The Trafalgar Cemetery, Gibraltar

Last week Julie and I were in Gibraltar. We walked right to the end of Main Street and stumbled across the Trafalgar cemetery. A quiet little piece of Britain in a bustling, loud modern urbanisation.

It may be over 200 years ago, but I still find the stories of each and every one of these heroes from our history, deeply moving. I shudder at young Mr Forster suffering with his injuries for two months before succumbing to them. His ship HMS Colussus, was third in Admiral Collingwood's line. It suffered more casualties than any other British ship of the line at Trafalgar. 46 killed and 160 wounded which includes Mr Forster. At just 20 years of age, that young man must have witnessed unimaginable horrors before spending two months in agony prior to his death. It may have seemed 'glorious' to those who survived, but for the victims?

Mr Norman's ship, HMS Mars was next in line to HMS Colussus. She lost 29 men and had 69 wounded. In total we lost 449 men killed and 1241 wounded, the French and Spanish fleets lost 4408 men killed and 2545 wounded.

The ultimate outcome of the victory was to secure the supremacy of the Royal Navy on the high seas for the next hundred years, and the end to any threat of invasion from France. It lead Napoleon to his Continental strategy, and possibly to his disastrous campaign against the Russians in 1812.

I believe we still owe them as high a debt of gratitude as our modern day heroes in Afghanistan. Time should not diminish their memory. So the next time you're in Trafalgar Square and you look up at Nelson, spare a quick thought for the fellows who didn't get to come back. Better still, if you're on the Costa del Sol, take a trip to Gibraltar and put some money in the collection box so their graves are kept in the manner that they deserve.


nick