Dominic Sandbrook

As the hailing bullets flicked the life out of the struggling men, we almost wept with impotent rage.

So they're leaping off.

They're incredibly bravely kind of running across this kind of improvised gangway, and they're all being shot down.

After about an hour, the shallows are absolutely choked with dead and drowning men.

The able seaman, William Williams, he's shot and killed.

And Unwin, who's been holding the gangway in place, kind of from not so well swept away by the tide, he basically collapses with exhaustion.

He has to be dragged back aboard the ship.

And at this point, the commanding officers on the river Clyde say, this has been a complete nightmare.

Let's just wait here.

Stop trying to get off the ship and wait for cover of darkness and then try to get ashore.

But, I mean, this is why you should never be too brave, Tom.

And I don't think this is an issue that we will ever have to face, frankly, but just so you know, don't be too courageous.

Because at this point, one of the infantry commanders, who's called Brigadier General Napier, says, no, no, we can still do this.

And he jumps down from the ship onto the gangway and he says, come on, men.

And somebody shouts at him, you can't possibly land.

And Napier says, I'll have a damn good try.

And he starts to run across these barges, followed by his loyal major and some of his men.

He gets to barge number three and a bullet just smacks into his head and he falls into the water and his body was never recovered.

And so that was the end of him.

I suppose they couldn't recognise it if his head's been blown to pieces.