Mr. Gerard first appears in the book The Happy Return/Beat to Quarters when land is sighted. He is an able officer that is quite handsome and elegant and with an unhealthy obsession with guns. His dream is to have six trained gun captains at every cannon with perfect precision in their firing. He is also an expert in wines and gourmet food, although as it was said, his figure did not suffer in the least from this preocupancy.

He first served as second lieutenant with Hornblower on the thirty-six gun frigate Lydia sailing on the pacific coast of America. Gerard was on good terms with the sailing master, Mr. Crystal. Gerard is often left as officer of the watch or in command of the ship while the others are off gallavanting or strategizing. Yet Hornblower, though a trifle envious of Gerard, considered him as efficient and trustworthy as Bush.

When Lady Barbara came aboard, Gerard took every opportunity to entertain her and make the most of his looks but to no avail. Hornblower did his best to keep them apart, though at first not admitting he was simply jealous. Once they came upon Natividad again, Gerard went back to his beloved guns, forgetting all about Lady Barbara in the heat of battle. Enthusiastically and expertly, his crews had every shot hold during both the first engagement and the second which lasted over an hour and a half. They went back to England and thus ended that book.

As Ship of the Line begins, Gerard is now second lieutenant under Hornblower on the seventy-four gun Sutherland (No. 21). Gerard arranged for his nephew, Longley, to come aboard as midshipman who later saved Hornblower's life. They were to escort a convoy of Indiamen but quickly were separated from the other naval vessels due to the Indiamen's poor seamanship. They took over for the lot of merchants that were in their sights and the next day two French Privateers were sighted. Gerard sent a few broadsides at them, quite successfully, although he got a little overexcited as he always did in engagement. Gerard gives Hornblower warning when, after the engagement, Captain Osborn of the Indiamen came over to congratulate them. Directly afterward though, desperate for crew, Hornblower sent Gerard over to take seamen off the Indiamen. He took some lobsters and armed men with him and successfully began taking them off. Osborn sent a protest which Hornblower all but ignored, and Gerard got some of the best seamen off the ship and successfully onto Southerland. Gerard puts the new recruits to work immediately at gun training. One at a time against a target cask he went over each gun.

They take on a shore battery and Gerard managed to bring the guns to bear to sweep the embrasures until the shore party began climbing the fort. He then took charge of securing all the ships in the bay. Gerard could tell instantly what sort of gun was firing at them and from what range. They go farther along the coast and Gerard is given the left battery to make note of. Taking half the marines, that night Gerard lead the attack on his battery. When he saw Hornblower's rocket he called his men back.

Gerard returned the next few days to endless drilling of the gun crews. Hornblower, Bush and several seamen went ashore through a vineyard to take out some shipping, but part of the plan involved swimming a long way and one of the French women decided to get rid of their clothes before they returned, so though it was successful, poor Gerard had the sight of his captain, first officer and a good number of the crew return without a single thing on them save sword belts. Fortunately he regained his composure and acted as though nothing were out of the ordinary.

After meeting with a Spanish Officer, they hear news of the Italian allies of Bonapart marching along a coastal road. Gleefully, Gerard began his target practice on the divisions of men, cannon and baggage trains as he carefully took out over five hundred men. They would have gotten more but the Sutherland wasn't very maneuverable and the army began scattering in panic up the hillsides without decent targets. They then return to the rest of the fleet, although the Admiral is furious it took them so long and doesn't believe Gerard took out as many man as he did. Ironically, a huge storm breaks and the flagship is almost sunk but for hasty assistance from Hornblower. Gerard helps with towing the Pluto to safety through the squall, although he thinks the methods were rash.

Off on patrol again, they come across four French ships and begin the chase after sending another ship off to bring the Pluto. Gerard keeps a close eye on them and sure enough the other British come just in time to engage the French, but to save themselves, all four descend upon Sutherland. Gerard held his fire until Hornblower gave the order at the very last second. As they crossed the French ship's T, Gerard let the broadside go. In a single discharge he practically disabled the entire ship. Moving on to the next ship, Gerard went at them with less than half a second between broadsides as Gerard egged them on. Gerard's efforts split her main topmast and topgallant. They moved on to the next ship as the other British were becalmed and unable to render assistance. They sent more broadsides at them, and the French began scattering as best they could limp away. Beside Gerard, Bush had his leg blown off and Longley, Gerard's nephew whom Hornblower had been on the verge of promoting to acting lieutenant, was killed. With the powder boys all blown to bits, Gerard had to put marines to carrying the powder. Sutherland was dismasted and had sustained heavy casualties, but due to Gerard's flawless gunnery the French had sustained heavy damage. But the fourth of their ships came round again and smashed into Sutherland Hornblower has no choice but to surrender before his ship sank. The French took them prisoners and had to beach the ship. Gerard was M.I.A. in the action and certainly was not taken as a prisoner. He is missing presumed dead, but as he was not listed in the wounded either there is always a chance he escaped, though it is doubtful.

Quotes

"The other possible choice was Gerard, and Gerard was so handsome and had acquired somehow such a knowledge of the world that Hornblower did not want to bring him into too frequent contact with Lady Barbara" (106).

"Gerard flashed his brilliant smile at her and made play with his good looks and told her stories of his privateering days" (108).

"Gerard stood in the middle of his battery gazing with narrowed eyes into the wind at the impressive bulk close overside. His swarthy beauty was accentuated by the tenseness of the moment and the fierce concentration of his expression, but for once he was quite unconscious of his good looks" (116).

"'Pound him, lads, pound him!' screamed Gerard, half mad with fatigue and strain" (159).

"Gerard could not bear to leave all the talking to Bush, and he had to break in with the story of his encounter with an Algerine corsair off Cape Spartel" (199).

"Of all his officers, Gerard, handsome, sarcastic, and able" (276).

"He would have liked to talk, and Gerard was there, eager to discuss the working of his beloved guns" (291).

"Hornblower called them up and presented them one by one; horny-handed Bush, and Gerard handsome and elegant" (299).

"Gerard came leaping onto the quarterdeck, having run down the whole length of the main deck, keeping pace with the firing. He bent eagerly over the nearest carronade, altered its elevation with a quick twist of the screw, and jerked the lanyard, with a wave o the hand to the other gun captains to do the same. The carronades roared out, sweeping the Frenchman's quarterdeck with grape on top of the roundshot" (448).

Written By Zimrahil.
Forester, C.S. Captain Horatio Hornblower. Boston: Little Brown, 1941.