Trafalgar Day

[N. McKay]

Happy Trafalgar Day everyone. Those who are of age, have a tot of Nelson's blood to commemorate the occasion -- the rest of you please stick to a glass of Coke! :)

[SmileForMe]

Yes, please! :) Heh.

Speaking of which.. Trafalgar Days Competition is quite some time away yet! But hopefully we'll see all you NB Sea Cadets there in January!

:D

[Gungod]

Happy Trafalgar Day everyone. Those who are of age, have a tot of Nelson's blood to commemorate the occasion -- the rest of you please stick to a glass of Coke! :)

Wardroom Meeting tonight, Pussers it shall be......

[N. McKay]

Wardroom Meeting tonight, Pussers it shall be......

A couple of us are planning the same thing. No mean feat, since it's not yet available in New Brunswick!

[LCdr Gene Fedderly]

I attended the Trafalgar Mess Dinner held at VENTURE last night and it was an honour to be present at such an occasion. It was a somewhat subdued affair and the speech not all that entertaining or inspiring, but a good time nonetheless. If you want to read an excellent article about the relevance of Trafalgar to the Canadian Navy today, find the latest issue of the "Starshell" which is the newsletter of the Naval Officers' Association of Canada. I'll post it if I can find it electronically. Until that time, has everyone seen this?


Modern-Day Trafalgar

Nelson: "Order the signal, Hardy."

Hardy: "Aye, sir."

Nelson: "Hold on, that's not what I dictated to the signal officer. What's the meaning of this?"

Hardy: "Sorry sir?"

Nelson (reading aloud): " England expects every person to do his duty, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious persuasion or disability". "What gobbledygook is this?"

Hardy: "Admiralty policy, I'm afraid, sir. We're an equal opportunities employer now. We had the devil's own job getting ' England ' past the censors, lest it be considered racist."

Nelson: "Gadzooks, Hardy. Hand me my pipe and tobacco."

Hardy: "Sorry sir. All naval vessels have been designated smoke-free working environments."

Nelson: "In that case, break open the rum ration. Let us splice the main brace to steel the men before battle."

Hardy: "The rum ration has been abolished, Admiral. Its part of the Government's policy on binge drinking."

Nelson: "Good heavens, Hardy. I suppose we'd better get on with it ....full speed ahead."

Hardy: "I think you'll find that there's a 4 knot speed limit in this stretch of water."

Nelson: "Damn it man! We are on the eve of the greatest sea battle in history. We must advance with all dispatch. Report from the crow's nest please."

Hardy: "That won't be possible, sir."

Nelson: "What?"

Hardy: "Health and safety have closed the crow's nest, sir. No harness. And they said that rope ladder doesn't meet regulations. They won't let anyone up there until a proper scaffolding can be erected."

Nelson: "Then get me the ship's carpenter without delay, Hardy."

Hardy: "He's busy knocking up a wheelchair access to the fo'c'sle, Admiral."

Nelson: "Wheelchair access? I've never heard anything so absurd."

Hardy: "Health and safety again, sir. We have to provide a barrier- free environment for the differently abled."

Nelson: "Differently abled? I've only one arm and one eye and I refuse even to hear mention of the word. I didn't rise to the rank of admiral by playing the disability card."

Hardy: "Actually, sir, you did. The Royal Navy is under- represented in the areas of visual impairment and limb deficiency."

Nelson: "Whatever next? Give me full sail. The salt spray beckons."

Hardy: "A couple of problems there too, sir. Health and safety won't let the crew up the rigging without hard hats. And they don't want anyone breathing in too much salt - haven't you seen the adverts?"

Nelson: "I've never heard such infamy. Break out the cannon and tell the men to stand by to engage the enemy."

Hardy: "The men are a bit worried about shooting at anyone, Admiral."

Nelson: "What? This is mutiny."

Hardy: "It's not that, sir. It's just that they're afraid of being charged with murder if they actually kill anyone. There's a couple of legal-aid lawyers on board, watching everyone like hawks."

Nelson: "Then how are we to sink the Frenchies and the Spanish?"

Hardy: "Actually, sir, we're not."

Nelson: "We're not?"

Hardy: "No, sir. The Frenchies and the Spanish are our European partners now. According to the Common Fisheries Policy, we shouldn't even be in this stretch of water. We could get hit with a claim for compensation."

Nelson: "But you must hate a Frenchman as you hate the devil."

Hardy: "I wouldn't let the ship's diversity co-ordinator hear you saying that sir. You'll be up on disciplinary."

Nelson: "You must consider every man an enemy, who speaks ill of your King."

Hardy: "Not any more, sir. We must be inclusive in this multicultural age. Now put on your Kevlar vest; it's the rules. It could save your life"

Nelson: "Don't tell me - health and safety. Whatever happened to rum, sodomy and the lash?"

Hardy: As I explained, sir, rum is off the menu! And there's a ban on corporal punishment."

Nelson: "What about sodomy?"

Hardy: "I believe that is to be encouraged now, sir."

Nelson: "In that case ...kiss me, Hardy".

[N. McKay]

Starshell is published on the NOAC website (probably in the members' area), but that appears not to be working today.

[TWoyma]

Happy Trafalgar Day! :)

LT(N) Fedderly: Good read; it made me chuckle (and shake my head a little, too ;) )

[CaptPilk]

Great story Gene...

I'm sure it will keep my thoughts humored as I endure the 3 hour recounting of the Battle of Trafalgar at HMCS Nonsuch tomorrow night...

[woody_woodcraft]

How did i manage to resist shouting "WE WON!" yesterday...especially to the spaniards that gave us evils

[D-Train]

Trafalgar Weepers were held yesterday on board HMCS Donnacona. A good time was had by all.

I read in the apaper this summer that they refought the battle of Trafalgar in a recreation to honour the 200th anniversary, but instead of French/Spanish against British, they relabeled the fleets "Blue" and "Red". In an age of political correctness, leave it to Nelson's descendant, who was on hand as a guest of honour, to point out that this was very foolish and that we all know which side each really was.

I think the red side won...

[N. McKay]

Trafalgar Weepers were held yesterday on board HMCS Donnacona. A good time was had by all.

We had a small dinner tonight with "Enagage the Enemy More Closely" (P1 and P6) hoisted on my flagpole; I hope everyone else enjoyed Trafalgar Day as much as my wingers and I did.

[lone bugler]

well im an air cadet but lord nelson has been one of my heros, too bad he only made it to vice admarial of the white i due belelive. i've also wisited trafalgar square in britian and it is quite breathtaking. i guess i'll just stick to the coke but happy trafalgar day everyone!

[N. McKay]

well im an air cadet but lord nelson has been one of my heros, too bad he only made it to vice admarial of the white i due belelive. i've also wisited trafalgar square in britian and it is quite breathtaking. i guess i'll just stick to the coke but happy trafalgar day everyone!

I haven't been there yet, but it's definitely on my list of things to see.

[N. McKay]

Thinking about it a bit more, another thing to see would be HMS VICTORY, which is still in commission and in the care of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth.

[James]

LT(N) Fedderly - Great, seen it loads of times before sir!!

Been to a traff dinner and the UKSCC national traff parade in traffalgar sq london is on sundaqy! !

[josh sylvester]

Was on my Districts Trafalgar Parade yesterday.

[MC Romance]

May possibly be doing the UKSCC National Trafalgar Day Parade on Sunday which should be fun.

[Comms]

The UK Trafalgar Day Parade is on Sunday the 26th of October, if anyones passing through London, make sure your down in Trafalgar Square to watch us ;)

[MC Romance]

I'm not going on the UKSCC Traf Parade and unfortunately i'm in Norwich so I can't watch it either.

[N. McKay]

I'm not going on the UKSCC Traf Parade and unfortunately i'm in Norwich so I can't watch it either.

We don't have Trafalgar Day parades in Canada but my unit's XO and resident military historian will be giving the cadets a short talk on the occasion tonight.

[colgate]

Thinking about it a bit more, another thing to see would be HMS VICTORY, which is still in commission and in the care of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth.

I went on a school trip in high school and got a tour of her Sir. It's a pretty impressive ship. There's a plaque where he was shot and I remember tripping over it. On that trip I belive I got to see where he was shot, where on the ship he died, the bullet and where he was buried. but I'll have to dig though the photo albums to find it.

[LastGunner]

The HMS Victory is certainly something worth seeing the longest serving ship in the RN. Cheers to all of you and "tis to Glory we steer".

[Sexton]

I went on HMS Victory this summer for a tour of it ..
it was definitely an amazing ship ..
the place where Lord Nelson was shot and the final picture are in areas of the ship that you cannot take any pictures though, so I would certainly hope everyone respected that and no one has pictures of it ..

[colgate]

I went on HMS Victory this summer for a tour of it ..
it was definitely an amazing ship ..
the place where Lord Nelson was shot and the final picture are in areas of the ship that you cannot take any pictures though, so I would certainly hope everyone respected that and no one has pictures of it ..

I don't remember there being any restrictions like that when I went but that was 10 years ago.

[Xander]

Yes, please! :) Heh.

Speaking of which.. Trafalgar Days Competition is quite some time away yet! But hopefully we'll see all you NB Sea Cadets there in January!

:D


You forgot us PEI cadets that go to!! :D

[DA Wright]

Happy Trafalgar day to all those in dark blue!

[N. McKay]

You forgot us PEI cadets that go to!! :D

How could anyone forget the PEI cadets? RCSCC BLUE HERON cleaned up the year before last!

But back to Trafalgar Day itself, I guess we all learned this year that the Spanish are better at soccer than armadas!

[N. McKay]

Happy Trafalgar day to all those in dark blue!

... who, for the first time in most of our lives, once again belong to the Royal Canadian Navy!

[GWP]

I attended the Trafalgar Mess Dinner held at VENTURE last night and it was an honour to be present at such an occasion. It was a somewhat subdued affair and the speech not all that entertaining or inspiring, but a good time nonetheless.

Had every intention to attend but my temporary peg leg got in the way.


If you want to read an excellent article about the relevance of Trafalgar to the Canadian Navy today, find the latest issue of the "Starshell" which is the newsletter of the Naval Officers' Association of Canada. I'll post it if I can find it electronically.

The last edition on line is from June, but you may keep watch here.

http://www.noac-national.ca/Starshell%20Summer%202011.pdf

[LCdr B.T. Bevvan]

I attended a Trafalgar Day reception with the Kemptville Ontario Navy League Branch that sponsors RCSCC DEFIANT on the 21st. Highlight of the night was a tour of their new stone frigate which is a hundred year old former small armoury that had for some time been used as the Kemptville Fire Hall. The building seems to be just about the rgiht sized for the Corps which they hope to build into about 50 cadets and still retains the ambiance of its oriinal military usage. The building is in very good shape and the DEFIANT crew is very busily making it into their happy home.:seasalute: