Calling all H.M.S. Victory (1778) fans

[Iceman 29]

1925:

https://youtu.be/AdkCgWeXLfE

[Iceman 29]

I had the great pleasure of visiting the Victory undergoing restoration in September 2015 in her dry dock, the ship was in great need, the percentage of authentic pieces decreasing from decade to decade as the work required to keep her in good condition.

I recommend this visit if you're passionate about this type of ship. Luckily, the weather was fine, so I was able to take some photos inside without flash.

I think these images will be useful to some.

Let's get to the pictures:

[Iceman 29]

Some additional photos taken by my wife.



















Then the visit came to an unhappy end - I'd have stayed for hours if I'd been alone! But we'll be going back for sure, now that the work is finished and it's back to full mast.

[Dan K]

Wow. Thank you for posting these, Pascal.

[Iceman 29]

You're welcome Dan. If it helps..

I've read almost all the novels by Cecil Scott Forester , Alexander Kent, and of course Patrick O'Brian. This visit was the culmination of all these adventures, many of them tragic.
During my visit, I immersed myself in all these stories, which were very close to the reality of the period.

[Iceman 29]

How an 18th Century Sailing Battleship Works:

Part 1:

https://youtu.be/61SYvhojGvg

Part II:

https://youtu.be/TrC3yMMDsc8

[Iceman 29]

"The Gunner in Nelson's Navy:

The man responsible for keeping the ship battle-ready was the �gunner.� He belonged to the corps of warrant officers, which also included the carpenter, purser, and boatswain. These officers operated under a warrant, as opposed to the �commission� held by higher-ranked officers. The gunner, like the other warrant officers, was appointed by the Navy Board.

His primary responsibility, as the title suggests, was managing the ship�s ordnance. Gunners were usually former petty officers or able seamen who had risen through the ranks by demonstrating their capabilities, although exceptions existed, with some gunners being former midshipmen."

Heart of Oak. HMWarships.

A gunner aboard HMS Victory. Source: hippostcard.com

[dafi]

Thank you Pascal!

Although I would rate the guy on the card a normal seaman

And here is Mr. William Rivers, born 1755, died 1817, he was the gunner on board the Victory from 1790 up to 1812.



This was his career:
Triumph / Gunner 27-02-1781 bis 17-12-1781
Conquistatador / Able Seaman 12-03-1782 bis 29-07-1782
Triumph / ? 14-10-1782 bis 09-12-1782
Triumph / Gunner 10-12-1782 bis 30-11-1787
Barfleur / Gunner 01-12-1787 bis 30-05-1790
Victory / Gunner 31-05-1790 bis 25-01-1812

Battles, all on Victory:
Battle of Hyeres 13-07-1795
2te Schlacht von Cap St. Vincent 14-02-1797
Trafalgar 21-10-1805

He lived for 22 years in the starboard aft "cabin" of the gun room.Here we see him leaving his bunk.





Here is a nice recollection of the duties of a gunner.
https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/bit ... equence=19

XXXDAn