ON A STEAMY Monday afternoon late last month, the lane adjoining the British and Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Chatby, Alexandria, was the scene of a great deal of activity: It was obvious that an event was about to take place and that it would be attended by important dignitaries. A few people were beginning to assemble, watched over lackadaisically by the many policemen positioned at what seemed to be strategic corners.

Two bulldozers, clearing the way of some heavy road debris, continuously roared up and down the street, stopping oncoming traffic. Perhaps it was an overdue housekeeping effort, or a creative way of ensuring the safety of the officials, who were just beginning to pour out of four-wheel-drives, Mercedes and Jaguars, by forcing them to continue their entrance on foot.

A stream of visitors lined the gates. There were a number of men in Navy uniforms both foreign and Egyptian and one or two women wearing hats. Numerous photographers, television crews and reporters, who made a well-orchestrated dash towards the entrance to the cemetery every time they spotted a new arrival, were seriously trampling under foot the grass around the well-tended graves.

The event was quite unusual: The attendees were gathered on this day to witness the second burial (with full military honors) of the remains of 30 British men, women and one child who followed Admiral Horatio Nelson into Egypt and died fighting Bonaparte at Abu Qir in 1798 and 1801.

Paolo Gallo, an archaeologist and expert in the Greco-Roman era, chanced upon the remains while his team was looking for Ptolemaic ruins on a small islet known as Nelson Island, located in Abu Qir Bay near the mouth of the Nile. The celebrated battle of Abu Qir is also known as the battle of the Nile because it took place around the spot where the waters of the Nile pour into the sea.

After unearthing the battleground cemetery in 2001, Gallo contacted Nick Slope, chairman of the Nelson Society and an archeologist himself, who asserted that the discovery was “unique.”

Omar Mohsen

The battle of Abu Qir was the last and crucial episode in the game of hide and seek played by the French and the British (with the former outwitting the latter) in the Mediterranean. Unable to stop Bonaparte’s triumphal march through Europe, a then-vulnerable England had been put on the defensive. In a bid to thwart another smashing victory, the British resolved to send a small fleet to spy on the Frenchman’s plans, as he assembled a huge armada ready to sail from the port of Toulon, destination unknown.

Bonaparte’s setting his sights on the conquest of Egypt was a particularly dangerous proposition since he would thus have the means to cut Britain’s prized route to India.

Horatio Nelson was quickly dispatched to Toulon with three frigates and three 74s on a reconnaissance mission at the end of April 1798. At the beginning of June, ten additional 74s and one 50-gun ship joined the squadron with orders for Nelson to find and stop Bonaparte. After searching in vain for the French fleet around the Mediterranean, finally, on the afternoon of August 1, 1798, the Zealous and the Goliath signaled Nelson that the French ships lay in Abu Qir bay.

It was 2:45 pm when Nelson received the news. The French, who had stopped worrying about the British coming after them, were caught completely unawares as the British engaged and the battle raged. By 10 pm that same evening the Orient, Bonaparte’s flagship, exploded and its commander, Admiral Brueys, was killed. The rest of the French fleet was left in disarray. Each ship was a small inferno in itself, and those who did not perish surrendered.

In a painting by English artist Arnald George one can see English sailors demonstrating humanity in the midst of utter devastation by rescuing French survivors from the sea as the Orient bursts into flames and explodes nearby.

Omar Mohsen

Only three small frigates managed to escape. The remaining ships were either sunk or otherwise disabled. Bonaparte, his army and his party of savants were left stranded in Egypt, while Nelson, severely wounded in combat, was internationally acclaimed: He had won the battle of the Nile, by most standards the most decisive triumph in the annals of war at sea to that time. He had proved for the first time that virtual naval annihilation was possible.

During the battle, a French garrison and its gun batteries had occupied a small islet in the bay of Abu Qir. A few days after the principal combat at sea had ended, British sailors and marines recaptured what would become known as Nelson’s Island. Most of the dead from the naval engagement had been buried at sea, but those who later died of their wounds were interred on the island.

Despite Nelson’s victory, the French remained in Egypt (partly courtesy of the British, since they had no way to sail away), and a full-scale invasion was to drive them out of Egypt. A force of over 50 ships under the command of Admiral Lord Keith, with troops under General Sir Ralph Abercrombie, was soon assembled. Troops waded ashore Abu Qir beach on March 8, 1801.

Many of the ships were then turned into floating hospitals. A number of soldiers who died of their wounds or sickness were laid to rest on Nelson’s Island like their comrades of 1798.

After evidence of burials taking place on the island in 1798 and 1801 had been checked against archival records and linked to artifacts previously found on the site, the remains Gallo discovered were removed from the island and stored at the Greco-Roman Museum in Alexandria for safekeeping.

Omar Mohsen

As the time of the re-burial neared, they were placed in 6 coffins. One contained the remains of Master and Commander James Russell, formally identified by Nick Slope and his team; the five other coffins carried the bones of the twenty-nine other members of the garrison, including a woman and one child.

The ceremony was organized to coincide with the celebrations of the two hundredth anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar and the arrival in Egypt of the Type 22 frigate HMS Chatham, whose sailors and marines provided a guard of honor.

James Russell’s relatives Mr. Gordon and Mrs. Joan Watson, 87 and 83, were flown from Waterlooville, Hampshire, to be at the graveside. Both were dazed by the attention and tremendously excited as they explained that they previously had had no idea that their ancestor had died and been buried in Egypt.

The Egyptian Navy Band played as the procession of coffins marched into the cemetery. This was followed by an opening address delivered by Ambassador Sir Derek Plumbly, KCMG, and a background address by Consul General Alan Cobden.

Nelson’s Prayer, written before the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, was read by Commanding Officer Captain S. Chick, Royal Navy, HMS Chatham.

Omar Mohsen

The Royal Navy Fleet Chaplain Reverend Godfrey Hilliard, led those assembled in the Lord’s Prayer before the pall bearers folded the Union flags and lowered the coffins into the graves.

Three rifle volleys then followed before the Royal Marine Buglers played the Last Post. After a minute of silence, a lone bugle called Reveille before Commander Russell’s folded Union flag was presented to Mr. and Mrs. Watson, bringing the ceremony to an end.

As the dignitaries filed out and HMS Catham’s sailors and marines visited graves throughout the cemetery, grave diggers quietly filled in the six open slits, committing 30 bodies to their final rest. et