I watched this brilliant 2 parter but I have a couple of questions I would have liked to have known how many actually survived the incident, what happened after officer Mortimer was handed over etc. A caption after the fate of the U-boat crew would have just brought a bit of finality to it as I missed the documentary that was on the next day.
shareI was curious too and did a bit of research in several internet blogs and forums.
I would also recommend the BBC press pack with interviews of the cast.
Mortimer is a fictional character based on a senior third officer of the Laconia. This officer survived a German prisoner of war camp and returned as an officer on a Cunard liner after the war.
Hilda Smith is a fictional character inspired by a (british) nurse,Mrs. Fullwood is a fictional character though the story of mother and daughter meeting on the ship has happened.
Most of the british survivors went to french camps in north africa and were freed by the Allied troops.Their experiences there were definitely not pleasant, some of them died there of dysentery.
Some of the british boats made it to the african coast, though with many losses of life.
I think Officer Mortimer was just a fictional character. More than half of the more than Two Thousand passengers and crew, including Italian POW's. Sadly did not survive the incident.
shareMortimer was based on a man called Thomas Buckingham.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/12_decembe r/23/laconia3.shtml
Edit:
I've just found a very good article which recounts the events and mentions Buckingham quite a bit:
http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/cunard7.html
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