Alexandre Louis Ducrest de Villeneuve

Alexandre Louis Ducrest de Villeneuve (Le Theil-de-Bretagne, 7 March 1777 - Paris, 22 March 1852) was a French naval officer and admiral.

Ducrest de Villeneuve joined the Navy in 1791, aged 14. In 1796, he was a midshipman first class, and in 1800 he had risen to ensign.

In 1805, he served on Redoutable, under Captain Lucas, and took part in the Battle of Trafalgar, where he was seriously wounded trying to board HMS Victory. Taken prisoner, he was detained on Redoutable, and narrowly escaped drowning when she foundered the next day.

In 1808, Ducrest de Villeneuve have been promoted to Lieutenant and was appointed on 26 July to the command of the aviso Mouche n° 6, in Bayonne. Mouche n° 6 was sent in the Indian Ocean for a mission to Ile de France and Manila. Upon his arrival at Manila, he was taken prisoner with his entire crew, as the government had sided for the Allies. He was rescued in early September by the brig Entreprenant, under Pierre Bouvet. Ducrest de Villeneuve later published the journal of his adventures on Mouche n° 6 as Journal du voyage de "la Mouche n°6", sous le commandement du lieutenant de vaisseau Ducrest de Villeneuve, expédiée pour l'Ile de France et Manille, en 1808.

After the action of 17–18 September 1810, in which Vénus and Victor captured HMS Ceylon, Ducrest de Villeneuve was given command of the captured Ceylon. However, the very next day, a British squadron comprising HMS Boadicea, Otter and the brig Staunch encountered the battered ships, and captured them all save for Victor. Ducrest de Villeneuve was taken in captivity.

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