HMS Victory in Rosia Bay (28th October 1805)

 It is just seven days after the Battle of Trafalgar, and the scene at Rosia Bay, Gibraltar is a dramatic one. HMS Victory, under tow, has moored near the quay. Drawing supplies from the nearby victualling store, sailors have started work preparing her for the long journey back to England. Nelson's flagship had been badly damaged during the battle and a subsequent storm - so jury-masts will need to be erected and rigging replaced. 

Meanwhile the drama of returning Nelson's body is taking another turn as the brandy filled leaguer (a coffin shaped cask) containing his stricken corpse is brought ashore through the arch which is the only exit from the quay, from where it will be taken up to St Vincent House where the  alcohol used to preserve the body will be replaced - or topped up by - 'spirits of wine' ready for transportation back to London.

Ship under tow to Gibraltar, 1805

It's a compelling picture, and one which motivated me to take a walk down to Rosia Bay from my rented apartment in Engineer Lane a couple of miles away. But is it an accurate description of what happened?

Well, the answer is 'yes, probably' but let's dig into the historical record and try and make sense of this oft quoted narrative. Clearly, the broad circumstances of the return of Nelson's body to London, his state funeral and the eventual interment in St Paul's Cathedral are very well documented. Similarly, it is certain that HMS Victory was towed back to Gibraltar for repairs after the battle. Furthermore the anchorage at Rosia Bay with the nearby workshops and supplies would have been the anchorage of choice. 

The Rosia Bay Anchorage

It is also evident from contemporary accounts that work was done to stabilise Nelson's mortal remains whilst the flagship was undergoing repairs. Frustratingly, thought there is no empirical evidence to suggest that the cask was actually brought ashore. So was it? Oral history tradition in Gibraltar affirms that it was and it seems unlikely that the cask would have been left on the main deck whilst the ship was being worked upon. On balance therefore, I'm going to stick with the aforementioned description.

Arch through which Nelson's body was brought ashore

Whilst Nelson's body was returned to England to a hero's welcome, others who perished in the Battle of Trafalgar were buried at sea. Some, of course, died of wounds later and two such men are buried in the Old Trafalgar Cemetery, Gibraltar (formerly known as South Ditch) just outside of the 16th Century town wall - at the point where the Naval dockyard met with the part of town populated by townsfolk. The cemetery is an evocative spot containing men who were killed in various sea battles and the many who died during the yellow fever epidemic which swept through Gibraltar between 1804. When I visited, it was easy to spot the two Trafalgar casualties as their graves were adorned with Royal British Legion Poppy wreaths.

The grave of Captain Thomas Norman

Captain Thomas Norman 'of the Royal Marine Corps and late of HMS Mars' died in the Royal Navy Hospital, Gibraltar on the 6th December 1805 'having suffered several weeks with incredible patience and fortitude under the effect of a severe wound received in the great and memorable sea fight of Trafalgar'.  Nearby lies the body of Lieutenant William Forster of HMS Colossus who died of wounds received during the great battle, on the 30th October 1805. Outside the cemetery gates framed by the massive walls of the South Bastion there is a striking statue of Vice-Admiral Nelson which was erected on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar in 2005.

Nelson's Statue - Gibraltar

Whilst Rosia Bay's place in history was secured by the connection with Nelson, there is another element that draws tourists to the area. On the north side of the bay, at the top of a sheer cliff, one can find the Napier of Magdala Battery where in 1883 a 100 ton 'Rock Buster' rifled muzzle loading (RML) gun was installed. The battery was reshaped to accommodate a 3.7 Inch AA guns during the Second World War (one of which still remains) but the 100 ton RML gun still sits in its' original emplacement and it is possible to see it up close and explore the underground loading chambers from which the gun was served. Made by Armstrongs of Newcastle-upon-Tyne the one ton shells which were fired by this monster, could penetrate almost 25 inches of wrought iron. 

The 100 Ton Gun, Rosia Bay, Gibraltar

My interest in HMS Victory, Nelson and the 100 ton gun all derive from family connections. My Great Grandfather served with the Royal Marines Artillery as did two of his brother-in-law. They were all stationed at Gibraltar for a while pre First World War, and so whilst I can't be sure they served the gun, they surely must have visited it. I was born in Portsmouth and visited the dockyard almost every week for many, many years. My Grandmother worked within sight of HMS Victory and a number of Uncles either worked nearby or were Royal Marines based up at Eastney and thus would have been very familiar with Nelson's flagship. What a splendid thing it is, that HMS Victory escaped the wreckers yard and has been so well cared for over the years.

Clevedon's War Memorial (1923)

On Saturday, the 17th March 1923 flags and bunting adorned many of the houses in Old Church Road, Queens Road, Sunnyside, Albert Road, Six Ways, Hill Road, Wellington Terrace and on the approaches to Lady Baye. Householders had been asked to adorn a procession which would mark the 'opening' of Clevedon's War Memorial. The procession was quite something - headed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Command, Lieutenant-General Sir Harold Walker K.C.B., K.C.M.G., D.S.O., those present included representatives from the British Legion and other public bodies as well as many Great War veterans - some of whom had served in Italy in 1917 & 1918 under General Walker where he had commanded 48th Division during the Italian Campaign. The procession was headed up by the Clevedon Silver Band and at the assembly point in The Triangle the crowd was kept in check by a guard of honour from the Territorial Army. Many of the marchers wore medals and some had dusted off their uniforms for the occasion.

General Walker at Lady Baye

Whilst Clevedon has many fine First World War memorials in various places of worship and their grounds, unlike many other towns and villages, there is no single community-wide memorial carrying the names of all who fell. In recent times two community memorials have been installed - one in the Triangle marking those men who left the town by train during both World Wars and another on the site of the old British School on Chapel Hill commemorating ex-pupils who were killed 1914-18. The town also has a fine 'peace' memorial commemorating those who were killed during the Anglo-Boer War (1898-1900), to which a generalised reference to the First and Second World Wars was subsequently added. But there is no single focus of remembrance as is the case elsewhere.

This omission is misleading, because a war memorial - in two parts - of a very practical nature was built as a 'tribute to the gallant men who helped to save England in her hour of need'. The memorial took a very impactful form - two cottages at Lady Baye built for the 'accommodation of local sailors and soldiers disabled in the Great War'. The two cottages were the end-point for the aforementioned procession and with typical military precision General Walker would open the door of the first cottage at exactly 14:46! With funding from the proceeds of sale from Oaklands (a Clevedon beachfront property used as a convalescence hospital throughout the war years), the two bungalows, 'Vimy Ridge' and 'Jellalabad', were destined to be home to disadvantaged veterans and their families for almost a century. A public appeal for money would make up the cost of construction and, if sufficient, finance two further cottages (the latter did not transpire).

The War Memorial Cottages, Clevedon

The spirit of what was intended was captured in an article published in the Clevedon Mercury on the 24th March 1923. 

'Over four years have passed since the war ended, and while the country is net yet fit for heroes to live in,'' Clevedon at least has made a not unworthy attempt to make it so. In the years to come, some of the men who fought and suffered for their country will have reason feel that, so far as we could do so, we have made an attempt to make good their country's promise. The men sacrificed health, strength and limbs for us, and now the time has come to meet sacrifice with sacrifice. 'We do not call our gifts by that great name, for, compared with what they did for us, our effort counts but little.

The fine generosity of Clevedon residents makes our lovely little town a happy hunting ground for every charitable Society under the sun. Large sums of money are sent out of the town every year for such Societies, but this effort is made on behalf of our own Town and District, money given will remain in the Town, in the Memorial erected, and it will enable the men who in fine spirit of patriotism offered themselves in the hour of their Country's peril to spend the remainder of their lives in comparative comfort, and in the assurance that they will never want for a house to shelter them.'

Jelalabad Cottage - Now Derelict

The cottages were owned and managed by the Clevedon Trust for Disabled Sailors and Soldiers (CTDSS) from 1923 until 1964 at which point the charity was reconstituted as Clevedon Memorial Homes under the auspices of the Royal British Legion (RBL). Matters had come to a head at an RBL Committee meeting on the 16th April 1964 when it became apparent that one of the cottages had been unoccupied for 18 months. The eligibility criteria for tenancy were extended to included 'poor and aged' persons at that point. A minute from a CTDSS Committee meeting reveals that both properties were occupied by August of that year with Jellalabad commanding a rental of 30/- per week and Vimy Ridge 50/- per week. Whilst it would be inappropriate to refer to individual tenants, it is clear from RBL records that at least one of the cottages was occupied in 2009 when a rent review fell due.

In 2010 the Trustees of Clevedon Memorial Homes (CMH), working with the local RBL Branch, to which the charity was linked, made the pragmatic decision to transfer the ownership of the cottages (and therefore responsibility) to the Haig Housing Trust, a major national charity linked to the Royal British Legion, who own and run over 1500 houses for veterans over 50 locations. It is probable that the CMH Committee felt that with escalating repair costs and an obligation to keep rents artificially low, it would be best to allow a scaled-up national player to pick up responsibility. At the Clevedon Branch of the RBL AGM on the 16th November 2011 the relief of the erstwhile Trustees was palpable - minutes record 'the cottages have been taken over at last so that responsibility for running them has been lifted from the Branch Trustees' (my italics).

 

Vimy Ridge - Now Derelict

In 2016 the two cottages and the prime real estate they are sited on, were advertised for sale by the Haig Housing Trust, a development that caused a murmur of concern at a Clevedon Town Council meeting on the 24th February when Councillor David Shopland sought information about the terms of the original transfer and the nature of any restrictive covenants. From then on the facts are a little bit opaque but it seems that the plot and the two derelict cottages were sold for £940k in 2017.  Earlier this year the plot changed hands again and was bought at auction by a Bristol based property developer for £1.8m, complete with planning consent to demolish the bungalows and build two 'executive' homes, so presumably if there were any restrictive covenants then they had been lifted on the HM Land Registry record.

So what of the original intent as articulated in 1923? Well, the Haig Housing Trust do a wonderful job in housing veterans and their families and they do own and manage a property in Clevedon (purchased, I am told, from the proceeds of the sale of the Memorial Cottages). As for the proceeds from the first sale, I think it is safe to assume that they were put to good use in the furtherance of the Trust's charitable aims. My inclination is therefore, to conclude that the story has a satisfactory ending. 

However .... if anyone has further information about Clevedon's War Memorial cottages then please get in touch via the contact form on my home page.

With thanks to Jane Lilly, whose Uncle Derek had conveniently logged relevant newspaper articles. And to Mike Allison from Clevedon Royal British Legion who allowed me to interrogate the Branch archive.

Return to the Bulge (1944)

 It has been almost twenty years since I last explored the the Wacht am Rhein battlefield in the Ardennes, where Hitler launched the last great offensive on the Western Front in December 1944. Much has changed, some things for the better, and others for the worse. We hired a farmhouse near the strategically important town of Houffalize and planned an itinerary revisiting key locations in each of the three Wehrmacht attack areas. Firstly, the route of the German 6th Panzer Army pushing west in the lee of the Elsenborne Ridge, then Baron Monteuffel's 5th Panzer Army attacking on a central axis in the direction of Namur on the River Meuse and finally the flank attack by Brandenburger's 7th Army in the south (picking up the relief of Bastogne by the US 3rd Army). 

1st SS Panzer Regiment King Tiger at La Gleize

In the north, the four battle groups of Mohnke's 1st SS Leibstandarte Panzer Division was the best equipped formation, ordered to spearhead the drive to Antwerp over the River Meuse. We followed the route of Kampfgruppe Peiper, which initially fielded 266 AFVs, 64 large calibre guns and approximately 4,500 personnel. They never reached the Meuse and eventually 'ran out of steam' in the area of La Gleize and Trois-Ponts. Stiffening opposition, blown bridges, weather conducive to Allied air attacks and lack of fuel combined to forestall any further advances. Those AFVs that had not been knocked out during the advance, were disabled and left. The remaining 800 of Peiper's men fought their way back to the German lines on foot. During the advance they had left a bloody trail of atrocities culminating in the infamous Malmedy massacre. 

Parked outside the excellent December 44 Museum in La Gleize, one can find Tiger II 213, an original battlefield relic.

Display - December 44 Museum, La Gleize

The furthest distance covered by the attacking armies, was to the south though. The 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich and Panzer Lehr almost made it to the Meuse River, eventually being stopped near the town of Dinant. Bastogne had been bypassed but not before Bayerlein's Panzer Lehr had allowed themselves to be drawn into an unnecessary stand-off which sapped momentum from their advance movement. 

Bastogne has since become a focus of remembrance and whilst there is no doubt that the stoic defence of the town by the 101st Airborne Division was critical, many veterans felt that, as far as the entire battle is concerned, the plaudits should have been more widely distributed. Having said this, for the modern day visitor the 'Nuts' story is compelling and the way in which this episode has been brought to life in the excellent Bastogne Barracks Museum is extremely entertaining. 

Sherman 'Barracuda' in McAuliffe Square, Bastogne

Also within the perimeter of Bastogne Barracks is the War Heritage Institute who restore and refurbish AFVs, many dating from the Second World War period. One of their recent projects was the 'Houffalize Panther', an original battlefield relic which has been repaired, refurbished, repainted in new livery and renumbered correctly. The tank commands a wonderful position in the centre of Houffalize and as can be seen in the pictures below - now resides in a purpose built, covered installation with nearby explanatory display boards. This Panther V of the 116th Panzer Division was retrieved from the River Ourthe in 1948 having slipped off the town bridge when the Wehrmacht were pushed out of the town in January 1945. Images of the recovery and restoration work can be viewed here.

Panther V at Houffalize, 2005

Panther V at Houffalize, 2024

Whilst many of the battlefield relics in the Ardennes are well cared for (and there has been a huge amount of investment in many of the museums), the same cannot be said of the American Mardasson Memorial. The vast monumental structure at Mardasson commemorates the 76,890 American soldiers who were killed during the German Ardennes Offensive 16th Dec 1944 to 16th January 1945. when I last visited, the grounds around the memorial were beautifully kept, the memorial and the messages it conveyed were in seemingly tip-top condition and a walkway on top offered a panoramic view of the battlefield. The place was a magnet for veterans. On this last visit (September 2024) I was shocked to find the monument dilapidated and derelict, with locked gates blocking access to what is now an unkempt garden in the centre and the panoramic walkway. 

A view through the locked gates - Mardasson Memorial

With the 80th anniversary approaching it seems inexplicable that the American Battlefield Monuments Commission (ABMC) is not rushing to complete restoration work, already overdue, in time for the forthcoming commemorations. The work, if it ever does start, is in two phases. Phase 1: Cleaning and restoration of concrete, ironwork, gutters and painting of the monument and the crypt. Phase 2: Major restorations including the replacement of damaged stones, the installation of water-proofing and the rebuilding of damaged engravings and gildings. It seems that the ABMC only took responsibility for the site in 2020 so work was probably suspended because of the pandemic. Let's hope it resumes soon.* 

Achilles Mk 10 Tank Destroyer at Laroche

84th Infantry Division Mural - Marche-en-Femme

To the north west of Bastogne, lies the rather pretty town of Laroche where an Achilles Tank Destroyer commands an excellent view over the river valley below. It is here that the British 51st Highland Division and the American 84th Infantry Division 'Railsplitters' closed the western part of the German 'Bulge' on the 11th January 1945. The route of the latter, is marked by an impressive mural at Marche-en-Femme further to the West - painted at the behest of veterans for the 1994 anniversary.

Our final day was spent looking at the southern flank of Wacht am Rhein where Brandenburger's relatively lightly equipped (very few AFVs) 7th Army Grenadiers shielded the two attacking Panzer Armies to the north. They also took the full force of the US 3rd Army's counter attack from the south, a remarkable feat of logistical prowess by the Allies, where Patton changed the axis of his advance by 90 degrees in order to punch through to Bastogne and beyond.

Patton Statue and Memorial - Ettelbruck

In Luxembourg, Patton's liberation of the country is remembered vividly - and commemorated - to this day. Ettelbruck, home of the excellent Patton Museum and the Liberation of Luxembourg Memorial Park was known as 'Patton Town' for many years after the war (Patton, is of course, buried in Luxembourg City having been killed in a car accident shortly after the end of the war). On the occasion of our visit the town was full of jeeps and lorries displaying 1944 US Army livery. Re-enactors wore their WW2 era uniforms with pride and dance music from the likes of the Glen Miller Orchestra was being relayed through loud speakers on the High Street. 

In finishing this blog entry, I must say that the Ardennes Battlefield is vast and in writing these words I've simply picked out a few elements that have pricked my interest. There is much more to say!

* Response from the American Battlefield Monuments Commission

Thank you for visiting the Battle of the Bulge Monument at Bastogne. When we assumed responsibility for maintaining the monument we knew it required extensive cleaning and repair, but we did not know the full extent of its structural condition. While testing the structure the interior ceiling collapsed, leading us to place a protective fence around the monument for visitor safety. We then initiated a comprehensive Historic Structure study, the results of which we received recently. The report documented millions of dollars of work required to fully stabilize and restore the monument.

We are hopeful of receiving funding that will allow us to design the work needed this fiscal year and begin construction in FY 26, but there is no certainty of that in today’s Federal budget environment. In the meantime, the best we will be able to do for the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge is to clean the monument and grounds as much as possible. We regret the inconvenience and disappointment this causes, but we do not know when we will be able to open the interior of the monument to visitors. We are committed to fully restoring the monument as soon as funding allows.

For my 2024 Battle of the Bulge Flickr Portfolio click here.

To read about my 2005 visit click here.