Imperial War Museum new exhibit: Stories of war at sea

[ABDCWOT]

Man, this looks awesome.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFVuYB7HoXU

[minke]

I went to the imperial war museum north when it first opened, sucked big time and was a total disappointment. I think there was a huge space in the main exhibition area for an old trabant and a fire engine, I left in disgust.

However it is probably worth a visit these days and I may have to post a couple of pics if there has been a drastic improvement. 

[ABDCWOT]

Bummer.....Hopefully this exhibit will make up for the past suckness. If you do go see it please share with those of us here in the states.

AB

[Simba]

Ah, the San Demetrio, what a story indeed.

But she'd never have made it, and neither would most of the ships of that convoy, without the sacrifice of her sole escort. His Majesty's Armed Merchant Cruiser Jervis Bay hoisted battle ensigns and took on the Panzerschiff Admiral Scheer  - and bought the precious time needed for the convoy to effectively carry out the order 'Convoy disperse, all ships proceed independently'.

A Canadian-born seamen, Oswald Preston, known to his shipmates aboard the San Demetrio as 'The Yank', joined the ship just before she sailed from Halifax. A born defaulter and regarded as bone-idle, he didn't make many friends until he got into the lifeboat - but his subsequent courage, determination and good humour led to the unanimous decision of his fellow survivors to present him with the tanker's 'Red Duster' ensign after they reached the Clyde.

The best book on the story of the fight of convoy HX84 is If the Gods Are Good: The Sacrifice of HMS Jervis Bay by Gerald L. Duskin and Ralph Segman; 2005, Crecy Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0 859791 07 6.