Nelson’s Navy: Back from the Dead (Channel 4, Sunday 4th September) was an interesting, if at times graphic look at the fate of some of Nelson’s sailors. Although the experts only had the bones to go on, they managed to glean an awful lot of information about the men concerned. Whilst there was no direct proof that the men met their fate as the program showed, there was no reason to suppose that the program makers got it wrong - the man with multiple fractures probably did fall from the rigging and the boy did die from an infection following the amputation of a leg.
Some of the dramatic reconstructions lacked a little something, but only when compared to films such as Master and Commander, but other than that it was an interesting look at the subject and worth a look and it should be available on 4OD if you didn’t catch it when it was originally broadcast.
Finally, it was good to see that the remains were treated with respect and were re-buried with military honours once the scientific work had been completed. These were brave men, and it is just a shame that it was not possible to put a name to any of them.
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