Heroes of Heligoland

Exploits of the 20th Destroyer Flotilla, 1918 – narrated by James Lawson

Midshipman Adam spent his “gap year” between school and university serving with the 20th destroyer flotilla based out of Immingham. He kept a diary at the time, and years later edited it as a manuscript covering his experiences of the war.

The 20th destroyer flotilla were specialist high-speed minelayers. Their modified destroyers could cross the North Sea under cover of darkness, lay mines in German waters then return safely before daylight – or that was the plan.

The flotilla laid a total of 23,136 mines in the course of the war.

Admiral Beatty acknowledged their role in keeping the High Seas fleet bottled up in harbour by inviting them to the surrender pageant on November 21st 1918.

Adam served on three ships in the flotilla – HMS Vehement, HMS Sandfly and HMS Venturous.

click this to Play / Pause each recording.

click this to Mute

Use this slider to adjust the volume, or use the up ^ and down v buttons on your keyboard. The time bar shows the current position and length of each recording when you click play, you can drag the time bar to scroll back and forward through a recording.