Thread: Nelson.Hard as nails.

I don't know if it was based on fact, but the film Waterloo includes this exchange between The Iron Duke and a junior officer:

Young officer: "Sir! Napolean is in range - should we try to hit him?"

Wellington: "Certainly not! Commanders of armies have better things to do than take 'pot-shots' at one another!"

I am always in awe when I read about the combatants of the Napoleonic Wars, whether at land or sea. The whole idea of standing up in full view whilst you exchange fire with an enemy a few dozen yards away gives me a shiver. I recently found that the brother of an ancestor of my wife’s was killed leading a Forlorn Hope at the siege of Badajoz in 1812*. It was one way of getting promotion - if you survived of course.


* About the same time one of my ancestors, I believe, was helping to burn the White House.

Originally Posted by Volunteer

It is claimed that within 30 minutes of having his right arm cut off, Nelson was again issuing orders to his men. He had been hit in the right arm by a musket ball shortly after stepping ashore on the Spanish island of Tenerife in July 1797.

Just about says it all. "Nails", indeed!

Been there mate - some rough old bars in Veronicas!

Originally Posted by DPM_Sheep

Originally Posted by Werewolf

There was also the famous incident at Waterloo, when one of Wellington's officers had his leg blown off...

Officer: "By God, Sir! My damn legs gone!"

Wellington: "By God, sir, so it has."

The Officer survived and was fitted with a wooden leg. After he died of old age, his family hung the wooden leg on the wall of his home.

That would be Henry Paget, Earl of Uxbridge. Paget had run off with the wife of the Iron Duke's younger brother and Wellington detested him.

Says much for the Duke that he put it aside and made Paget his cavalry commander, because he knew he was the best man for the job.

He was a rather mediocre cavalry commander, he let the Union brigade run out of control after they charged D'Erlons corps and be virtually destroyed, should've positioned himself with the Scots Greys in brigade reserve rather then leading the charge, then the Scots Greys could've charged against the French Lanciers when they counterattacked the rest of the Union brigade.

Originally Posted by 4(T)

And his next wound left him with a section of his cranium exposed.... so he just got up and cracked on.



In fact he was wounded several times:

Shrapnel or bullet in the back Corsica 1794
Loss of his eye at Calvi 1794
Wood shrapnel in his stomach (resulting in long-term hernia) Cape St Vincent 1797
Right arm amputated Santa Cruz 1797
Head wound Battle of the Nile 1798

And on top of that he was a sickly runt to begin with.

He must have been a whole bag of nails...

Bloody hyperchondriac...

Originally Posted by Werewolf

like the Marine Sgt who hates anyone not born in the North of England...

Do you say that like it is a bad thing?

A nice take on the situation is what French kids are taught in school about Trafalgar.

"An inconclusive battle in which the enemy General was killed".

Which is true. The job was finished by a Geordie.

Collingwood.

Originally Posted by TheIronDuke

Originally Posted by Werewolf

like the Marine Sgt who hates anyone not born in the North of England...

Do you say that like it is a bad thing?

A nice take on the situation is what French kids are taught in school about Trafalgar.

"An inconclusive battle in which the enemy General was killed".

Which is true. The job was finished by a Geordie.

Collingwood.

Who very nearly blew it in the 6 day storm afterwards.

Originally Posted by Bradstyley

Originally Posted by DPM_Sheep

Originally Posted by Werewolf

There was also the famous incident at Waterloo, when one of Wellington's officers had his leg blown off...

Officer: "By God, Sir! My damn legs gone!"

Wellington: "By God, sir, so it has."

The Officer survived and was fitted with a wooden leg. After he died of old age, his family hung the wooden leg on the wall of his home.

That would be Henry Paget, Earl of Uxbridge. Paget had run off with the wife of the Iron Duke's younger brother and Wellington detested him.

Says much for the Duke that he put it aside and made Paget his cavalry commander, because he knew he was the best man for the job.

He was a rather mediocre cavalry commander, he let the Union brigade run out of control after they charged D'Erlons corps and be virtually destroyed, should've positioned himself with the Scots Greys in brigade reserve rather then leading the charge, then the Scots Greys could've charged against the French Lanciers when they counterattacked the rest of the Union brigade.

I can't 'bold' the bit I want to because the whole text is jumping about most irritatingly. But my point is this - Uxbridge was to blame for the Union Brigade over-running and 'going a bit too far'?

Since when were British Cavalry officers, of whatever rank or hue, able to issue any order that would be obeyed other than 'Charge!' British military history is redolent with examples of cavalry being almost completely uncontrolled - see Balaclava, Waterloo, Prince Rupert etc etc.

It simply isn't in the genes.

Still, being well controlled at Waterloo didn't do those Polish Lancers any good at all in the long run did it?

Originally Posted by Bubbles_Barker

Who very nearly blew it in the 6 day storm afterwards.

But he didnt. And where was soft, Southern Nancy Boy Nelson? Ah yes. Dead.

Case for the prosecution rests. Geordies defeated the frog. Dont thank us. Its what we do.

Originally Posted by TheIronDuke

Originally Posted by Bubbles_Barker

Who very nearly blew it in the 6 day storm afterwards.

But he didnt. And where was soft, Southern Nancy Boy Nelson? Ah yes. Dead.

Case for the prosecution rests. Geordies defeated the frog. Dont thank us. Its what we do.

Strange really. Collingwood performed very well in the actual battle but seemed totally unmanned at having to take command at such a crucial time. His failure to anchor after the battle is seen by many as a major error that very nearly cost us all the benefit of the victory.

And of course in real terms, the battle was won by the time southern nancy boy Nelson died!

So, Collingwood - a great Admiral doubtless, but a better 2IC.

Just about right for Geordies!

Originally Posted by TheIronDuke

Originally Posted by Werewolf

like the Marine Sgt who hates anyone not born in the North of England...

Do you say that like it is a bad thing?

A nice take on the situation is what French kids are taught in school about Trafalgar.

"An inconclusive battle in which the enemy General was killed".

Which is true. The job was finished by a Geordie.

Collingwood.

Not at all. The Marine Sgt believed only Geordies were real men because they had been hardend by generations of warfare against the Scottish Border Rievers, who raided deep into the North of England. Raping the women and stealing the cattle. Or vice-versa if the women were fcuk ugly.

No need to thank us for toughning you up, old chap. It's what we do. :D

Originally Posted by Bubbles_Barker

Collingwood performed very well in the actual battle but seemed totally unmanned at having to take command at such a crucial time. His failure to anchor after the battle is seen by many as a major error that very nearly cost us all the benefit of the victory.

He was totally 'umanned' because they had just come through a shitstorm and the fleet was battered, broken and scattered over 500 square miles of sea, in a major storm with his boss dead and nobody knowing who had won on away goals.

Jesus. Sue us.

He did not anchour after the battle for several reasons.

1) He did not have a scoobie what was going on
2) Nor did anybody else
3) THE STORM
4) The possibility of the frogs creeping up and blowing him out of the water
4) His internet connection went down. Later, in despatches to Parliament, he blamed BT Home Broadband.

You want a proper Southern hero? Step forward Lieutenant General James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, KCB.

One of the Marine officers on board Victory sought out Captain Hardy after the battle to apologise for leaving the deck without the Captains permission. He had, to be fair had his arm blown off, but still felt guilty for not following protocol.

Originally Posted by Werewolf

Not at all. The Marine Sgt believed only Geordies were real men because they had been hardend by generations of warfare against the Scottish Border Rievers, who raided deep into the North of England. Raping the women and stealing the cattle. Or vice-versa if the women were fcuk ugly.

No need to thank us for toughning you up, old chap. It's what we do. :D

Sorry about Culloden. No hard feelings, eh?

Originally Posted by wompingwillow

do you think they based this guy on him?

Indeed; it has now been proven that Nelson's last words were not, "Kismet, Hardy". They were, in fact, "It's just a flesh-wound..." :D