Forgotten Heroes One In four British merchant seamen died during the Second World War. Life on board ship was dangerous, poorly paid and carried a far higher casualty rate than any of the armed services.
Yet their bravery and sacrifices have barely been recognised. "Comingbackfrom the sea in the merchant navy I was actually getting assaulted at bus stops - accused of being an army dodger," recalls one merchant mariner.
In this programme the merchant seamen who faced the North Atlantic storms and the deadly U-boat menace to keep Britain supplied during the war years tell their own brave and moving story. Director Thomas Roberts Editor Laurence Rees