Imagine being crammed into a ship, with dozens of other sailors that you have lived and worked with cheek by jowl for months, even years. The decks have been cleared, the cannons are prepared and the surgeon’s tools laid out below. There is a feeling of excitement and anticipation. Ships of the British navy surround you, with all eyes on the horizon. There is barely a breeze to fill the sails, so you are slowly floating towards the enemy fleet at walking pace. This is the scene for the decisive battle of the Napoleonic Wars, the Battle of Trafalgar, fought off the coast of Spain on 21 October 1805.