David K Bird

Mediterranean Waters Return to Sainte Maxime David K Bird

Forward I have served our nation in the service of His Majesties Royal Navy for more years than I care to remember progressing in that time from midshipman to captain. Over the years, I have witnessed much to take pride in and much that in all honesty I find to horrific to dwell upon in conversation. Along with the men of my ships company and our faithful ship HMS Advantage we have together taken part in several sea battles including the greatest of them all Trafalgar. The loss of Admiral Lord Nelson shocked the nation but the Royal Navy deprived Napoleon of his ambition to rule the waves stopping him becoming the dominant maritime power with his ambition of European expansion. A musket ball severed Nelson's spine but he lived long enough to hear he had won the battle. Death and destruction in such a confined battleground have always gone together aboard ship and the sadness that brings has never been far away. The grim reaper has always demanded his payment, to many a sailor the loss of a limb is a small price to pay for escaping the clutches of the reaper.