My mental picture of battle changed after reading a Walcheren Campaign Diary

[Aaron]

Included in the fantastic book The War for All Oceans.

I don’t have the book in front of me but the the entry was from a Lieutenant aboard a ship bombarding Flushings. He described everyone on the deck as men whom you couldn’t distinguish from black faced chimney sweeps. It was so hot that he removed his coat, necktie, etc. Once the shot started firing about he hauled on the ropes with the men, the skin worn off four of his fingers working the cannons.

I thought that the powder smoke was white. Now I’m envisioning everyone below deck with black soot faces and wide white eyes peering out of the gunports. Not the image I had prior.

[Bligh]

Black Powder says it all really Aaron. you should see my white shirt after a battle and I as an officer only stand on the end directing fire.
Rob.

[David Manley]

Different combustion products display different colours, hence the black/grey/white appearance of a black powder cloud, but the name says it all.

Its still an issue with modern explosives too. In a trial I conducted a few years ago with a charge detonating underwater the plume of water from the blast - think WW2 depth charge explosion movies - got caught by a gust of wind and came down on top of a white car belonging to one of the trials team. Well it used to be white - was then a sort of mucky grey colour that was extremely difficult to wash off!!