England expects that every man will do his duty
"England expects that every man will do his duty" was a signal sent by Lord Nelson from his ship HMS Victory as the Battle of Trafalgar was about to commence.
As the British fleet closed with the combined fleets of France and Spain, Nelson signalled all the necessary battle instructions to his ships. However, aware of the momentousness of events to come, Nelson felt that something extra was required. He instructed his signal officer, Lt. Pasco, to signal to the fleet the message "England confides that every man will do his duty" as quickly as possible (that is, "England trusts..."). Pasco pointed out that there was no short signal for "confides" in the telegraphic code, so the word would have to be spelt out, and suggested replacing it with "expects", which would be quicker to send. Nelson agreed, and so, at 11:15 a.m. on October 21 1805 the most famous naval signal in history was sent.
The signal has been frequently misquoted, something which began almost immediately. A number of ships in the fleet recorded the signal as "England expects every man to do his duty", and this version became so prevalent that it is recorded around the base of Nelson's Column and on Lord Nelson's tomb in St Paul's Cathedral.
The signal is still hoisted on HMS Victory, now in dry dock in Portsmouth, on Trafalgar Day every year.
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