Welcome to the WWII Forums! Log in or Sign up to interact with the community.

LARGE RESCUE TUGS NOTED IN THE MOVIE THE KEY

Discussion in 'Convoys and Troopships' started by gusord, Sep 6, 2011.

  1. gusord

    gusord Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2011
    Messages:
    32
    Likes Received:
    2
    There is a movie called THE KEY with William Holden, Trevor Howard, and Sophia Loren. Its about

    a rescue service of large sea going tugs that go out and tow ships in that are damaged but not

    sunk - some on fire,etc. According to the movie this took place in England with 2 captains and

    two crews assigned to each vessel with rotation. I havent seen anything about this service except

    in this movie. Anyone else heard about this rescue unit ?

    gusord
     
  2. OSCSSW

    OSCSSW Member

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2010
    Messages:
    37
    Likes Received:
    8
    Gusord I saw that movie a very long time ago and there are two things I remember about it
    1. Sophia Loren was absolutely drop dead gorgeous.

    2. Trevor Howard's line in the pub. "Do you yanks know the plain english for "Gallant allies"?
    BLOODY FOREIGNERS!"

    Hope this is of some help.

    DEEP SEA RESCUE TUGS (D.S.R.T)
    Thousands of seamen of all nationalities owe their lives to the brave men who manned the Deep Sea Rescue Tugs. Introduced in September, 1939, they were manned by volunteers from the Merchant Navy and from the Fishing Fleets. All came under the authority of the Royal Navy. A base facility was set up at Campbeltown on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland and named HMS Minona. As the war progressed, the tugs were based at Loch Ewe, Oban and Londonderry in Northern Ireland and even at a base in Iceland. Later on in the war, the Deep Sea Rescue Tugs were based at ports around the Mediterranean. As more tugs became available, they even accompanied the slower convoys across the Atlantic and were responsible for saving hundreds of ships that were towed to safety after being torpedoed or bombed. On and after D-Day about 160 of these tugs were deployed in the transportation of the Mulberry Harbour across the English Channel to the Normandy beaches. The 59 merchant ships, used to form the breakwater, were also towed across to be sunk. The huge drums containing the Pluto pipeline, which supplied 1.25 million gallons of fuel every day to the Allied armies, were also towed across the Channel by these tugs. In all, 41 Deep Sea Rescue Tugs were lost during WWII. The American equivalent is the N.A.F.T.S. (National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors).
     

Share This Page