by John Marshall

“ Lucia [1] , and received a commission appointing him to the Pandour 44, armed en flûte, which ship formed part of the force under Commodore Hood, at the reduction of Surinam, in May, 1804. During the operations against that colony, Lieutenant Skekel was employed in the flotilla on the Commewyne river [2] . ”

“ He also witnessed the surrender of the Marengo 80, and Belle Poule frigate, the former bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Linois, Mar. 13th, 1806 [5] . The total loss sustained by Sir Richard J. Strachan’s squadron, in action with that under Mons. Dumanoir le Pelley, was only 24 killed and 111 wounded; of which numbers, the Hero alone, as a proof of the conspicuous share she took in the combat, had 10 slain and 51 wounded.
Lieutenant Skekel’s next appointment was, in 1807, to the Ville de Paris, 110, flag-ship of Admiral Lord Gardner, then commanding the Channel fleet ”

“ In Feb. 1806, the Pandour having been paid off on her return to England, this officer was appointed to the Hero 74, Captain the Hon. Alan Hyde Gardner, under whom he bore a part in Sir Robert Calder’s action with the combined fleets of France and Spain, July 22d, 1805 [3] ”