Billy Ruffian and the Untold Battle of Trafalgar

[anteros_lmc]

A very quick last minute heads up for those in the Uk that there is a programme on Channel 4 at 21.00 called "The Untold Battle of Trafalgar". Blurb as follows:

Nelson famously signalled the Battle of Trafalgar with the words: 'England expects that every man will do his duty'. But of the 18,000 sailors fighting for King and Country, 1,400 were

Comments

[anteros_lmc]

You're welcome!

I thought is was a rather good programme. It told the story of Trafalgar from an unusual perspective. It also appears to have been made by the same company, Hardy Pictures, who did Trafalgar Battle Surgeon, so the reconstructions were pretty good. There is a interview with film maker Justin Hardy here. For anyone who missed it, it should be on 4oD soon, and I'll try and get a transcript up before the end of the week if I can.

[lady_branwyn]

Interesting. I've read that pirate ships, which often practiced a rough form of democracy, were also equal opportunity employers.

[anteros_lmc]

It certianly seems that the foreign sailors in the RN were little worse off than the British sailors! The progrmme hasn't gone online yet but when it does I'll do a transcript. I'm the meantime there are some rather entertainingly snotty comments appearing over on the programme website.

[lady_branwyn]

My favorite, hands down, is

What next in this rather cheesy multicultural stream? "Britain's REAL Royals" - now it can be told - our Royal Family have French/German/Scots/Portuguese/Welsh etc. ancestry?

[anteros_lmc]

That's a classic! I see today the "discussion" has moved on to role, or not, of the RN in the abolition of slavery.

Tbh I thought this programme did a fairly decent job in the time it had. It presents enough back ground for viewers with no knowledge of the period and a few interesting facts for those who are more familiar it. The reconstructions were a little ott in places but I've seen a lot worse!