Telling tales of wartime stalwarts

THE fleet of vessels that set out across the English Channel to rescue hundreds of thousands of Allied personnel from the beaches of northern France in 1940 has gone down in history as one of World War Two’s most celebrated acts of civilian heroism.

- HERALD REPORTER

Significantly less well-known, however, are the coastal convoys that sailed every day through some of the war’s most dangerous waters to ensure the UK was able to keep functioning during the long years of conflict.

A new book, The War for England’s Shores, lifts the lid on the actions of these vessels and their owners, who carried food, fuel and the materials required for weapons around the UK, all while under constant threat from the German Navy’s S-Boats.

Published in time for Remembrance Sunday, it also shines a light on the significant losses they sustained, with the wrecks of vessels that fell foul of the S-Boats littering the east coast and English Channel.

Those who went down with the boats form part of a roll call of around 3,500 sailors from 20 nations who lost their lives in British coastal waters between 1939 and 1945.