Today is the 70th anniversary of the sinking of the SS City of Benares during the Second World War. Like many other allied ships that sank, it had been torpedoed by a U-Boat. What was significant about this particular ship was that it was carrying 100 evacuees from Liverpool to start a new life in Canada and be protected from danger. 87 children and 175 adults died in the incident. Some drowned and others were found dead from exposure in the lifeboats. The tragedy ended the official policy of overseas evacuation, although 170,000 children were taken overseas at some point during the war. You can read more about the sinking, including the memories of Sonia and Derek Bech who survived, in this BBC article, and hear from another survivor, Derek Capel, in this radio clip.
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