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On 21 October 1805, the Royal Navy, under the command of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson, won a great victory over the combined fleets of France and Spain, off Cape Trafalgar. The battle finally ended the threat of invasion by the armies of the French Emperor Napoléon.
Nelson died at the height of the battle. So it was his second in command, Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, who wrote the official account of the battle - the "Trafalgar Dispatch."
200 YEARS LATER, WE CELEBRATE A DEFINING MOMENT IN BRITISH HISTORY
In his Dispatch, Collingwood paid moving tribute to Nelson and said that "his name will be immortal and his memory ever dear to his Country".
WE CELEBRATE THE MEMORY OF A GREAT BRITISH HERO
Collingwood also described the courage and devotion displayed by all his men and emphasised that "Every individual appeared an hero." They came from all over Britain, and from overseas as well.
WE CELEBRATE ALL THE HEROES OF TRAFALGAR
"May humanity after Victory, be the predominant feature
in the British fleet"
Nelson's prayer before battle, 21 October 1805
Collingwood and his men shared Nelson's commitment to humanity. When, after the battle, a great storm hit the opposing fleets off Cape Trafalgar, nationality was forgotten as all the sailors strove to save the lives of their brothers.
WE CELEBRATE THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE SEA
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