(First posted on 14 October 2017)
951 years ago today was one of England's most decisive days in history - the Battle of Hastings.
Early in the morning William, Duke of Normandy, my 30 x great grandfather, marched north to meet the Saxons. Harold Godwinson knew he did not have enough men to defend Caldbec Hill so moved to Senlac Hill where his army formed a shield wall.
William arrived and set up his forces at the bottom of the hill. He had three groups – Normans, Flemings and Bretons, both cavalry and infantry.
William opened the battle with a barrage of arrows which, because of the hill flew over the heads of the Saxons. Next William sent in his infantrymen but they were unable to break through the shield wall. A group of Breton infantrymen turned and ran down the hill. The Saxons that had been withstanding that group broke the shield wall and ran down after them. William ordered that they become the focus of the next attack and although some managed to return to their line most were cut down. It is thought that Harold’s two brothers lost their lives at this point.
Having seen how the Bretons fleeing down the hill broke the shield wall, William changed tactic and ordered his men to do the same thing. Although the shield wall did not break so spectacularly again it did begin to weaken. With the light beginning to fade William ordered his archers to fire again but to angle them higher so that they hit the men just behind the shield wall. It is thought that one of these arrows went through the eye slit of Harold’s helmet and struck him in the eye or near to the eye.
With Harold dead and most of the leading nobles also dead many of the remaining men fled the battlefield. Those that remained were soon cut down. William was victorious.
By December, William had marched on London. All Saxon resistance ceased, and on Christmas Day William was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey. William had become the Conqueror of England!
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