The British were no better, the Merchant Navy suffered a higher casualty rate than the Royal Navy, the Royal Air force or the Army. When you ship sank you were off pay. Shameful.

@@benwilson6145 yes imagine a woman going to pick up her husbands pay so she can feed and clothe their children only to be told ‘sorry madam your husband’s ship has gone down 2 days ago so no money for you dear’. The Merchant sailors of Allied nations were and to a large degree still are the forgotten heroes of WW2 😔 a bloody disgrace

Many stories in liverpool about the families not knowing about there loved ones being dead until the pay stopped ,my grandad was torpedoed three times ,he was lucky enough to be picked up each time,off pay until he got another ship, bastard owners and government,the war would have been lost without them men

Operation Pedestal was an epic battle that is little known today. Would a movie about it be well received?

@@mickeycrilly1839 Communism won both world wars.

I've gotten lost in the ice with PQ 17 now for a win. as the British naval chiefs said "We would'nt have spared the convoys if we were the Germans".

My favourite aircraft carrier HMS victorious involved in operation pedestal

My father chiefPO ERA William Arthur LEWRY was on board he was welding plates over bomb holes on deck when she went down he was thrown into the water and survived a long period in the water . He finished up in hospital He had a stroke and was in hospital for a period of time when he came out he went back on active duty he continued to have heavy duties till demob in west Hartlepool .

Actually they had severals but only 3 were airworthy for a long time. Not the same 3 aircraft, but why ruin a good story. Ooopps :)

@@karlvongazenberg8398 Gloster Gladiators

Yes, there are limits to their knowledge. I try to capture their opinions of the situations, as well as their direct personal experience. Otherwise they often suffer from chinese whisper syndrome. Understandable.

You have a point, but how can Malta turn crude oil into high octane aviation fuel. Did they have oil refineries?

I'm operating from memory here......it's been a while since I read Captain Mason's (Ohio), account. But at one stage Ohio was being led by a destroyer (Ledbury?) following damage and in an effort to close back up to the convoy. The destroyer made towards a patch of burning water where, I think it might have been Waimarama, had blown up. Mason related that he had to use his megaphone to yell, 'For God's sake keep away from that, I'm oozing aviation spirit!' Ohio had a mixed cargo that included 100 octane. As part of the loading plan, all ships in the convoy were carrying at least some fuel in an attempt to ensure that the loss of the tanker would not be a total disaster for Malta.

I had read that some of the freighters in the convoy were taking large amounts of high octane fuel in tinny metal 5 gallon containers commonly referred to as a flimsy or flimsies. Nothing you’d want go be around when all hell is breaking loose. And I believe it was the fuel oil that really helped Malta and the greater war effort in keeping the sub fleet at Malta going and attacking German supplies to n Africa.