Robert Benjamin Young facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Benjamin Young
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|---|---|
| Born | 15 September 1773 Douglas, Isle of Man |
| Died | 26 November 1846 (aged 73) Exeter, Devon, England |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1781–unknown |
| Rank | Commander |
| Battles/wars | Battle of the Nile Battle of Trafalgar |
Robert Benjamin Young (born September 15, 1773 – died November 26, 1846) was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was a brave sailor who served on small ships. He was even at the famous Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. He watched this huge battle from his tiny ship, a 10-gun HMS Entreprenante (a small, fast boat).
After the battle, Young helped a lot. He acted as a messenger and rescued sailors during a big storm. He hoped to be the one to carry the important news (called dispatches) back to England. However, that honor went to John Richards Lapenotiere from HMS Pickle. Young always believed that Admiral Nelson had promised him this important job.
Robert Young was born in 1773 in Douglas, on the Isle of Man. He started his naval career very young. In 1781, when he was just eight years old, he joined his father's ship, the frigate HMS Severn.
Becoming an Officer
Ten years later, in 1791, he passed his test to become a lieutenant. This was just before the French Revolutionary Wars began. However, it took him a few more years to get a position as a lieutenant. In 1795, he was finally sent to the Caribbean.
Brave Actions in the Caribbean
While in the Caribbean on HMS Thorn, Young showed great courage. He helped capture a French warship called Courier-National. He also took part in a landing on the island of St Vincent. He was right in the middle of the fighting but was not hurt.
Witnessing Big Battles
Later, sailing on HMS Bonne Citoyenne, he saw the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1797. A few weeks later, he was badly hurt during a fight when a part of the ship fell on him. He returned to duty in 1798. Young helped defend Gibraltar and was present after the Battle of the Nile. He helped repair and organize the British fleet.
The Battle of Trafalgar
A Close Call at Sea
After his time in the Mediterranean, Young sailed home on HMS Colossus. He saw this ship get wrecked near the Isles of Scilly. Then, he joined another large warship, HMS Goliath. This ship also had a very close call. It lost its masts and almost flipped over in the West Indies.
Young's Excellent Conduct
Young was praised for how well he acted during this dangerous event. Even with his ship badly damaged, he managed to capture some enemy ships. As a reward, he was given command of the Entreprenante. He was to take this small ship to Admiral Nelson's fleet off Cádiz.
Nelson's Promise?
Young said for the rest of his life that Nelson had given him a special order. He claimed Nelson told him to stay close to HMS Victory during the battle. This way, Young could quickly take the news of victory back home. There is no written record of this order, and no one else remembered it. However, the Entreprenante did stay close to the Victory. It only moved away when the Victory was in the thickest part of the fight. A single enemy cannon shot could have destroyed the small Entreprenante.
Heroic Rescue Efforts
After the battle and Nelson's death, there was much work to do. Sailors needed rescuing, ships needed repairs, and the fleet had to return to Cadiz. Young bravely helped with these tasks. He even took his small ship close to the burning French ship Achille. He rescued 161 sailors before escaping just as the ship exploded.
Young also found the Bahama. Its Spanish crew had taken back control from the British sailors who had captured it. They were trying to sail it back to Cadiz. Young quickly sent a message to Admiral Collingwood. Thanks to Young, the Bahama was quickly recaptured.
After Trafalgar
Overlooked for Promotion
Young was very upset when he found out that Admiral Collingwood had sent his own ship, the Pickle, to England with the news of the victory. The reports didn't even mention Young's important role after the battle. The person who delivered such good news usually received money and a promotion. Lapenotiere, the commander of Pickle, did get these rewards.
Young, who delivered duplicate reports to Faro, was ignored. He missed out on the promotions that many other captains received. He remained a lieutenant on the Entreprenante. He spent the next two years on blockade duty off Brest. He then had to return home because he became ill.
A Long-Awaited Promotion
In 1809, Young was appointed first lieutenant of HMS Ulysses. He took part in the Walcheren Campaign. There, he was the senior officer in charge of the flat-bottomed boats. Finally, in 1810, he was promoted to commander. This was 19 years after he first passed his lieutenant's test!
A Difficult Retirement
However, this promotion was not as good as it seemed. Young still lacked important connections, so he was often overlooked for sea commands. His health problems, which started in 1807, also made things difficult. Soon after, he was put on half pay, meaning he received only half his salary, and never served at sea again.
In 1839, Young received a pension from the Greenwich Hospital. But he spent the rest of his life thinking about what might have been. He often thought about the famous Trafalgar Way journey that Lapenotiere made. Robert Young died in 1846, a poor and sad man. He was buried in Exeter near his home.
