Blood, Thunder and Showgirls: The Merchant Navy on the BBC, 1939–1945

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Abstract

This article examines the representation of the Merchant Navy on BBC radio in Britain during the Second World War. It discusses how this essential, but dangerous, wartime role was presented to the British public by arguably the most prevalent wartime cultural medium. It uses extensive research in the BBC’s Written Archive Centre, using both radio broadcasts and listener research, to understand how the role of the Merchant Navy was portrayed and understood during the war. This article argues that, unlike other civilian occupations, men of the Merchant Navy were presented as brave and courageous under enemy fire and were consequently given access to much of the prestige generally reserved for the armed forces.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)473-488
JournalHistorical Journal of Film, Radio and Television
Volume35
Issue number3
Early online date26 Mar 2015
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 26 Mar 2015

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