Scottish MAritime Museum -Talk and Book Launch featuring Dr Nina Baker OBE

“Supposed Killed or Drowned by Enemy Action at Sea”

Scottish Merchant Navy Women Who Died as a Result of Enemy Action in the First and Second World Wars

Join us on International Women’s Day for a powerful talk honouring the courageous women seafarers who made the ultimate sacrifice in wartime. This is the first complete record of female Merchant Navy seafarers in the UK who lost their lives to enemy action – many with no grave but the sea.

Dr Nina Baker OBE, and engineering historian and former seafarer, will tell us some of the stories of the courageous women seafarers who made the ultimate sacrifice in wartime. This event will be the official launch of her new book, “Supposed Killed or Drowned by Enemy Action at Sea” Scottish Merchant Navy women who died as a result of enemy action in the First and Second World Wars.

Her book is the first complete list of the female professional seafarers in the United Kingdom’s Merchant Navy who lost their lives due to enemy action. Detailed profiles have been researched for those women who were of Scottish, bringing their stories to light for the first time.

Most names on public war memorials are military men’s names, with a very few for Merchant Navy seafarers. Among the Merchant Navy seafarers who sailed voyage after voyage, knowing that each one might be their last as so many ships were sunk by enemy action, were a few women.

Nina researched this book because she started to wonder who the women might be whose names are in the National Merchant Navy Roll of Honour. At the annual Merchant Navy Memorial Day events, some of these names are read out but she knew nothing about the women and their lives. It turned out that the National Roll was itself incomplete. Now, for the first time, complete lists of all known Merchant Navy women lost in the two world wars are provided and are enhanced by biographies of the Scottish women who made the final sacrifice. Nearly all have no grave but the sea

The talk will last approximately one hour and will be followed by a Q&A session. Books will be available to purchase and sign on the evening.