Africa

Ship Information
Ship Commander - Capt Henry Digby
Guns - 64
Constructed at - Deptford
Killed in the battle - 18
Injured in the battle - 44

Wood Information
Size - 10 acres
Owner - Crutchley Family
To be planted - November 2005

Africa Wood will be planted on the Mappercombe Estate near Bridport in Dorset. Bridport was a centre of ropemaking in Napoleonic times and supplied this vital raw material to the Trafalgar fleet (the masts and rigging were held together by huge quantities of rope).

The captain of the Africa, Henry Digby was a Dorset man and is buried at Minterne and his descendants live in Dorset to this day. In command of the Africa he took a leading part in the battle of Trafalgar 1805 in which his ship was seriously engaged. He received the gold medal, the thanks of Parliament, and a sword of honour from the Patriotic Fund. Nelson's right hand man at the battle, Thomas Hardy also came from the County.

Admiral Sir Victor Crutchley, father of the present owner of Mappercombe Manor, died there at the age of 92 after a distinguished naval career. He won the VC at Ostend in 1918 when he took over command of his ship, HMS Vindictive, after it's captain was killed. The ship having been sunk, he transferred with his crew to a motor launch but its commander was badly wounded and Crutchley brought it to safety under heavy fire. His VC citation is one of the few which mentions seamanship as well as gallantry.

The wood, which will extend to around 15 acres, will be planted by children from the local school in Powerstock and the local community and sea cadet force.

Events in Africa Wood
There was a schools planting day for local schools in November 2005.

A community planting day took place on Sunday 27th November 2005.

More information

Henry Digby
Was the grandson of the 1st Earl of Digby, was the son of the Very Rev. the Hon.William Digby, DCL Dean of Durham, and Chaplain to George III., by his marriage with Charlotte, daughter of Joseph Cox. Born at Bath in 1770, he entered the service in 1783. In command of the Africa he took a leading part in the battle of Trafalgar 1805 in which his ship was seriously engaged. He received the gold medal, the thanks of Parliament, and a sword of honour from the Patriotic Fund. He died at Minterne, Dorsetshire in 1842.

HMS Africa

HMS Africa was one of the smallest class of two deckers in the British Navy, carrying fewer and lighter guns than the larger ships. She was built at the shipyard of Adams and Barnard, at Deptford on the Thames and launched in 1781. In 1783 she served with the British squadron in the Indian Ocean, and in 1793 was stationed in the West Indies and the Channel.

Before Trafalgar, Africa became detached from Nelson’s fleet because of missed signals, but on the 21st October set all possible sail to rejoin and interpreted Nelson’s signal as directing her to take the shortest possible route. Consequently she engaged the French van far ahead of the rest of her countrymen, sailing down the French and Spanish line exchanging fire until she joined a cluster of other ships around the Spanish Santissima Trinidad (140 guns). At around 2 pm. the fire from the Spanish flagship ceased and assuming that she had surrendered Captain Digby sent across his senior Lieutenant, John Smith, with a prize crew to take possession. On the quarterdeck he met a party of Spanish officers who denied that their ship had surrendered, and John Smith and his party returned to their boats and resumed action on the Africa. At 3.20 p.m. the Africa engaged the French Intrepide (74 guns) for forty minutes and was severely damaged, before the Orion brought some relief.

The Africa suffered 62 casualties and her masts and rigging were badly damaged. After further service in the Baltic and North America the Africa was paid off and broken up at Portsmouth in 1813.

Many thanks to Alan Aberg at the Society for Nautical Research for providing us with information on the ships and their commanders.