In the footsteps of hero's....

[GrannyJen]

Reasons for buying a Cali can be many... one of mine was to follow in the footsteps of my hero's.

Being an historian whose speciality was the cause of modern conflicts I have many, people whose deeds elevated themselves above the ordinary. My retirement present to myself was Albert, one of my plans was to chart those hero's.

Of all of them one to me stands head and shoulders above many, probably above them all, even though he was quite short.

As a boy, a small pale boy that was often described as sickly, he played here, on the small dinghy's, learning to sail them, exploring all the little creeks and inlets. The Son of a Parson his home was in a parsonage in a small village 3 miles or so away. His love was noted by his uncle Maurice, a Captain in the Royal Navy, and at the age of 12 the small weedy boy was sent to Chatham, to enlist as a Midshipman.

Much later on he was to return here, for now he was out of a job, on half pay, married, and bored out of his skull. Bored until a post-haste arrived summoning him to London. His country needed him for it was now at war. He was never to return, his name was Horatio Nelson and the place is Burnham Staithe.

Yes, I shed a tear.

 

[jts46]

We visited the church last year, also one of my hero's

 

[kurienp]

Thanks for that short sweet history lesson GJ. Nice calming pic of Albert.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Spartan]

If you are an avid reader (and, perhaps, even if you are not), I can thoroughly recommend the Aubrey–Maturin series of nautical, historical novels by the brilliant (but often overlooked) author Patrick O'Brian, set during the Napoleonic Wars. Although Nelson himself never appears in person in the stories, he is often alluded to and the series gives a wonderful (and very often shocking) insight into the naval and civilian life & language of that era.

 

[GrannyJen]

We visited the church last year, also one of my hero's

Did you go into the pub, then "the Plough?

I also shed a tear here ... a few years ago now ... when I stood in respect and awe at the sign.

 

[DaveB]

Granny Jen, you may enjoy browsing this map then which I built for the Museum of the Royal Navy, see if you can find a relative involved with the conflict.

https://nmrn.nautoguide.com/app/nmrn/nmrn/

 

[GrannyJen]

Granny Jen, you may enjoy browsing this map then which I built for the Museum of the Royal Navy, see if you can find a relative involved with the conflict.

https://nmrn.nautoguide.com/app/nmrn/nmrn/

Dave, thank you so much!

I will not find a relative, that has already been researched, but you and I will share many a bottle of wine should we meet. I have a long and passionate association with the RN, my very early years as an Historian was attached to them, well... the RM.

Strangely my very last years also, when I was with the IWM and for three years where I interacted with the public on board HMS Belfast.

 

[DaveB]

Most definitely Jen. This was a brilliant project to work on and a team of volunteers are still adding to the map.

Here's my Great Grandfather https://nmrn.nautoguide.com/app/nmrn/nmrn/!PNMRN?feature_id=14147201

 

[Velma's Dad]

If you are an avid reader (and, perhaps, even if you are not), I can thoroughly recommend the Aubrey–Maturin series of nautical, historical novels by the brilliant (but often overlooked) author Patrick O'Brian, set during the Napoleonic Wars. Although Nelson himself never appears in person in the stories, he is often alluded to and the series gives a wonderful (and very often shocking) insight into the naval and civilian life & language of that era.

+1 for that. An absolutely spellbinding series, I've read them all (17 books I think), twice! The are totally immersive and take you deep into the era where warships were the most complex machines on the planet and the hugely able men who sailed them were the starship captains of their day. While the army was officered by second sons of the aristocracy and gentry who had purchased their commissions, the Royal Navy was run, in large part anyway, by men who had to prove their competence.

The 2003 film Master and Commander was a composite of several of the O'Brian books. Russell Crowe, although he acts well enough in it, is no Jack Aubrey whom I always think of as a sort of nautical Boris Johnson, a philanderer and bumbling liability on land but who becomes the consummate professional when in command at sea (okay, like all comparisons this one only stretches so far). But Paul Bettany makes a very decent fist of Dr. Stephen Maturin, an Irish-Catalan who is a reluctant seafarer, dispassionate ship's surgeon and impassioned naturalist.

If you want to get even more into the period, play yourself the film sound track on Spotify. Apart from the filmic action tracks, it has the hauntingly lovely pieces by Boccherini and Corelli that helped to make the movie a one-off gem in my opinion.

 

[Spartan]

With apologies to @GrannyJen for getting slightly off-topic ...

+1 for that. An absolutely spellbinding series, I've read them all (17 books I think), twice!

<snip>

@Velma's Dad : it's 20 books (plus one unfinished) in sequence so might be worth double-checking you have read them all - you might have a (very enviable) treat in store!

Otherwise, I wholeheartedly echo your comments. The only shame of the film Master and Commander was that by combining some of the 'best bits' of all the novels, they have probably scuppered (pardon the pun) any prospect of a sequel ...

 

[Velma's Dad]

it's 20 books (plus one unfinished) in sequence so might be worth double-checking you have read them all - you might have a (very enviable) treat in store!

Yes you're right of course, 20 books plus the '21st' unfinished, and sadly (in that sense that there are no more, as well as sadly in the sense that I'm a complete geek) I have read them all.

Back to GJ's original topic... I did have the memorable experience nearly a decade ago of attending a very special dinner for about twenty people in the Great Cabin on the Victory at Portsmouth. The commanding officer (yes she has one, as she's still a warship in commission) recounted the briefings that Nelson held with his captains in that exact small space, before Trafalgar.

 

[campandfly]

Nautical history fans might like to try the Kydd series by Julian Stockwin. I find them to be more historically correct. Best to start with the first in the series and work through them.

https://julianstockwin.com/welcome-front-page/books-published/

 

[frenchie]

Its odd to think about nelson as a man today. Loved by the navy, he was a play boy who was not unknown to use HMS ships for purposes more suitable to a russian billionaire then an admiral of the navy. He was mainly hated by the nobility of the time thanks to his affair with emma. Its interesting to note that the nation allowed her to die penny less in France, he is one of my heros due his fighting sea sickness which I suffer greatly from.F

 

[Velma's Dad]

Nautical history fans might like to try the Kydd series by Julian Stockwin. I find them to be more historically correct. Best to start with the first in the series and work through them.

https://julianstockwin.com/welcome-front-page/books-published/

Thanks, I'd heard of Stockwin and will now give him a try. The reviews say his style improves a lot as he goes on through the series but I'll be happy to start at the first novel.

 

[PudnBob]

Dave, thank you so much!

I will not find a relative, that has already been researched, but you and I will share many a bottle of wine should we meet. I have a long and passionate association with the RN, my very early years as an Historian was attached to them, well... the RM.

Strangely my very last years also, when I was with the IWM and for three years where I interacted with the public on board HMS Belfast.

I have really enjoyed this. It wasn’t till my Dad died least year (master mariner) that I found out one of our ancestors fought alongside Nelson. We also used to live opposite Harrige House where I believe he was a frequent visitor!

 

[jts46]

@GrannyJen I couldn't how big his flag was, no we didn't go into the pub as i was driving, but a thoroughly enjoyable 1/2 day around the church inside and out.

 

[GrannyJen]

Nelson's column.

40 years before the taller (5 metres taller) one was erected in Trafalgar Square so Great Yarmouth honoured the great man. On top is Brittania, and on the four sides of the Plinth are inscribed the 4 famous Victories, Cape St Vincent - Aboukir - Copenhagen - Trafalgar.

It is near where stood the Great Yarmouth Military hospital, where Nelson visited ratings severely injured in the Battle of Copenhagen, and he famously joked with a Jack who had lost his arm "well Jack it seems that we are both spoiled for fishing now".

It is close to the spot where he was also invested with the Freedom of Great Yarmouth, where the overawed Mayor asked him to take the oath by placing his right hand on the Bible and where he replied "That sir, is in Tenerife".

Lord Albert is parked at the base of course.

 

[BikerGran]

My hero was also a Naval one - my dad. I've always felt a close affinity with the Royal Navy although dad retired when I was only seven. Not having a useful uncle he joined as a 'Boy, 2nd class' when he was 16 - he literally ran away to join the navy as his parents wanted him to be a schoolteacher. By the time he retired he had worked his way up from the lower deck to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander, and his big regret was that he never made Captain as he then would have retired as a Rear Admiral. My mum said it was because he refused to trample on people on the way up, which is a pretty good epitaph I reckon.

He never talked much about his exploits although he was awarded the DSO and two oakleaves as well as the standard campaign medals, if asked he would say "Oh well that's what happens, you do something and if it turns out well you get a medal and if it doesn't you get a court martial."