Lecture | The Rescue Ships and the Convoys: Saving Lives during the Second World War

In 1940, as Allied shipping in the Atlantic came under persistent attack from German U-boats and surface ships, the Admiralty decided to form a Rescue Ship Service to rescue the merchant seamen who were dying in greater numbers proportionately than those serving in the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. With limited availability, the ships which formed this service were small coastal vessels, manned by merchant seamen, who had little or no experience of crossing the Atlantic. No more than 30 ships were ever available, seven of which were either lost or sunk; Insufficient in numbers to accompany each convoy they played an important role in saving  the lives of over 4,000  Allied seamen including those from the ill fated PQ 17 convoy to the Arctic.

In 1968 Vice Admiral B.B. Schofield, who had been Director of Trade Division (convoys and routing) during the war, wrote the history of the Rescue Ships. His daughter, Victoria Schofield has now edited and expanded the book, using fresh archive material, to tell the story of the ‘great deeds’ accomplished by ‘little ships’ at the height of the Battle of the Atlantic during some of the worst weather conditions on record. Her illustrated talk will describe both the story of the Rescue Ships and how, having written the two-volume history of The Black Watch, she came to focus on the subject 56 years after her father’s book was first published.

6.30pm Drinks Reception (Drink included in ticket price), 7.00pm Lecture Commences

£12 non members | £10 Friends