Always on
This project successfully funded on 11th December 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
Trafalgar Signal 1805
Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Aim
I’m raising funds to create and donate a complete set of 32 signal flags, accurate to the year 1805, for use aboard HMS Victory.
Every year, HMS Victory (Yes the original) still hoists Nelson’s famous signal on the 21st October
“England expects that every man will do his duty.”
The flags currently flown are modern replacements that are beginning to show their age. Working closely with a specialist flag maker I’ve collaborated with on my own private signals project which has already produced several large, period correct reproductions we will produce a modern replica set that remains faithful to the original 1805 designs while using modern construction methods and materials to ensure durability and longevity.
When complete, the new flags will be formally presented to HMS Victory as a working donation and educational resource, celebrating our naval heritage and helping keep the story of Trafalgar alive for future generations.
⚓ Why It Matters
HMS Victory is currently undergoing a major restoration a once-in-a-generation project to ensure she remains sound for centuries to come. Much of the ship is under a vast protective shed, and her masts and rigging have been removed while work continues to bring her back to the same standard she stood at just before the Battle of Trafalgar, where Admiral Lord Nelson gave his life.
During this time, Victory is without the rigging where Nelson’s Trafalgar signal is normally hoisted each year a grand display of naval tradition and remembrance. When she eventually returns to full rig, it will once again be possible to see that famous message flying high in Portsmouth’s skies.
I still remember seeing Victory during the Trafalgar 200 celebrations it was a truly unforgettable sight, and one I look forward to witnessing again when her restoration is complete.
The use of flag signals in this period has always fascinated me: a complex communication system built from something as simple as coloured cloth hoisted aloft. Yet through these signals, admirals could send detailed tactical orders across miles of open sea coordinating fleets in the heat of battle using nothing more than wind, light, and precision.
This project aims to honour that ingenuity, craftsmanship, and the enduring legacy of the men who served beneath those flags.
⚓ How It Will Be Done
Over the past few years, I’ve been carrying out my own research into the signal systems of Nelson’s Navy including visits to the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich and time spent studying period signal books and HMS Victory’s own signal log book. These have been truly unforgettable experiences that deepened my understanding of how fleets communicated at sea during the early 19th century.
This research inspired me to create my own personal set of 1805 signal flags, originally with the hope of raising them aboard Victory herself. Although official permission couldn’t be granted at the time, I was able to hoist them at HMS Collingwood an incredible moment that brought history to life in a very real way.
For this project, I’ll be working in partnership with a UK-based flag maker who has helped me bring my earlier signals to life. Together, we’ll be producing a full 32-flag Trafalgar signal set, crafted to be faithful in design, size, and proportion to the 1805 originals, but using modern materials and stitching techniques to ensure durability.
Each flag will be carefully checked for historical accuracy, and the final set will be finished to museum-quality standards suitable for long-term use aboard HMS Victory.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made