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Title As It Happened: Children Of The Doomed Voyage / Director: Humphries, Steve
Published Australia : SBS 2, 2010
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Description 1 online resource (streaming video file) (47 min. 33 sec.) ; 287770508 bytes
Summary On the 17th September 1940, the passenger ship the SS Benares, was struck by a German U-Boat just outside US waters. However, the ship was full of children, being evacuated from Britain to Canada as part of the British Government's plan to ensure the safety of the nation's children. There were 100 children on the SS Benares when it set sail. Only 20 survived.The SS Benares was the first ship to take refugee children under the new scheme, and the children were chosen from the high risk areas of London, Cardiff, and Sunderland. The idea of overseas evacuation was hugely supported by both parents and children, for whom it seemed like a great adventure.The ship, carrying 100 children, sixteen escorts and 210 crew, set sail for Canada on the 13th September 1940 - escorted by three navy boats. However, on the morning of the 17th September the escorts turned back to provide support for an incoming convoy of ships. The SS Benares was left alone and unprotected as it headed into a rough storm. The captain was busy navigating the ship through the storm and was unaware that the SS Benares had been targeted by a German U-Boat. At 10pm disaster struck. The ship was fatally hit by a torpedo and panic and chaos ensued. The ship was sinking fast but as the storm raged, lifeboats overturned and capsized before they reached the water. Children were flung into the raging, freezing Atlantic. As it was night time many were wearing only pyjamas. Within an hour the ship had sunk and children and crew members were clinging to driftwood and overturned lifeboats in the storm.The passengers spent a night in the freezing cold sea with no rescue underway. As every hour passed children and crew were drowning or dying of exposure. The captain of the SS Benares had sent out an SOS but the escorts were under instruction not to return immediately as there would be a risk of further U- Boat attacks. The first rescue ship would not arrive on the scene until the next afternoon. By this time the children and crew had been in the water for 16 hours.Many of the children survivors have a photographic minute-by-minute memory of the drama of the sinking and rescue. Most were clinging to the side of overturned life boats, semi naked and freezing cold - with no food or water. It was an extraordinary act of will to stay afloat, and as the hours passed by, an increasing number gave up and slipped silently into the ocean. The survivors and some of the rescuers have stayed close friends, with regular reunions. Some even married each other. Still traumatized they can never forget that awful night of suffering and heroism. They will always be - the children of the doomed voyage. (From the UK, in English)
Notes Closed captioning in English
Event Broadcast 2010-12-07 at 20:30:00
Notes Classification: PG
Subject Bombing, Aerial.
Child welfare -- Government policy.
Evacuation of civilians.
War victims -- Psychology.
World War (1939-1945)
Canada.
England.
Germany.
Form Streaming video
Author Baker, John, contributor
Bech, Barbara, contributor
Bech, Sonia, contributor
Capel, Derek, contributor
Humphries, Stephen, director
Humphries, Steve, director
Praed, Michael, cast
Richardson, Colin Ryder, contributor
Walder, Bess, contributor