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The flag code used by Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar was designed by Admiral Sir Home Popham. Popham had changed his code in 1803 after the French captured a British ship and its code-book. The code-book should have been kept in a bag weighted with lead that would be thrown overboard before a ship was captured.
The flag code code-books contained up to 6,000 words and useful phrases set as number codes.
The last signal that Nelson ordered to be flown at the Battle of Trafalgar was Engage the Enemy more closely which was only two flags number 1 and number 6 making the number 16 which was the code for the whole phrase.
A signal officer would read the flags from top to bottom and look up the number of the code in his signal book.
|
Alphabet code |
Alphabet code |
Alphabet code |
Alphabet code |
Alphabet code |
| 1=A | 6=F | 11=L | 16=Q | 21=V |
| 2=B | 7=G | 12=M | 17=R | 22=W |
| 3=C | 8=H | 13=N | 18=S | 23=X |
| 4=D | 9=I & J | 14=O | 19=T | 24=Y |
| 5=E | 10=K | 15=P | 20=U | 25=Z |
ENGLAND = 253
EXPECTS = 269
THAT = 463
EVERY = 261
MAN = 471
WILL = 985
DO = 220
HIS = 370
D = 4
U = 20
T = 19
Y = 24
Make up code numbers of your own for words for phrases that you use a lot.
You can pick any number for any phrase; but you must keep a code book so that you know what your flag code stands for. Give a copy of your code book to your friends so that they know what your secret message is.
