Trafalgar Cemetery - Gibraltar

Originally the general garrison cemetery, it is located in a pleasant the garden immediately outside the Ragged Staff gate. The name "Trafalgar" was acquired after Nelson's great victory of 1805. The photographs relate to six young officers of the "2^nd or Queen's Regiment" who died "of the malignant fever" within days of each other in October 1804.

Notwithstanding having already served three tours of duty amounting to 35 years on the Rock, the Queen's were again posted there in March 1802. The Regiment won high praise for efficiency in the Commander-in-Chief's first annual report, but also established a name for themselves as a hard-drinking lot, so much so according to one account, that no other regiment would dine with them!

After the Regiment had been on the Rock for two and a half years, an outbreak of typhoid swept through the garrison. It reached its peak in October 1804 and 862 men died. Of these, the Queen's lost 7 officers and 91 soldiers, some of whom lie buried in The Trafalgar Cemetery. Losses among the civilian population exceeded 4000. It is interesting to note that the Queen's provided a guard of Honour of three officers, four sergeants and 60 rank and file for Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson when he visited Gibraltar on 20^th July, 1804. Some 15 months later, the Admiral's body was to be landed at Rosia Bay after the Battle of Trafalgar.

 

 

Captain Douglas Jonston	Died 27/10/04	aged 25 years
Lieut Thos St George Smyth	Died 22/10/04	aged 23 years
Ensign Henry Coldstream	Died 29/10/04	aged 28 years
Ensign Patrick Eallen (The name given in the Regimental History is Tallen)	Died 30/10/04	aged 20 years
Lieut Charles Culloden	Died 20/10/04	aged 24 years
Lieut Hugh P. Clough	Died 24/10/04	aged 20 years

 

 

The Regimental Histories quotes the loss of The Queen's as seven officers and 91 NCOs and men. The total loss of the garrison was 34 officers and 862 men.

Footnotes in the history show that Ensign Coldstream was promoted to Lieutenant on 17/11/1804 and Ensign Tallen to Lieutenant on 30/10/1804. The apparent discrepancies between the dates give rise to interesting speculation, to which we do not know the answer. Possibly the promotions had been put through to the Horse Guards to replace earlier casualties and the effective dates coincidentally followed their deaths. At that time promotion was still by purchase, except in special cases where purchase was waived. e.g. in some cases casualty replacement. The age of Ensign Coldstream would suggest that he had been unable to purchase advancement earlier.

Lieut T St George Smyth had been Adjutant of The Battalion and had recently transferred to the 1^st Foot.

The History records That Captain Douglas Jonhston was an Ensign without purchase in July 1794. He had served in Lord Howes Fleet in 1795.

 

 

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