Cadet honour for hero of Trafalgar
TYNESIDE UNIT TO BE RENAMED TODAY
A TYNESIDE sea cadet unit will be renamed today in honour of a Battle of Trafalgar hero who is buried near their base.
The Gateshead sea cadet unit TS Flamingo is called after a small warship built on the Clyde in 1939 for convoy escort duties.
But at a ceremony at the base opposite the Copthorne Hotel, the unit will be re-christened as TS Leviathan.
The 74-gun Leviathan was in the thick of the Battle of Trafalgar, when among the 17 Geordies in her crew was the ship’s master, Gateshead’s John William Trotter.
His role was in navigating and general handling of the ship, under the captain’s orders, which involved the manoeuvring of Leviathan in battle. At Trafalgar, he would have spent the battle on deck exposed to cannon and musket fire.
He survived Trafalgar and returned to live on Tyneside. In 1850, he was buried at St Mary’s Church on the Gateshead riverside, 80 years after being christened there.
The cadets played their part, together with the local Royal Naval Association, in restoring John Trotter’s grave and each Trafalgar Day they lead a short service at the location.
David Byrne, chairman of Gateshead Sea Cadet Unit, said nobody knew why the base had been named after the sloop Flamingo.
“The cadets don’t like the name. They take part in events with other units which have names like Courageous and Indefatigable,” said David.
“When we are asked about the story behind the name Flamingo, we don’t know.
“We thought there was a stronger connection with Leviathan and John Trotter, which is a story which deserves to be told.”
The re-naming ceremony will be attended by the Deputy Mayor of Gateshead, the area sea cadet captain, representatives of the Marine Society, Royal Naval Reserve, Trinity House, St Mary’s Heritage Centre, the Collingwood Society and Royal Naval Association.
The unit welcomes young people between the ages of 10 and 18.
John Trotter became master of Leviathan after a career spanning service in several warships.
He was christened at St Mary’s Church on October 2, 1770. His parents, George and Dorothy, ran the Goat Inn on nearby Bottle Bank in Gateshead, where the Hilton Hotel now stands.
In 1785, John was apprenticed for seven years to Captain William Usher, a Newcastle master mariner.
He later served in the sloops HMS Sylph, HMS Hermes and HMS Venus, and in 1802 John joined the 74-gun HMS Magnificent as master, switching to HMS Leviathan on December 23, 1803.
At Trafalgar he was able to manoeuvre Leviathan to attack the Spanish ship San Augustin, raking her with fire and causing such huge casualties that she surrendered.