San Demetrio London

1h 37min

Action

Drama

War

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.

Cast

Walter Fitzgerald

Walter Fitzgerald

Chief Engineer Charles Pollard - M.V. San Demetrio
Ralph Michael

Ralph Michael

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

Neville Mapp

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

Barry Letts

Apprentice John Jones - M.V. San Demetrio
Frederick Piper

Frederick Piper

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

Gordon Jackson

Messboy John Jamieson - M.V. San Demetrio
Robert Beatty

Robert Beatty

'Yank' Preston - M.V. San Demetrio
Mervyn Johns

Mervyn Johns

Greaser John Boyle - M.V. San Demetrio
James Donald

James Donald

Gunnery Officer - H.M.S. Jervis Bay
Nigel Clarke

Nigel Clarke

R.J.E Dodds - Shipping Manager
Arthur Young

Arthur Young

Captain George Waite - M.V. San Demetrio
Michael Allen

Michael Allen

Cadet Roy Housden - M.V. San Demetrio
Herbert Cameron

Herbert Cameron

Pumpman Davies
David Horne

David Horne

Mr. Justice Langton

Release date

7th Dec 1943

Status

Released

Spoken languages

English