Biography

Willemoes was born on 11 May 1783 in Assens

Assens

Assens may refer to:* Assens, Denmark** Assens Municipality* Assens, Switzerland* Rafael Cansinos-Asséns , a Spanish poet, essayist, literary critic...

 on the island of Funen

Funen

Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...

, where his father was a public servant. At the age of twelve he was sent to the Naval Academy in Copenhagen

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

, where he was a mediocre student who chafed under and rebelled against the harsh discipline. He became a cadet in 1795 sekondløjtnant in 1800.

At seventeen he commanded a floating battery, "Flaadebatteri Nr. 1", during the Battle of Copenhagen on 2 April 1801

1801 in Denmark

-Incumbents:* Monarch – HM Christian VII* Prime minister – Christian Günther von Bernstorff-Events:* March 3 – Battle of West Kay: The Danish brig HDMS Lougen is attacked by two British vessels at West Kay in the Danish West Indies...

. He had 129 men and 20 cannon under his command and fought with such gallantry that the English Admiral Horatio Nelson commended him to the Crown Prince Frederick

Frederick VI of Denmark

Frederick VI reigned as King of Denmark , and as king of Norway .-Regent of Denmark:Frederick's parents were King Christian VII and Caroline Matilda of Wales...

 after the battle, supposedly recommending that he be promoted to Admiral. To this the Danish prince firmly answered: "If I were to reward all my men for their bravery, I would have a fleet of admirals".

After the battle, Willemose became a celebrity and a member of the Danish Order of Freemasons

Danish Order of Freemasons

The Danish Order of Freemasons , also known as the Grand Lodge of Denmark, is the main governing body of regular freemasonry in Denmark...

 before setting off to the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 aboard the frigate Rota.

After his return to Denmark, he began to study law but discontinued his studies in 1807 to briefly go into Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n service. After the Bombardment of Copenhagen

Battle of Copenhagen (1807)

The Second Battle of Copenhagen was a British preemptive attack on Copenhagen, targeting the civilian population in order to seize the Dano-Norwegian fleet and in turn originate the term to Copenhagenize.-Background:Despite the defeat and loss of many ships in the first Battle of Copenhagen in...

 and the British confiscation of the Danish fleet, he returned to Denmark where he enrolls on Prins Christian Frederik, the only remaining Danish ship-of-the-line. On 22 March 1808, in the Battle of Zealand Point

Battle of Zealand Point

The Battle of Zealand Point was a naval battle of the English Wars and the Gunboat War. It was fought off Zealand Point by ships of the Danish and British navies on 22 March 1808 and was a British victory.-Prelude:...

, the ship is driven onto the sandbar by a British . Willemose is among the 69 Danish casualties, hit by a bullet in his head, and is afterwards buried at Oddens Cemetery.

Reputation and status

His indominatable good cheer, courage and good looks combined to make Willemoes an instant celebrity in Northern Europe. Locks of his curly hair became a fashion item among ladies in Copenhagen and he was later praised in verse by poet Grundtvig

Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig

Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig , most often referred to as simply N. F. S. Grundtvig, was a Danish pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher, and politician. He was one of the most influential people in Danish history, as his philosophy gave rise to a new form of nationalism in...

.