Robert Redmill
Encyclopedia
Captain Robert Redmill, CB
(c. 1765 – February 1819) was a British naval officer during the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars
who commanded the HMS Polyphemus
during the battle of Trafalgar
. Although he was late into the action, he gained much acclaim for saving the battered HMS Victory
from sinking in the storm which followed the action.
Little is known of Redmill's personal life, even his birth date is unsure. It is recorded that he was promoted lieutenant in the Royal Navy
in 1783 which means that if he followed the standard career path of receiving promotion at 18 indicates that he was born in 1765, but his real year of birth is unknown. An unspectacular officer, he benefitted from the general promotion at the outbreak of the Revolutionary Wars, making commander in 1795 and taking over the fireship HMS Comet
. He was apparently engaged with the enemy during the action under Lord Hotham in March of that year, but did not distinguish himself and was not mentioned in the dispatches of the action.
Receiving the jump to Post captain in 1796, Redmill was not given a ship until 1799 when he was placed in command of the prize ship the 64 gun HMS Delft, a poorly built Dutch ship used almost exclusively as a troop transport. It was in this role that Redmill and his ship participated in the invasion of Egypt
in 1801, landing troops from the Foot Guards
at Aboukir Bay. For this and other vital transportation services, Redmill was granted a large gold medal by Selim III
, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
.
Granted the Polyphemus in 1805 and attached to Admiral Nelson's fleet off Cadiz
, Redmill was not expected to take a major role in the fighting to follow. Polyphemus was an old and much battered ship, as well as being much too small for effective service in the modern battleline. Nonetheless, when battle was joined on the 21 October, Polyphemus lines up in Collingwood's division with the other ships, albeit right at the rear of the line where her poor sailing qualities could not get in the way of faster and more powerful ships. Arriving late to the battle, Polyphemus was still able to join the fight, exchanging broadsides with the large Spanish flagship Principe de Asturias
and the French , although both were badly damaged by other ships by the time Redmill engaged them.
It was in the aftermath of the battle that Redmill and the old Polyphemus won their spurs, having suffered just six casualties in the battle and very little in the way of structural damage, Polyphemus needed no repairs and could parcel out her supplies to other ships in more desperate need, as well as offer a tow to dismasted ships which could no longer sail unaided. The British flagship Victory was just such a victim, and during the week of ferocious storms which followed the battle, Redmill nursed his stricken superior back to Gibraltar
by means of an enormous towrope attached with great difficulty to the bow of Victory and at the other end to Redmill's own cabin on Polyphemus.
Following the storm, Redmill continued in service for another year but a severe illness, which had recurringly plagued his career for many years, forced him to retire to England. Back home he was lauded as a hero, but was unable to find work due to his increasing poor health. Despite these difficulties, Redmill survived another 13 years before dying in Stevenage
in February 1819. Unfortunately his grave has long since been lost, and with it many details about the circumstances of his final years.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(c. 1765 – February 1819) was a British naval officer during the French Revolutionary
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
who commanded the HMS Polyphemus
HMS Polyphemus (1782)
HMS Polyphemus, a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 27 April 1782 at Sheerness. She was the first ship of the Royal Navy named for Polyphemus the Cyclops.-Baltic service:...
during the battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. Although he was late into the action, he gained much acclaim for saving the battered HMS Victory
HMS Victory
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805....
from sinking in the storm which followed the action.
Little is known of Redmill's personal life, even his birth date is unsure. It is recorded that he was promoted lieutenant in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1783 which means that if he followed the standard career path of receiving promotion at 18 indicates that he was born in 1765, but his real year of birth is unknown. An unspectacular officer, he benefitted from the general promotion at the outbreak of the Revolutionary Wars, making commander in 1795 and taking over the fireship HMS Comet
HMS Comet
The name HMS Comet, after the comet, has been used no fewer than sixteen times by the Royal Navy. was a 4-gun bomb vessel built in 1695 and captured by the French in 1706. was a 14-gun bomb vessel in use from 1742 to 1759. was a galley used in 1756. was a 10-gun brig-sloop in India in 1758...
. He was apparently engaged with the enemy during the action under Lord Hotham in March of that year, but did not distinguish himself and was not mentioned in the dispatches of the action.
Receiving the jump to Post captain in 1796, Redmill was not given a ship until 1799 when he was placed in command of the prize ship the 64 gun HMS Delft, a poorly built Dutch ship used almost exclusively as a troop transport. It was in this role that Redmill and his ship participated in the invasion of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 1801, landing troops from the Foot Guards
Foot Guards
-British Army:The Foot Guards are the Regular Infantry regiments of the Household Division of the British Army. There have been six regiments of foot guards, five of which still exist. The Royal Guards Reserve Regiment was a reserve formation of the Household Brigade in existence from 1900-1901...
at Aboukir Bay. For this and other vital transportation services, Redmill was granted a large gold medal by Selim III
Selim III
Selim III was the reform-minded Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807. The Janissaries eventually deposed and imprisoned him, and placed his cousin Mustafa on the throne as Mustafa IV...
, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Granted the Polyphemus in 1805 and attached to Admiral Nelson's fleet off Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, Redmill was not expected to take a major role in the fighting to follow. Polyphemus was an old and much battered ship, as well as being much too small for effective service in the modern battleline. Nonetheless, when battle was joined on the 21 October, Polyphemus lines up in Collingwood's division with the other ships, albeit right at the rear of the line where her poor sailing qualities could not get in the way of faster and more powerful ships. Arriving late to the battle, Polyphemus was still able to join the fight, exchanging broadsides with the large Spanish flagship Principe de Asturias
Spanish ship Principe de Asturias
A number of ships of the Armade España have been named Principe de Astorias, including -...
and the French , although both were badly damaged by other ships by the time Redmill engaged them.
It was in the aftermath of the battle that Redmill and the old Polyphemus won their spurs, having suffered just six casualties in the battle and very little in the way of structural damage, Polyphemus needed no repairs and could parcel out her supplies to other ships in more desperate need, as well as offer a tow to dismasted ships which could no longer sail unaided. The British flagship Victory was just such a victim, and during the week of ferocious storms which followed the battle, Redmill nursed his stricken superior back to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
by means of an enormous towrope attached with great difficulty to the bow of Victory and at the other end to Redmill's own cabin on Polyphemus.
Following the storm, Redmill continued in service for another year but a severe illness, which had recurringly plagued his career for many years, forced him to retire to England. Back home he was lauded as a hero, but was unable to find work due to his increasing poor health. Despite these difficulties, Redmill survived another 13 years before dying in Stevenage
Stevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
in February 1819. Unfortunately his grave has long since been lost, and with it many details about the circumstances of his final years.