The saga of the San Demetrio

6th November 1940: The crew of a tanker abandons ship when she comes under fire from the Admiral Scheer - but reboard her when they encounter her again a day later

After over 24 hours in an open lifeboat, some of the crew of the San Demetrio approach the burning tanker to reboard her. They had abandoned ship after she was hit and set on fire by the Admiral Scheer, threatening to ignite her cargo of aviation fuel. Oil Painting by Norman Wilkinson, acquired by the War Artists Advisory Committee.

John Lewis Jones was …