Untold Battle of Trafalgar

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The Untold Battle of Trafalgar - then as now.

C4 9pm Monday 28th June

Channel 4, C4 HD, Sky HD 140, Virgin TV HD 142, Freeview HD 52, Auto Record 1515.

Nelson famously signalled the Battle of Trafalgar with the words: 'England expects that every man will do his duty'. But of the 18,000 sailors fighting for King and Country, 1,400 were not British, with 25 different nationalities in all press-ganged into serving the British King.

By analysing the records of warship HMS Bellerophon, this fresh and action-packed account of the famous day reveals their fascinating story. Documentary evidence proves the Navy recruited hundreds of black sailors, many of them ex-slaves from the West Indies and America.

For many, the Royal Navy was the world's first equal opportunities employer, offering freedom, equal pay, and the chance for life-changing promotion. This film pays tribute to the diverse nationalities that sailed on 21 October 1805, united not by patriotism, but by a unique opportunity for performance-related pay.

The Admiralty promised every man at Trafalgar - irrespective of race, creed or colour - a fair share of any captured enemy ships. If they defeated the entire Combined Fleet, even the humblest sailor might become the equivalent of a millionaire.

Between these brave foreigners and a potential fortune, stood the bloodiest battle in naval history, a great storm and the mortal danger of fire, drowning or shipwreck.

Sail a Tall Ship - as they did in 1805

You can sail in the same way they did 1805 but we do have some advantages they did not have. Instead of ships biscuit we have good food and instead of hammocks we have bunks. We also have hot showers and full modern safety and navigation equipment.

Experience life as the crew with hands on sailing!

You can climb the rigging to set and hand the sails just as they did, you can steer the ship with a ships wheel just as they did, you can trim the sails with ropes and teams just as they did, you can scan the horizon for dangers and land just as they did.

Going aloft is not compulsory and no previous sailing experience is required.

Classic Sailing has voyages this summer, autumn and winter in the UK and abroad.

See our full schedule here.