Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood

Cuthbert Collingwood was a Royal Navy officer and one of Horatio Nelson’s closest professional contemporaries. He served through the wars with Revolutionary and Napoleonic France and commanded HMS Royal Sovereign at Trafalgar in 1805, leading the lee column into the combined French and Spanish fleet.

After Nelson was mortally wounded, Collingwood assumed overall command and faced the immediate problem of preserving damaged ships and prizes during the severe storm that followed the battle. His conduct during both the action and its aftermath made him one of the central commanders of Trafalgar. Tim Clayton and Phil Craig’s Trafalgar gives particular attention to the experiences of officers and sailors during the battle and gale.