HMS INDIA

My talk on HMS India is a condensed version of my book and website and lasts for 45-60 minutes allowing time for questions.  The talk will be complimented by a Powerpoint presentation featuring photographs, maps and other relevant information.  I will also bring archival material that can be perused by the audience at their leisure at the conclusion of the presentation.  With the permission of the organizers, I will also bring copies of my book for attendees to purchase, if they are interested.

The talk will cover

• HMS India – brief history, information on the 10th Cruiser Squadron

• The torpedo attack with accounts given by crew from both HMS India and the U-boat.

• The reactions to the attack from the war office, foreign office, papers and loved ones

• Life in internment with excerpts from RA Clarke’s letters as well as reflections from other internees.

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I  gave a talk to a receptive and appreciative audience at Martha Point, Australia.  Audience members commented on the detail of the story and presentation and enjoyed the many slides.  Photographs from the day featured below.

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A recent talk was at the Medway Archives Centre where I was thrilled to have in the audience the grandson of one of the men who lost their lives when HMS India was torpedoed.  The feedback from this talk was very positive with comments like "Great speaker, could hear every word", " Brilliant speaker, brilliant lecture", "Really engaging speaker, brilliantly researched, so glad I came to this talk." and "Best talk you've ever had" being left on the feedback forms.

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I have also just begun speaking to Philatelic Societies with a slightly different talk that features the mail that was being sent in and out of the camp during WW1.  The talks have been very successful and it has been a wonderful opportunity to display many of the wonderful letters and envelopes and other ephemera.  I also leave lots of time for discussion and looking at the material I have brought to the venue with me.  The talk has been described as 'brilliant' and 'absorbing'.

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Family history groups will be interested in not only the story of Arnold's time in the internment camp and his letters to his sister but also in the methods I used to research this book - from genealogy sites to archives (both in the UK and abroad) to setting up connections with descendants of other men onboard the ship.  My talk can be altered to suit the audience.

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My most recent talk involved a visit with a book group.  It was a more intimate setting than my usual talks but it was very rewarding for the readers and myself.  The organiser of the group sent the following feedback on the evening - "The group LOVED the speech you gave Rebecca. We loved  the insight into another time and the stories of an ordinary person caught in a dreadful situation. What was also inspirational was the love, pride and compassion that fuelled all the work you had done. The incidental stories you uncovered showed that everyone had a story worth telling and I think that respectful consideration of human worth and dignity was uplifting. We are so grateful to you for coming to us and showing us what is possible and inspiring us to consider the stories that surround us. A special thank you from Roger who has started your book and is fascinated by the insight into the forgotten/overlooked human experience of war."