15.10.12

The cold waters of Scapa Flow

World turned upside down
HMS Royal Oak sunk
while boys slept below

Written on the anniversary of the sinking of the Royal Sovereign class battleship HMS ROYAL OAK on the night of 13/14 October 1939.  Of the 833 sailors who died, 100 were boys, aged 15-17, an event that led to the Royal Navy ending the tradition of sending boys to sea for active service.

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