know that on the date of the Battle of Trafalgar, October 21st 1805, to the day in 2018, we commemorated his victory and his life.
At that time, France was ruled by Napoleon, a dictator and Spain by it's Monarchy, in contrast, we had our Monarchy but Parliament was the ruling force. It was by no means perfect but as with all democracy, it was a work in progress. Nelson was possibly the first person to use the press to state his brilliance and ensure that he was a man of action when other Naval Captains were sitting at home waiting for a command. He pushed the right buttons to get his way, taking the public with him. He was a great sailor, commander, and, for the times, a reformer of the Navy, his sailors were better treated than most and his innovations in the methods of Naval combat were important to keep the Colonies safe and the Franco-Spanish fleet blockaded, a superior number of ships that didn't want the battle with the British ships, such was their reputation. Bear in mind that this was a time when to breach the defences of Britain, you needed to come across the sea. That elevates the importance of the Navy, at that time, over the other Armed Force, the Army and secures the Battle of Trafalgar as a Battle for the safety of the United Kingdom, in much the same was as the Spanish Armada and Sir Francis Drake had been a few hundred years earlier.
We were blessed to have at that time, some heroic and breathtaking commanders of our Forces, the two most well known being Nelson and the Iron Duke, Wellington. We had many more at the time and since, but none have commanded the devotion of the Nation in the same way. It may just be that the press needed heroes at that time or maybe the other heroes were just more self effacing.
I guess Trafalgar Day may not have the same importance to others, younger people, people of other Nations but falling so close to Armistice Day, it is overshadowed, but it is also a symbol for those that gave their lives for our way of life, for our democracy, to ensure that we had a say in how we lived our lives.
It puts the petty bickering and the shutting down of debate that we are currently going through, to shame.
I hope that on Sunday 11th November, at 11am, when the guns fell silent, that people will remember what the Wars were fought for, for our freedom to have a say in how we live our lives, to respect each other more and to be grateful for the sacrifices of the people, known and unknown, that died so that we might live free of dictatorship and tyranny. Take your good fortune and stop fighting, make your personal space better and by association that will follow on to the next person.
I have no doubt that "smoke" will get in my eyes on 11th November but remembering the sacrifice of Nelson and the epitaph that was built for him, a monument that watches over England, I am proud to be English. A small Island Nation that has always punched above its weight, it has always delivered when needed and has always bred the men (and I have no doubt that in the 21st Century, the women) that lead in times of crisis.
(Recommended reading on Nelson are two wonderful books by John Sugden "Nelson: Dream of Glory" and "Nelson: Sword of Albion".)
