based on true story

San Demetrio London (1943)

Poster for San Demetrio London

British drama documentary from 1943, 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.

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Cast & Crew

Director
Charles Frend
  • Profile picture of Walter Fitzgerald
    Chief Engineer Charles Pollard - M.V. San Demetrio Walter Fitzgerald
  • Profile picture of Ralph Michael
    2nd. Officer Hawkins - M.V. San Demetrio Ralph Michael
  • Profile picture of Barry Letts
    Apprentice John Jones - M.V. San Demetrio Barry Letts
  • Profile picture of Frederick Piper
    Boatswain W.E. Fletcher - M.V. San Demetrio Frederick Piper
  • Profile picture of Gordon Jackson
    Messboy John Jamieson - M.V. San Demetrio Gordon Jackson
  • Profile picture of Robert Beatty
    'Yank' Preston - M.V. San Demetrio Robert Beatty
  • Profile picture of Mervyn Johns
    Greaser John Boyle - M.V. San Demetrio Mervyn Johns
  • Profile picture of James Donald
    Gunnery Officer - H.M.S. Jervis Bay James Donald

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Keywords

  • based on true story