HMS George - A Sad End; A Lasting Tribute

Yesterday I read an article about recently found treasure recovered from a sunken ships. As many as we find, especially with today's technologies, there are still more out there. Planes, too, from the different war conflicts as well as passenger carriers. It's sad. As a matter of fact, yesterday, April 15, once more marked the sinking of the Titanic. I saw the exhibit about fifteen years ago, with all the artifacts that were recovered at that time. Personal effects, like a wallet, or pair of glasses, are the most poignant to me.

Looking into 18th Century maritime disasters, I found one of the worst for Great Britain and the Royal Navy, dated August 28, 1782. HMS Royal George, a 100 gun ship of the line, met with disaster upon its return from North America. It was due to accompany famed HMS Victory  (Lord Horatio Nelson's ship at Battle of Trafalgar) to Gibraltar when it capsized of Portsmouth Harbor. It sank while undergoing routine maintenance, with the loss of over 900 souls, among them 360 women and children who had boarded to visit with friends and family. It turned on its side and the sea quickly ran in through open gun ports.

Built in Woolwich Dockyard, it was launched in February 1756, the largest warship in the world at the time. It saw service during the Seven Years War, taking part in the Battle of Quiberon Bay and the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, two major confrontations. It lay in these dock waters for 50 years, until two divers, from 1834 to 1836 devised a plan to remove it so it was out of the way of the entrance to the harbor. Though they failed to salvage the ship, they discovered the Mary Rose, King Henry VIII's lost ship.

From 1839-44, Royal Engineers savaged many of the bronze cannons from The George which were later used to craft part of the Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square in London, a tribute to Lord Nelson! To rid the harbor of the obstruction, the engineers planted an explosive in the ship's remains, and Boom! It was gone! The explosion actually shattered windows ashore as far as three miles away.