John McConkey will talk about the sinking of the SS Portsdown. Many British ships were sunk by Hitler’s navy during World War II. Most of these sinkings occurred on the high seas far from land. No one thought that an inland ferry might be subject to danger so an explosion on the 20th September 1941 on a paddle steamer sailing from Portsmouth to Ryde was a devastating shock. The event had an overwhelming effect on several Isle of Wight families, but details and, in particular, the names of casualties were kept under wraps by the Government. As a 75th anniversary memorial to victims – in particular two family members – John McConkey recently took on the task of researching the disaster and documenting his findings in an article for the Isle of Wight Family History Society. The article won first prize in the 2016 best article competition. This talk gives details of the event, lists the victims and explains the research process John followed.The 9 am educational session is Questions & Answers. Bring your questions and experts from BIFHSGO will have a stab at answering them.
The venue is The Chamber, Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive Nepean, Ontario
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