FOREWORD
October
21st 2005 marks the second centenary of
the Royal Navy’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar over the combined
forces of the French and Spanish fleets. Great Britain will once again,
deservedly, celebrate Admiral Lord Nelson’s heroic contribution. Defeat
would undoubtedly have led to the invasion of our island nation, Napoleon’s
superior land army would probably have forced the British into subjugation
and I certainly would not have been writing this ‘Foreword’.
Nelson, however, did not achieve the success on his own. The Norfolk admiral
was mortally wounded at an early stage in the conflict and he was removed
from the scene, leaving his second in command, Rear-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood,
to oversee the battle and receive the swords of surrender from his country’s
enemies.
For Collingwood, the campaign did not end on the 21st October. The ageing
seaman, who had spent barely four years on English soil since joining
the navy at the age of twelve, was obliged to stay in foreign waters to
keep the peace and ensure that Britannia ruled the waves. For the following
five years he controlled the British fleet in the Mediterranean and he
was destined never to return to his beloved wife and daughters.
Cuthbert Collingwood was modest, brave and wise but it was his devotion
to King and Country and his unwavering sense of duty that set him apart.
After Trafalgar he continued the unglamorous task of patrolling the seas
and blockading the ports. His constant vigilance allowed Britain to arm
itself for the showdown at Waterloo when Napoleon Bonaparte was finally
defeated.
As a distant relative of the Northumberland family, I have known of Lord
Collingwood’s
achievements and I feel honoured to share the family name. I am also
aware that there has been no recent publication that adequately tells
the story of the great Vice Admiral... until now. Andrew Griffin’s research
is thorough and the fascinating events of Collingwood’s life and death
are described in persuasive and compelling detail. The people of Tyneside
may be surprised to learn of the influence that Cuthbert Collingwood
exerted during the Georgian period and the impact he had on world events.
This entertaining book celebrates, and reaffirms, the place in history
of one of the North East’s greatest sons.

Charles Collingwood
Brian Aldridge of The Archers BBC Radio 4.
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