Our Story…
With the threat of war looming over Europe, SS Athenia sailed from Liverpool for Canada Sept. 2, 1939, with 1,100 passengers, 200 more than normal. Three-quarters of them were women and children.
The British declared war on Germany the next day at 11 a.m. By sunset that evening Athenia was 250 miles northeast of Ireland, and almost everyone on board believed they were out of danger. But in the fading twilight the ship was rocked by a torpedo from a German submarine. At least 50 people died in the attack.
After abandoning Athenia, passengers in lifeboats battled wind, rain, and rising seas before the first rescue ships arrived in the early morning hours. Tragically, at least 50 more people were killed in accidents during the nighttime rescue operations.
At dawn Athenia’s Chief Officer discovered that an unconscious woman had been left aboard the sinking ship, which remained barely afloat. He led a daring rescue to save the woman minutes before Athenia sank.
This is how World War II began. Athenia was the first victim in the long running Battle of the Atlantic. The 112 men, women, and children who died in the attack were among the first civilian casualties in a war that would see more than 45 million civilian deaths around the world.
The Athenia tragedy caused worldwide shock, but it quickly faded from view, leaving questions that would take years to answer.
Why was Athenia sailing alone and unprotected at a time of war?
Why did the Nazi submarine commander defy wartime convention and attack a passenger ship?
Why don’t we know more about this tragedy today?
Athenia’s Last Voyage answers these questions using historic footage, animation, and interviews with nine survivors who were children when their ship was attacked. The film reminds us of the terrible fate so many innocent people suffer in wartime.
Help us reclaim a piece of history that has been forgotten.
