The Loyalty episode is towards the end of Lieutenant Hornblower and before Hornblower and the "Hotspur" but containing some elements of the latter. I believe Hammond is based upon the character of Mr. Cheeseman as well as others in the books. Mr. Cheeseman is always amiss in his duties, he is first seen as having the incorrect number of powder horns in his division and Hornblower considers him a spoilt young gentleman with which the ship was "plagued". There has always been a tradition of the Irish rebellion element in Hornblower, particularly in the book Hornblower and the Crisis which deals with him discovering an Irish rebel who has a secret compartment in his sea chest. Fascinating stuff that might have given rise to the Loyalty/Duty series.

Jack Hammond is the nephew of Captain Hammond, whom we were introduced to with The Fire Ships as "Black Charlie" Hammond, a formidable gentleman who doesn't get along with others very well. He is part of the three judges in Mutiny/Retribution and appears again at the Officer's Club towards the beginning of Loyalty with Jack in tow. We know that they are a prominant Irish family, and it is clear Jack's parents instilled in him a high sense of honour and the importance of the family name. We do not know if his parents were still alive, or if he was just with his uncle because that was a good way to pick up a ship. In the book, it was not actually an officer's club they were at but simply a regular club. Hornblower wasn't even on half pay, and was literally paid by the owner of the house to make up four in whist. In the movie he is just there and is paired with Pellew while Bush hangs about.

Jack is in Portsmouth "looking to be posted to a ship" as a midshipman. He appears to be around 16-18, and is absolutely gorgeous in his little civillian Darcy jacket but I digress. He is asked by Pellew which captain he'd prefer to serve under and he surprises everyone by announcing Hornblower. He and his uncle lose miserably at cards to Hornblower, who has a mathematical talent for counting cards, and an angry Captain Hammond sweeps him away. Jack is established as a sweet, quiet and a bit shy gentlemanly boy and hardly cut out to be a naval officer. Nevertheless, when Hornblower receives a ship, the Hotspur Hammond and another slightly older young man, Charles Orrock, come aboard as midshipmen. Poor Jack is completely out of his element and apparently didn't study up beforehand. Unlike quickwitted Orrock, he can't even remember where the lanterns are, much less what signal flags mean. Matthews feels sorry for him and keeps covering for him and helping him out, much to Bush and Hornblower's exasperation. The lantern sequence comes from Hornblower and the "Hotspur" with young Firth who became Hammond in the films as well. The lack of prowess when it comes to signal flags comes from an incident in the books with Mr. Foreman, who time after time accidentally does the wrong thing to the point where Hornblower nearly has to make him kiss the gunner's daughter but contents himself with removing Foreman's spirit ration instead. The parallel ends later when Foreman pulls himself together with the Coaster and Hornblower actually approves of him keeping his head.

When he comes into his first combat experience, he completely loses it when a younger boy is blown into pieces in front of him. Matthews tries to help him yet again, but Jack has never really even seen blood before, much less had someone's insides hurtle out onto him. He recovers himself eventually, but is never quite the same. He refuses to volunteer for a short party, despite the plant Wolf egging him on and Hornblower finally has had enough. He takes Jack aside privately and tells him if he really doesn't want to be here to just transfer off. But poor Jack is trapped, his family made it clear they expected the best from him and that had to be a naval career. Shamed into coming, he joins the others as they attempt to blow a signal post. This bit might have been influenced by the book character of Grimes who completely flipped out at the possibility of having to go ashore.

Things go wrong as Wolf fails to appear, and several divisions are heard coming towards them. Hornblower tells Jack to run ahead and warn the marines they'd be coming in hot, but Jack is so terrified as he has to hide constantly to avoid patrols that when he finally reaches the jetty, instead of telling them to hold on, he screams to retreat or they'll all be cut down. Matthews, who was left in charge, doesn't believe him. Jack, still in a panic, shouts that evacuation was Hornblower's order. Unable to contradict him, Matthews obeys, knowing Jack was lying. They have a confrontation later on the ship where Matthews tells him very clearly that Hornblower had given many people a second chance before, but Jack was the first person to let him down. Horrified and ashamed at what he'd done, Jack is determined to prove otherwise at the first opportunity. In the books, Hewitt is sent to tell the marines to cover their retreat and nothing odd happens, Hornblower gets clean away.

He insists on accompanying Bush ashore when they arrive to rescue Hornblower and the others. This time, he fights valliantly and even Orrock is impressed. But a loose shot from a Frog and Jack collapses. Captain Hammond, who has betrayed them all for Ireland, comes across his nephew dying. Jack asks why he was so frightened before, and whether he had disgraced the family name. "They would have been proud of you, Jack," is Hornblower's response. His uncle is so upset both by his own betrayal and Jack's untimely death that he shoots himself in the head before Hornblower can stop him.

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