Complex sentence: Although it took a while, the ten vessels proved to be as Duckworth expected, troopships from England that, following Duckworth's orders, had landed their sick and the women and children at Barbados before joining him.
Split into simpler sentences: Although it took a while, the ten vessels proved to be the troopships from England that Duckworth expected. They had, following Duckworth's orders, landed their sick and the women and children at Barbados before joining him.