Preserving Le Genereux's Ensign

[Nightmoss]

An interesting YouTube video that someone posted on The Miniatures Page.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCL4098JE1s

[Bligh]

Most exciting Jim, as are the other videos associated with it especially the one on the Nelson memorabilia on display including his Tricorn.
Rob.

[Comte de Brueys]

What a massive flag. :shock:

Nice Video. :clap:

[Bligh]

What a massive flag. :shock:

Nice Video. :clap:

I hope all your flags will be to scale for the Nile Sven. http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/images/smilies/th_happy_186.gifhttp://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/images/smilies/th_happy_186.gifhttp://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/images/smilies/th_happy_186.gif

Bligh.:surrender:

[Union Jack]

Hope the Nile is too, to scale that is......

[Naharaht]

The huge flag, the Ensign of Le Généreux, is one of the most iconic objects connected to Norfolk’s most famous son, Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, and was given to the City of Norwich in 1800.

It will form the centrepiece of this summer’s Nelson & Norfolk exhibition which explores Nelson’s relationship with his home county. The display can be viewed at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery from 29 July to 1 October.

The story of the capture of the Ensign of Le Généreux

The story of the capture of the Ensign is the stuff of naval legend, worthy of a Hornblower novel.

Le Généreux was one of only two ships of the French fleet to escape the Battle of the Nile in 1798, the victory which sealed Nelson’s reputation as England’s greatest hero. A few days after the battle, Le Généreux succeeded in capturing the smaller British ship, HMS Leander, which was transporting Nelson’s flag captain, Edward Berry, carrying the dispatches from the Battle of the Nile. Berry was one of Nelson’s most trusted captains whom he once referred to as his “right hand”.

After this incident, Le Généreux, in a game of cat and mouse, went on to elude the British navy in the Mediterranean for a further 18 months until running into Captain Berry once again. This time Berry, in command of a larger ship, HMS Foudroyant, had the upper hand and succeeded in capturing Le Généreux. The French ship’s Tricolour Ensign was then ‘struck’, that is removed from the flagpole at the rear of the ship, indicating that she was no longer in battle.

The Ensign was immediately packed up to be sent to Norwich to be placed on display in the medieval splendour of St Andrews’ Hall, the most complete medieval friary complex surviving in this country and centre of civic life for hundreds of years. The flag was draped around the west window of St Andrews’ Hall, a source of civic pride and an emblem of Nelson’s affection and esteem for his birth county.

The Ensign was kept on display until 1897 and then placed in Norwich Castle Keep for the 1905 Centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar. It has not been publicly displayed since then.


Thank you very much for drawing our attention to this story, Jim. I must have missed it in the local news. I must go to see it once the exhibition is open. :thumbsup:

[Nightmoss]

An impressive flag and story. Considering its age and history the flag is in amazing shape.

If memory serves I also found an image of a very large Spanish ensign a couple of years back? The image may have been corrupted due to the hack we suffered? Found it again and it's in another British museum (National Maritime Museum in Greenwich)

28300

Museum website with more flags here. Check out this image of the ensign hanging from the outside of the museum!!

28301

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/567.html?_ga=1.222794648.2054623315.1488122698

[Bligh]

Looks as big as some sails.
Rob.

[Comte de Brueys]

Rare stuff.

Most WW 2 ships took their flags to the bottom of the Ocean.

[Bligh]

Rare stuff.

Most WW 2 ships took their flags to the bottom of the Ocean.

Much harder to board at long range! :wink:
Rob.