I'm glad that people are finally making a bit of a fuss about the previously unsung heroes of the merchant navy; without their bravery and sacrifice the second war could not have been won. To venture into a war zone in a slow, unarmed tanker or ship carrying munitions requires special courage indeed, and we should remember all those who perished, and celebrate the few who remain. I wish I could be there to pay my respects.
Re reading Sandy Woodward's account of the falklands operation recently, the casualty whose loss of life most moved me was that of Cunard's Captain Ian North, master of the Atlantic Conveyor. A veteran of the second war, he was the only member of the task force who knew what it was to be sunk by enemy fire, having experienced being torpedoed; yet he volunteered without hesitation, as did all of his crew, who were ready to follow him anywhere.
