Surgical Instruments Used At Trafalgar Return To HMS Victory

A Royal Navy Mine Counter Measures Vessel, HMS Dulverton, is on route from Scotland on the first leg of a journey to deliver medical instruments used during the Battle of Trafalgar to the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. HMS Dulverton will deliver the instruments to Portsmouth Naval base where they will briefly return to HMS Victory.

The instruments belonged to William Beatty who served as HMS Victory’s ship’s surgeon during the Battle of Trafalgar where he tended to the mortally wounded naval hero, Lord Nelson. Surgeon Beatty, later Sir William Beatty, went on to become the Physician at Greenwich Hospital and was knighted in 1831. He died in 1842 and is buried in Kensal Green cemetery, London.

Made by Laundy of London, a family business producing instruments from 1783 to about 1843, the instruments are amongst the earliest and most valuable pieces in existence. The set includes a screw tourniquet, an amputation knife with detachable handles, two trephines and forceps. Other instruments in the set include a fine-toothed bow saw, a knife and a hook.

The Navy’s Medical Director-General, Surgeon Rear Admiral Mike Farquharson-Roberts CBE considers that William Beatty would be impressed with the advances in medical facilities on board a modern naval warship today.

He said: “The provision of health care afloat has changed radically since the days of Nelson, good though that was for its time. Now in addition to routine healthcare, there is a comprehensive system for casualty management ranging from first aid, to the Primary Casualty Receiving Ship which has excellent facilities.�?

Surgeon Beatty’s instruments are on loan from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow. They began their historic journey from HM Naval Base Clyde in Scotland to Portsmouth on April 19. The final leg of their journey will be on board HMS Illustrious to the National Maritime Museum, which is marking Trafalgar’s bicentenary by mounting an exhibition entitled ‘Nelson and Napoleon�? The exhibition runs from 7 July to 13 November.



Mrs Carol Parry, Archivist of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, who is responsible for ensuring the safe packaging and storage of the instruments during their journey, commented:

“The College Archive and Instrument Collection contains many historically important items. The small case of instruments of William Beatty, Surgeon on HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, is the oldest and most valuable set of instruments that we have.�?