"Lights Out, No Talking"


The National Nautical School, Portishead
Somerset, during the years, 1938 - 1942

Written by: Gordon S Sollors


Brian William Burnham
(in uniform) with brother Donald, on leave from Formidable in 1939.
DEDICATION
To the special memory of Brian William Burnham, who arrived at the school on the same day as I, namely Friday, September 16, 1938. We became good friends. Brian lost his life, when his ship, the SS Fort Bellingham was torpedoed on January 25, 1944. The ship was part of a convoy, taking war supplies to Russia. He was 17 years old. Also to the memory of Bernard Griffiths, who lost his life
when his ship, the SS Storaa was sunk during WW2.
Their names are recorded on the Merchant Navy Memorial at Tower Hill in London with many others.
Of the hundreds of boys who passed through the National Nautical School during its eighty years of operation, many others must also have lost their lives whilst serving in the Merchant Navy, and in the Armed Services.
They also are remembered.