HMS Pickle was a 10-gun cutter of the Royal Navy. She was originally a civilian vessel named Sting, built in Bermuda, purchased in 1800 and renamed in 1802.
She was the smallest ship present at the Battle of Trafalgar, commanded by Lieutenant John Richard Lapenotiere. Since a single broadside from any of the ships of the line would have sunk her instantly, she spent most of the time staying out of the way, carrying messages, and later picking up survivors from the French ship Achille, which had caught fire and exploded.
Pickle was also the first ship to bring the news of Nelson's victory to Great Britain, arriving at Falmouth on November 4, 1805. She had been chosen to carry the dispatches of Vice Admiral Collingwood who had taken over after the death of Nelson. After arriving in Falmouth Lapenotiere took a coach to London to deliver the dispatches to the Admiralty, he was promoted to Master and Commander for his efforts. He was later promoted to Post Captain and died in 1843. To this day the Navy's petty officers have an annual Pickle Night dinner, as do many private clubs in the British Commonwealth.
She struck a shoal at Cádiz and was lost in 1808.
References
- David Howarth, Trafalgar: The Nelson Touch (Atheneum, 1969).
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