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Chairman’s Dispatch Archive

“Perseverance . . . will most probably meet its reward”

Issue number: 38 – November 2013 (KA 38)

Call me a romantic if you will, but I have started writing this issue’s Chairmans’ Dispatch at 6am on Monday, 21st October on the very weekday (Monday) of the 208th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and at the time that the Combined Fleet of France and Spain was sighted by the British fleet! Thomas Atkinson, VICTORY’s sailing master, recorded in the ship’s log, ‘At 6 observed the enemy E by S distance 10 or 12 miles.’

Given that the battle did not start for another six hours. Nelson and the fifty thousand other souls present that day had much time to contemplate their fate. We know that at the climax of his career Nelson was composed and in excellent spirits. He wrote a codicil to his will bequeathing Lady Hamilton and their daughter Horatia to the nation, and then wrote the few lines that are regarded as amongst the finest written by any soldier or sailor about to go into battle. The prose is unfussy and mellifluous and surgeon William Beatty described it as a ‘devout and fervent ejaculation, which must be universally admired as truly characteristic of the Christian hero’. The prayer was written in his personal pocket book and, as ever thinking of posterity, he made a copy of it. It is always worth quoting in full:

To read the full Chairman’s Dispatch please download the PDF here.

A list of all the past editions of the Kedge Anchor is available here.

The view from the bridge

Issue number: 54

The view from the bridge

Issue number: 53

Observations from the Chairman

Issue number: 52

Interpreting history and our naval heroes

Issue number: 50

Rejoice, Reflection and Remembrance

Issue number: 49

Toppling our heroes

Issue number: 48

Success to The 1805 Club!

Issue number: 47

For the benefit of Europe in general

Issue number: 46

Nelson, health and leadership

Issue number: 45

War and Peace

Issue number: 44

Emma Hamilton: England’s friend

Issue number: 43

The Royal Navy won the Battle of Waterloo

Issue number: 42

“The Old Admiral”

Issue number: 41

“Humanity after victory”

Issue number: 40

“We gave them their Valentines in style”

Issue number: 39

“Perseverance . . . will most probably meet its reward”

Issue number: 38

We have met the enemy and they are ours

Issue number: 37

Golden Ages of the Royal Navy

Issue number: 36

A time for wreaths

Issue number: 35

Pageantry on the River Thames

Issue number: 34

Of Wooden Walls

Issue number: 33

Lest we forget

Issue number: 32

Working together to achieve the task

Issue number: 31

Remember Nelson

Issue number: 30

Set up for a conjurer

Issue number: 29

Changing regime. Constant objectives

Issue number: 28

The hero of the Tyne

Issue number: 27

The Boast of Old Northumberland

Issue number: 26

From Victory to Daring

Issue number: 25

Farewell to Colin

Issue number: 24

A Birthday To Remember

Issue number: 23

From the Baltic to Burnham Thorpe

Issue number: 22

Nelson 250: A celebration founded on the hero’s optimistic spirit

Issue number: 21

“We must endeavour to follow his example . . .”

Issue number: 20

“None of my reputation has been diminished in the late Glorious Action”

Issue number: 19

Friendship, Humanity and Heroism

Issue number: 18

The Immortal Memory

Issue number: 17

Such glory and such graves to share

Issue number: 16

Beyond Trafalgar

Issue number: 15

The Full Nelson

Issue number: 14

Engage The Trafalgar Festival more closely!

Issue number: 13

The Celebration of Nelson

Issue number: 12

Trafalgar Bicentenary

Issue number: 11

“I have the honour and happiness to command . . .”

Issue number: 10

The 1805 and 2005

Issue number: 09

A personal statement from the Chairman

Issue number: 08

Wanted: Twenty Prizes!

Issue number: 07

The 1805 Club launches The Trafalgar Captains Memorial

Issue number: 06

Nelson returns to Wales and the Midlands

Issue number: 05

The Chairman’s Dispatch

Issue number: 04

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The 1805 Club is a charity registered in England and Wales: No. 1071871
President : Admiral Sir Jonathon Band GCB DL Chairman : G W (Bill) White

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