William Prowse commanded one of Nelson’s frigates, hms Sirius, during the Trafalgar campaign. As part of the detached frigate and small ship squadron commanded by Blackwood, the Sirius was one of the ‘eyes of the fleet’. On 19 October, the Sirius was the closest inshore ship to Cadiz and Prowse had the honour to signal to Blackwood that the Combined Fleet had hoisted sail and were coming out of port. Due to the wind dropping, it was not until the next day that the Combined Fleet cleared Cadiz and the Sirius had to sail smartly away to avoid being taken.

William Prowse wsa born in Stonehouse, Devon, in 1753 and joined the Royal Navy on 13 November 1771 on board hms Dublin, rated able seaman aged eighteen. In 1778, he transferred to hms Albion and was soon made midshipman and then master’s mate. He served with distinction during the War of American Independence and passed for lieutenant in January 1782, receiving his commission eleven months later. At the start of the French Wars, Prowse was made sixth lieutenant of hms Barfleur and in that ship took part in the Battle of the Glorious First of June (1794), in which he was severely wounded and lost a leg. On recovering from his wound, he was made master and commander of hms Brig Raven and took part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797. Following that action, he ws involved in the unsuccessful attempt to track and take the huge crippled Spanish four-decker, the Santissima Trinidad. Prowse was subsequently made captain of hms Sirius and in July 1805 was part of Sir Robert Calder’s fleet which attacked the Combined Fleet off Finisterre. During this action, Prowse boldly tried to take a Spanish treasure galleon but was thwarted by the arrival of the van of the Combined Fleet.

As a frigate, the Sirius took no direct part in the Battle of Trafalgar but was stationed on the windward side of the weather column, where she was expected to repeat signals and to assist ships in distress. Just prior to the battle, the fleet’s frigate commanders were summoned on board the Victory and just as the firing started, Nelson sent them back to their respective ships. However, one account states that Prowse was delayed on board the Victory and did not return to the Sirius until the battle was over. Following the battle, the Sirius took the crippled Temeraire in tow.

Following Trafalgar in April 1806, Prowse, still in command of the Sirius, spotted a French flotilla sheltering in the mouth of the River Tiber. Despite being heavily outnumbered and out-gunned, Prowse attacked and after a two-hour action captured the French ship-corvette Bergère (18). For this action, Prowse was mentioned in dispatches and received a sword of honour from the Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund. Prowse was created a CB in 1815, a colonel of the Royal Marines in 1819 and made rear admiral in 1821. He died in London in 1826.

NS