Captain Hume with an escort of Royal Marines on Harbour Island.
Royal Marines are the amphibious light infantry of the Royal Navy. They are a highly specialized and adaptable force, often fighting alongside the Regulars of the British Army.
History[]
Background[]
The first official regiment of English naval infantry was formed on October 28, 1664, with an initial strength of 1,200 infantrymen recruited as part of the mobilization for the Second Anglo-Dutch War. Marines were then incorporated as an official part of the British Armed Forces.
Season One[]
Captain Hume has Royal Marines on the crew of the HMS Scarborough. Two of them escort him to Richard Guthrie's estate on Harbour Island. There, they attempt to arrest him for fencing pirate goods. They also try to arrest Flint and Billy Bones, correctly believing them to be pirates. Their efforts are foiled by the pirates however. Afterwards, they set up camp on Harbour Island[1].
Hume and two Marines attempt to arrest Richard Guthrie, Flint and Billy.
Dyfed Bryson tells Hume the route the Andromache will be sailing, knowing that Flint will give chase. The Scarborough catches up to them at nightfall, so the pirates take care not to alert the British warship to their presence. However, after the battle is over, a trap is triggered that causes an explosion, and the Scarborough fires at the pirates, causing Billy Bones to fall overboard[2].
Season Two[]
Billy Bones is revealed to have been captured by Hume and held captive by the garrison on Harbour Island. Hume tortures him by placing Billy in a leather vest in the sun that Hume pours water on. Hume tells him that it will take six days for the sun to shrink the leather so tightly that it will cause the ribs to collapse, puncturing vital organs[3].
Billy washes up on the shore near Nassau and is pulled out of the water. John Silver sequesters him until he promises to tell the crew that Flint tried to save him when he fell in the water. When he rejoins his crew, he tells them that he was held captive by the Royal Navy on Harbour Island. He says that they are fully encamped, possessing an armory, barracks, and a garrison of 200 men. He further says he was able to escape when his guards got careless. However, he secretly reveals to Dufresne that he was actually set free, with the promise that if he apprehended Flint and delivered him to Hume, he and nine men of his choosing would all receive Royal Pardon[4].
Billy tells Charles Vane that Flint is not imagining the threat of England. He tells Vane that he saw the garrison on Harbour Island, which includes a full company of Royal Marines and two hundred men in support. Billy adds that their commander, Captain Hume of the Scarborough, is just waiting for the order to begin his assault on Nassau. Meanwhile, Benjamin Hornigold, Dufresne and eight other men kidnap Eleanor Guthrie and bring her to Hume on Harbour Island. Hume meets them with an escort of Royal Marines, and gives them the pardons before heading to England with Eleanor[5].
Uniform & Equipment[]
Royal Marines wear black hats, short navy blue jackets, a grey vest and white or beige breeches. They wear two white baldrics that cross their chests, holding a sword in one and a cartridge box in the other. Royal Marines use the same equipment as their Regular counterparts. They are seen equipped with Brown Bess muskets, French Briquet swords and bayonets.
Quotes[]
- "I saw it with my own eyes. The garrison on Harbour Island. Royal Marines, a full company of them. 200 men in support. The Scarborough anchored. And a commander just waiting for the order to begin his assault against us and exterminate every last one us."
- ―Billy Bones to Charles Vane[src]
Trivia[]
- The uniforms seen worn by the Royal Marines in the show more closely resemble the uniforms worn by the Royal Marines Artillery beginning in 1805.