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Auction: 15002 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 338

Naval General Service 1793-1840, one clasp, Trafalgar (John Bourda.), suspension slack, minor edge bruising, very fine

John Bourda served as Ordinary Seaman in H.M.S. Neptune 98 guns (Captain F. Fremantle) during the major fleet action off Cape Trafalgar between the British fleet under the command of Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson and the Franco-Spanish fleet under the command of Vice-Admiral P.C. de Villeneuve, 21.10.1805. At Trafalgar the Neptune 'was the third ship in the weather column. She got into action about 1.45pm, when she hauled up for the nearest of the enemy's ships, and passing immediately under the stern of the French Bucentaure, delivered her broadside into it with terrible effect. She then continued under the stern and along the starboard side of the Spanish Santissima Trinidad, and luffed up to leeward of the huge four-decker, which had already suffered badly, and which she fought until the Spaniard became wholly unmanageable. The Neptune was afterward somewhat severely handled by several ships of the combined van, which raked her after they bore up. She lost forty-four killed and wounded in the battle. Her masts and her standing and running rigging were all more or less damaged, and she had nine shots between wind and water. On the following day she took the Royal Sovereign in tow, but afterwards towed the Victory to Gibraltar.' (The Trafalgar Roll, The Officers, The Men, The Ships, Colonel R.H. Mackenzie refers).

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£5,000