HMS at Tanfield Railway Great War Weekend event 18th - 19th March

We will be taking our 'Great War British Red Cross Society and Order of St John of Jerusalem evacuation boat' , recreating the service in Mesopotamia circa 1917, an often overlooked theatre of the First World War. Often called Silver Thimble, after the charity that bought them, these boats were bought in the UK and shipped to Mesopotamia for local use. Operations there reflect our interest in lesser known exploits that are largely forgotten today. We believe that this powered craft is a fine addition to our Georgian and Second World War Naval Craft collection.

Our boat will be next to a small reenactment display portraying a Field Hospital in Mesopotamia (now modern day Iraq), the motor launch being used to recover wounded men along the River Tigris. Although the weather and location is unlikely to match Mesopotamia, this display is an important reminder of a forgotten part of the First World War

You can also discover the important role that the railways played during World War 1 in this talk by HMS member, Rob Langham, author of the North Eastern Railway in the First World War on Saturday 18th March, 7pm (doors open 6.30pm), Andrews House

Tickets cost £5 per person on the day or £3 per person online, when purchased with a day rover ticket. Tickets can be purchased online - here