The men of Britain's Merchant Navy, although unarmed civilians going about their lawful business were the first to be involved with the enemy in the Second World War. Less than nine hours after the declaration of war on 3 September 1939, the Donaldson liner Athenia was sunk without warning by a German U-boat off the west coast of Ireland. From that moment onwards, British merchant seamen were constantly in the front line in all quarters of the globe. For almost six years they faced, without flinching, their own private hell of torpedoes, bombs, shells and mines, all the while fending off their old arch enemy, the sea. Sorely pressed, and often tired near to death, they kept open Britain's tenuous lifelines, bringing millions of tons of raw materials, food, oil, arms and ammunition, without which the country could not have survived. As always, their spirit was indomitable, their professionalism unchallenged. The price they paid for their bravery and dedication was horrendous: 2,246 ships lost, 29,180 men killed, and countless hundreds maimed and wounded. This book tells the story of just a few of these quiet heroes. AUTHOR: Captain Bernard Edwards spent 37 years at sea with the Merchant Navy commanding ship trading worldwide. On retirement he settled in New South Wales to pursue his second career as a Naval historian. His knowledge of the sea and ships has enabled him to write a series of internationally recognized works, the majority of which are in print with Pen and Sword. SELLING POINTS: ? The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-45 is an ever popular subject ? A graphic tale of courage and endurance against the silent but deadly U-Boat threat ? Bernard Edwards is a well established and fluent writer of naval history ILLUSTRATIONS 8 pages of b/w photographs *
