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.