Abandon Ship!

Surviving The Wartime Atlantic

ABANDON SHIP!

An exhibition to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the  SS Otaki, and the 75th anniversary of the sinking of the Richmond Castle.

Between 21 May – 6 November 2017, the exhibition and events programme will explore the stories of the two ships, the fates of their crews, and wider themes of abandoning ship and survival at sea.

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Hosted by the HQS Wellington and organised by The Wellington Trust, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

 

 

The exhibition will be open every Sunday and Monday with the exception of planned closures:
26th June
2nd and 3rd July

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SMS Möwe, Otaki’s Nemesis – An ex-banana boat, Part 2

October 13, 2017

As with figures such as the ‘Red Baron’ Manfred von Richthofen, Werner Voss and General Erich Ludendorff, Dohna-Schlodien was celebrated in newspapers, postcards, postage stamps, medallions and war art by a German propaganda machine that glorified individual heroism. This is shown in the image of the medallion below. While there were other figures who were … More SMS Möwe, Otaki’s Nemesis – An ex-banana boat, Part 2

SMS Möwe, Otaki’s Nemesis – An ex-banana boat, Part 1

October 12, 2017

Abandon Ship! details two famous Merchant Navy ships sunk during both World Wars, as examples of the sacrifices made by merchant seamen during both conflicts – along with the perils that they faced when the order came to abandon ship. The case that our exhibition uses to highlight the Merchant Navy losses during the First … More SMS Möwe, Otaki’s Nemesis – An ex-banana boat, Part 1

USS Indianpolis

September 15, 2017

Last month the wreck of the US Navy’s heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis was discovered 5.5 km deep in the Pacific, 72 years after being sunk by a Japanese submarine in the final weeks of the Second World War. Between 800 and 900 men survived the initial attack and were able to ‘Abandon Ship’, but by … More USS Indianpolis

A short film is being made to accompany the Abandon Ship! exhibition and will be posted to view online. In the meantime, please enjoy this film by Maritime Films UK.