Past Events

The Story of the Mary Rose - Dr Philip Roberts   In 1545 during a battle with an invading French fleet in the Solent, the Mary Rose capsized and tragically sunk killing about 500 of its crew members. As it was King Henry VIII’s favourite ship it was a national disaster. 437 years later the ship was raised from the seabed with over 19,000 Tudor objects and many skeletons. The story of the Mary Rose has made history in underwater…

The Loss of the Truculent: The Lack of a Seaman’s Eye? - John Johnson-Allen   In January 1950 the submarine HMS Truculent collided with a coastal tanker. The tanker was sailing from Purfleet to Ipswich; the collision occurred off Southend, near the Oaze bank. Truculent was ripped open and sank to the bottom. Sixty three men lost their lives. The last survivor, Fred Henley, was on the bridge at the time. Now age 95 and living in Clacton, he was…

Ipswich Shipbuilding - Chris Turland Chris Turland’s talk is on the history of shipbuilding in Ipswich; the ships, the people who built them, and the development of the shipyards around the docks. Chris is a freelance teacher, artist and photographer, having previously spent many years at sea. Talks start at 7.30pm and all are welcome at the Waterfront Building, University of Suffolk. The cost for attending a talk is £3.50 for members and £4.50 for guests. Car parking is available in…

Mayflower 400 - Cathy Shelbourne Four hundred years ago, The Mayflower sailed to the New World. The ‘Pilgrim Fathers’ many of whom originated from East Anglia established the settlement that is now regarded as the foundation of modern America. IMT member and cruise ship speaker Cathy Shelbourne has just written a guide to Harwich, home of the master of The Mayflower. In this talk, she will be looking back at The Mayflower’s origins, as well as forward to the Mayflower 400 celebrations…

The 'London' Wreck - Steven Ellis The 'London', a Cromwellian built warship sank in the Thames Estuary over 350 years ago. It is now on Historic England's high-risk register. As it is sitting right on the edge of the main shipping channel, every passing vessel has a detrimental effect on the shipwreck. Steven Ellis is a volunteer licensed diver and with his team formed The London Shipwreck Trust to support the recovery of artefacts and remains so that they are not…