I do love my research

Greetings and the count down is on. 5 days to the first minute write in where Nano for the Sno region will be on for 30 days of excitement, pressure, and too much coffee. Ok no coffee for me but I am sure others will drink so I can live vicariously.

I have been spending good portions of my recovery time researching for Nano and I wanted to share a few tidbits with you.

The Ceramic was torpedoed at night off the West Coast of Africa. She carried both civilians fleeing the Blitz and soldiers on their way to war. The ship sunk rapidly and the U-boat responsible for their destruction circled the life boats looking for the captain. When the Germans were unable to locate the Captain the grabbed a random officer out of the water, Eric Munday. He survived interrogation and several years as a POW before returning home to find he was the only one who survived the Ceramic. All others perished. In recent years he was gone to Germany for reunions with the men from the U-Boat that effectively rescued him when they took him on board for interrogation.

The Ornsay was sunk off the West Coast of Africa by German U-boat at night. Two launches and 12 life boats made it away from the ship. The Captain ordered them to convoy together. During the first night after ship wreck, the Captains launch and the seven life boats he was tugging disappeared. The other launch continued tugging five life boats until her motor gave out. Four of the lifeboats decided they would be better off without the launch and cut themselves free. 74 men and one Queen Alexandra’s nurse decided their best course of action was to row on to land, 500 miles away. The QA organized the rations into a meals that would last them the estimated 21 days to land. She organized them into rowing shifts, one hour on, two hours off, working from 6AM to 10PM. Knowing the sun was the biggest danger, she organized a work party responsible for pouring a bucket of sea water over every man every half hour of day light. She conducted health exams every day deciding who was fit to work and who was not. She attended to all wounds physical and emotional. Men on the verge of breakdown were sent to her for a chat and a hug. In the course of 12 days they rowed 380 miles before being picked up by a Royal Navy ship. Not only were they on track to make land much faster than estimated, not a single life was lost in the two boats tended by the QA. All others from the Ornsay were lost at sea.

I am also taking a poll for the name of our fearless heroine.

Vote now:
Margaret “Molly” Leighton
Lila O’Rourke
Frances “Frankie” Marple