San Demetrio London

Overview

Based on the true story of the 1940 rescue of the tanker MV San Demetrio by parts of her own crew after she had been set afire in the middle of the Atlantic by the German heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer and then had been abandoned. When one of the lifeboats drifted back to the burning tanker the day after, and found that she still hadn't exploded, they decided to board her and put out the fires. Eventually, they managed to start the engine again and decided to try to reach Britain against all odds.

Directed by Charles Frend

Top cast

Walter Fitzgerald

Chief Engineer Charles Pollard - M.V. San Demetrio

Ralph Michael

2nd. Officer Hawkins - M.V. San Demetrio

N

Neville Mapp

3rd. Engineer Willey - M.V. San Demetrio

Barry Letts

Apprentice John Jones - M.V. San Demetrio

Frederick Piper

Boatswain W.E. Fletcher - M.V. San Demetrio

Gordon Jackson

Messboy John Jamieson - M.V. San Demetrio

Robert Beatty

'Yank' Preston - M.V. San Demetrio

Mervyn Johns

Greaser John Boyle - M.V. San Demetrio

James Donald

Gunnery Officer - H.M.S. Jervis Bay

N

Nigel Clarke

R.J.E Dodds - Shipping Manager

Arthur Young

Captain George Waite - M.V. San Demetrio

M

Michael Allen

Cadet Roy Housden - M.V. San Demetrio

H

Herbert Cameron

Pumpman Davies

Charles Victor

Deckhand

James McKechnie

Deckhand

David Horne

Mr. Justice Langton

D

Duncan McIntyre

Deckhand

J

John Owers

L

Lawrence O'Madden

J

James Sadler

Details