Famous message flies again
A famous message flew from the mast at H.M.N.Z.S. Pegasus in Montreal Street yesterday, Trafalgar Day. It was Admiral Lord Nelson’s famous message to the Fleet as it prepared to
do battle against the French and Spanish fleets off Cape Trafalgar on October 21, 1805: “England expects that every man will do his, duty.” To fly this message at Pegasus required 31 flags, six of which, no longer in existence, had to be specially made by the wife of Petty Officer G. P. Cust, a member of the staff.
Petty Officer Cust, shown raising the flags, and who served in the Royal Navy for 10 years, said that it was the first time Nelson’s message had been flown on Trafalgar Day in the nine years he had been at H.M.N.Z.S. Pegasus. Of two large bags of flags, 26 were used in the message, while Mrs Cust made up the other six from some bunting. The only other naval establishment in New Zealand from which the message flew yesterday was H.M.N.Z.S. Philomel, at Auckland, which has a full set of the flags.
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Press, 22 October 1976, Page 3
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185Famous message flies again Press, 22 October 1976, Page 3
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