Combat Ships

The programme explores the history of hospital ships and the men and women who served aboard them, highlighting their vital roles in wartime medical care. It also recounts the tragic sinking of the Titanic’s sister ship, the Britannic, illustrating the perils faced even by vessels intended for rescue.

Rescue Ships is a programme presented in an episode format that centres on maritime rescue operations. Classified as a type of programme rather than a series, it adopts a straightforward, factual approach to its subject matter, avoiding dramatised embellishments. The focus is on vessels that have served a humanitarian purpose at sea, with the episode offering a concise look at their histories and the people who worked aboard them. The core of the episode tells the stories of hospital ships and the crews who tended to the wounded and ill on board. It weaves together accounts of these floating medical facilities, highlighting the daily duties, challenges and sacrifices of the staff who kept them running. A prominent part of the narrative is the tragic sinking of the Britannic, the sister ship of the Titanic, which is recounted as a key event in the broader history of hospital vessels. In addition to recounting the Britannic disaster, the episode provides a broader perspective on the role of hospital ships within maritime rescue efforts. It underscores how these ships, and the men and women who served on them, contributed to saving lives in times of crisis. By concentrating on both the vessels themselves and the individuals who operated them, the programme offers a focused, factual portrait of this specialised area of nautical history.