David Bianculli

And it had been named after the head of the admiralty at the time, a man named Sir Charles Wager. And the name, in many ways, seemed fitting because they were all, in effect, gambling with their lives.

So these boats also needed a lot of sailors to work properly. You say that the Centurion, the flagship of this mission, needed 400 sailors, and that's only one of the ships going on the mission. There are four other warships, there's a scouting boat, and two cargo ships. They all needed personnel, but the Navy was having a hard time recruiting enough men.

So these boats also needed a lot of sailors to work properly. You say that the Centurion, the flagship of this mission, needed 400 sailors, and that's only one of the ships going on the mission. There are four other warships, there's a scouting boat, and two cargo ships. They all needed personnel, but the Navy was having a hard time recruiting enough men.

So these boats also needed a lot of sailors to work properly. You say that the Centurion, the flagship of this mission, needed 400 sailors, and that's only one of the ships going on the mission. There are four other warships, there's a scouting boat, and two cargo ships. They all needed personnel, but the Navy was having a hard time recruiting enough men.

What means did they resort to to find the manpower?

What means did they resort to to find the manpower?

What means did they resort to to find the manpower?

Yeah, so the Great Britain at that time did not have conscription, and it had exhausted its supply of volunteers during this war for the Navy. And so for the squadron, which was desperately short of men, and men were the most essential element, you needed skilled seamen to operate these very complex vessels.

Yeah, so the Great Britain at that time did not have conscription, and it had exhausted its supply of volunteers during this war for the Navy. And so for the squadron, which was desperately short of men, and men were the most essential element, you needed skilled seamen to operate these very complex vessels.

Yeah, so the Great Britain at that time did not have conscription, and it had exhausted its supply of volunteers during this war for the Navy. And so for the squadron, which was desperately short of men, and men were the most essential element, you needed skilled seamen to operate these very complex vessels.

And so what they did was they dispatched the press gangs, and the press gangs would roam into cities everywhere. They would roam into ports and towns and they would look for anyone with the telltale signs of a mariner. You know, if you had even a little tar on the tips of your fingertips, tar was used on a ship a lot. They would say, oh, you're a mariner. They would round you up.

And so what they did was they dispatched the press gangs, and the press gangs would roam into cities everywhere. They would roam into ports and towns and they would look for anyone with the telltale signs of a mariner. You know, if you had even a little tar on the tips of your fingertips, tar was used on a ship a lot. They would say, oh, you're a mariner. They would round you up.

And so what they did was they dispatched the press gangs, and the press gangs would roam into cities everywhere. They would roam into ports and towns and they would look for anyone with the telltale signs of a mariner. You know, if you had even a little tar on the tips of your fingertips, tar was used on a ship a lot. They would say, oh, you're a mariner. They would round you up.

They would put you on these basically like these floating jails and take you out to the ship. And you were forced to go unwillingly on a voyage that might last three years. Even then... The squadron was short of men, so the Admiralty took the extreme step of rounding up soldiers from a retirement home, many of whom were in their 60s and 70s. They were missing an assortment of limbs.

They would put you on these basically like these floating jails and take you out to the ship. And you were forced to go unwillingly on a voyage that might last three years. Even then... The squadron was short of men, so the Admiralty took the extreme step of rounding up soldiers from a retirement home, many of whom were in their 60s and 70s. They were missing an assortment of limbs.

They would put you on these basically like these floating jails and take you out to the ship. And you were forced to go unwillingly on a voyage that might last three years. Even then... The squadron was short of men, so the Admiralty took the extreme step of rounding up soldiers from a retirement home, many of whom were in their 60s and 70s. They were missing an assortment of limbs.

Some were so sick, they needed to be lifted on stretchers onto these ships before the voyage. Everybody knew they were sailing to their deaths.

Some were so sick, they needed to be lifted on stretchers onto these ships before the voyage. Everybody knew they were sailing to their deaths.

Some were so sick, they needed to be lifted on stretchers onto these ships before the voyage. Everybody knew they were sailing to their deaths.

Back to the press gangs for a second. You described how the press gangs would row out to returning merchant ships, and these are ships that may have been out in sea for years, and would snatch sailors off those boats so that the sailors wouldn't be able to see their families. They would be put...