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QI: The English Armada

Darts

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mandrill

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The Fox

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To be fair the American naval vessels are dry, so their sailors are not afforded the opportunity to practice. Where as the Brits practically lived on grog. The Brits, being islanders, have a very long naval tradition and any engagement hesitantations were removed from their officers' corps when the Admiralty had Byng executed, setting an example and delivering a valuable lesson that paid off thousand fold over the next couple of centuries.
Ha, yep. So true. We had daily beer rashions and drank every night unless you were on duty. We had a lot of practice.

It just reminded me of a cool thing we did in our mess. Beer was given to us yet we had to sign for it every day. Every mess had an official beer monitor to make sure we signed for our daily tins.

We’d then have an honor system and buy the free beer back from the beer fridge for 50p for a can. That would go into a kitty that would be spent on a team meal together in the next port. Amazing system that id totally forgotten about.

Don’t get me started on the Florida Bar in Mombasa. Given the forum we’re on, you’d all have loved that place.
 

poker

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Niagara
Hey Darts! I hear the pirate bought his lady a pair of ear-rings for $2.00. He paid a 'buck an ear!"
Hey Mandrill... In Jamaica, a Coconut Cream Pie costs $9.00. In Haiti, Key Lime pie costs $7.00

Those are the Pie-rates of the Caribbean.
 
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mandrill

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Ha, yep. So true. We had daily beer rashions and drank every night unless you were on duty. We had a lot of practice.

It just reminded me of a cool thing we did in our mess. Beer was given to us yet we had to sign for it every day. Every mess had an official beer monitor to make sure we signed for our daily tins.

We’d then have an honor system and buy the free beer back from the beer fridge for 50p for a can. That would go into a kitty that would be spent on a team meal together in the next port. Amazing system that id totally forgotten about.

Don’t get me started on the Florida Bar in Mombasa. Given the forum we’re on, you’d all have loved that place.
So did you blokes have a daily rum ration and grog ration as well?
 

The Fox

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So did you blokes have a daily rum ration and grog ration as well?
Ahh the grog. Pussers rum was a bit before my time Mandrill. It was certainly a thing. I suspect way too many matelots getting shit faced on the job.
 
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Insidious Von

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In the year 468 AD the Vandal King of Carthage Gasieric faced an invasion by an Eastern Roman Armada. He knew that if they made landfall he would be toast. So he set fire to most of his ships and drove them into the Byzantine Navy, they eventually retreated. The event caused the complete downfall of the Western Roman Empire.

Not sure why Walter Raleigh is more famous than Francis Drake, his achievements pale in comparison. In Cate Blanchett's sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age, they rewrite history with the defeat of the Spanish Armada attributed to Raleigh - played by Owen Wilson. Drake isn't even in the film.

 
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mandrill

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In the year 468 AD the Vandal King of Carthage Gasieric faced an invasion by an Eastern Roman Armada. He knew that if they made landfall he would be toast. So he set fire to most of his ships and drove them into the Byzantine Navy, they eventually retreated. The event caused the complete downfall of the Western Roman Empire.

Not sure why Walter Raleigh is more famous than Francis Drake, his achievements pale in comparison. In Cate Blanchett's sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age, they rewrite history with the defeat of the Spanish Armada attributed to Raleigh - played by Owen Wilson. Drake isn't even in the film.

No, in the UK, Drake is the big superstar hero. Raleigh is just a supporting actor. I'm not sure why they changed it in the movie.
 

The Fox

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They’re all Sea Dogs.

Francis Drake was way more successful, yet, Walter Raleigh must have been liked a lot, they named the RN training base after him. Probsbly provided a few hand jobs.
 

danmand

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No, in the UK, Drake is the big superstar hero. Raleigh is just a supporting actor. I'm not sure why they changed it in the movie.
There is a replica of The Golden Hind close to Tower Bridge in London.

 

mandrill

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There is a replica of The Golden Hind close to Tower Bridge in London.

Yes, Drake and Nelson are the "Big Two" in British naval history. They're in all the history books aimed at young boys.
 

danmand

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Yes, Drake and Nelson are the "Big Two" in British naval history. They're in all the history books aimed at young boys.
Danish people are not so fond of Nelson. He commanded the British navy in the first battle of Copenhagen 1801.

I don''t quite know why, but in the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown, there is a full wall with a depiction of the battle of Copenhagen.
 

Insidious Von

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Danish people are not so fond of Nelson. He commanded the British navy in the first battle of Copenhagen 1801.
After watching the excellent Mads Mikkelsen/Alicia Vikander film A Royal Affair, I did some reading of the events, the Danes brought it on themselves.

The film glossed over some of the more gruesome aspects of the story. From what I read the Christian VII had Down Syndrome, his Queen and her consort Dr. Johan Struensee were attempting to bring Denmark into the Enlightenment but the nobility wouldn't accept it. They staged a counter- modernization coup, the brain addled King was locked up and Struensse, who banned torture, was hung drawn and quartered. His body parts were hung up as food for crows. They supported Napoleon but the French Navy wasn't strong enough in the North sea. Denmark lost it's remaining land holdings in Europe.

 

jcpro

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What always amazes me is the price the early seafarers were willing to pay . It was completely common for an ordinary transport to leave, say Hamburg, on a Baltic or the North Sea run and simply disappear, never to be seen again. Magellan left with 270 men and only 18 men made it back. The attrition rates for the trade with Far East was just horrible. It was common for the ships to lose 3/4 of the crew on a single voyage. Even the lower decks on the warships were suffering many fold greater casualties in peace than in combat. Life use to be much cheaper that's for sure.
 
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