@moments.in.time0: POV: The Royal Navy is Hunting for You in the Streets (Portsmouth, 1805) In 1805, walking the streets of Portsmouth could cost you your freedom in an instant. Britain was locked in a brutal war with Napoleon. The Royal Navy desperately needed trained sailors to man their massive wooden warships. Their solution was the dreaded Press Gang. Armed groups of naval officers and marines swept through the taverns, lodging houses, and docks of port towns. They had the legal authority to seize men with maritime experience and force them into military service against their will. The entire town lived in a state of paranoia. If you knew the sea and heard the heavy boots of the press party coming down the cobblestones, you dropped what you were doing and hid. Once you were taken, there was no trial and no escape. You were dragged down the harbour steps, loaded onto a heavily armed line-of-battle ship like HMS Victory, and sent straight to the front lines. Nelson's fleet is setting sail for the Battle of Trafalgar. Would you have managed to hide from the press gang? #POV #History #AgeOfSail #RoyalNavy #NapoleonicWars
Moments in Time
Region: RO
Tuesday 21 July 2026 13:33:40 GMT
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cgrenn :
probs would actually watch a film pf this
2026-07-21 14:50:26
276
DaveDave :
Teeth are far too straight and white for Pompey
2026-07-21 15:51:37
97
Ray Pennybody :
Being from Portsmouth I loved this
2026-07-22 09:38:19
63
stephenthomas4646 :
He said he’d be home before dark, but he popped into Joannas’s for a quick pint. 🤣🥴
2026-07-21 16:58:54
81
snowyd68 :
That's what happens in Ukraine at the moment.
2026-08-11 09:54:06
9
:
You get drunk in a pub and end up getting found by a press gang wake up on board ship
2026-07-21 15:12:20
58
Gaz Stuart :
Not pompey someones caught fish you don’t catch fish here ..
2026-07-21 17:41:50
1
deanrobinson1058 :
capita might try this saying has the recruitment target was 40% short
2026-07-21 16:23:12
12
Joyful76 :
I think these videos are amazing. Good work.
2026-07-30 11:49:36
2
thatrosegirl27 :
Read The Wager by David Grann, true story of a convoy of ships recruited in this way from Portsmouth that get wrecked off the coast of Patagonia and how the survivors experienced mutiny and returning 2500 miles on a strung together raft
2026-07-22 08:52:30
7
Demi👑 :
When England had backbone , and fought for its country . Now we are weak and reluctant to strengthen our place on the map.
2026-08-20 07:17:26
0
OwenMUFC84 :
Gaming will look like this in ten years
2026-07-21 15:22:43
5
lynndavies16 :
A lot of men were press ganged in the alleys of Gosport high street after coming out of the pubs pissed!
2026-07-24 07:54:12
5
BikeTok Boy :
Remember learning about this at school. They called them Press Gangs. I grew up not far from Portsmouth
2026-07-22 04:29:19
10
Luke :
"Dan tan on a saf dan bus"
2026-07-26 13:57:12
2
Elaine 🏴 :
if someone bought you a drink and you found a kings shilling in the bottom of your tankard that's it your in the Navy...beware who buys you ale, 😉.
2026-07-22 10:13:52
0
whizzpop :
they still look like this in parts of Portsmouth
2026-07-22 17:53:37
10
Angela :
👍That was amazing👍👍
2026-07-27 04:26:55
2
Angela :
AI has greatly reduced the cost of making movies, and actors are going to lose their jobs so!😢😢😢
2026-07-27 04:28:38
2
Tory (but not a Tory) :
Brilliant 👏
2026-07-22 19:39:35
1
Silverspeed32 :
They wouldn’t do this in Pompey now - they wouldn’t want them in the RN 😏
2026-07-22 17:22:55
3
louisewing70 :
So interesting, love seeing The Victory in the water ❤️
2026-07-21 22:34:54
3
Emily :
This would be such a good film
2026-07-22 14:00:56
2
Athelstan :
A nickname for the Royal Navy is the Andrew because an Andrew was one of the most successful press gang officers.
2026-07-22 09:36:12
1
BEANO ✝️🏴🖤 :
better get up the loft 😂
2026-07-21 18:44:07
2
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