The incredible journey
A new animated film retelling the story of the salvage of the SS Great Britain has been released as part of the Victorian steam ship’s 40th homecoming anniversary celebrations. The SS Great Britain was the world's first propeller-driven, iron-hulled, steamship, designed by Isambard Brunel, and launched in Bristol in 1843 as the world’s first great ocean liner. Following a successful career as an emigrant clipper, and cargo ship, in 1886 she was damaged in a severe storm and bought by the Falklands Corporation to use as a storage hulk, before being scuttled in 1937.
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The film, entitled ‘The Incredible Journey’, will be the centrepiece of ‘The Incredible Journey’ exhibition at Brunel’s SS Great Britain opening on 17 July. The true story of ‘The Incredible Journey’ will be retold in three parts covering the ship’s salvage from the Falkland Islands, the voyage on a pontoon across the Atlantic Ocean, and triumphant homecoming to Bristol. The trailer focuses on the salvage operation, including sinking a 3,000-tonne pontoon below the SS Great Britain to raise her from the seabed at Sparrow Cove. In 1970, the salvage of the SS Great Britain attracted global media attention. It is estimated that 100,000 people lined the River Avon to see the SS Great Britain return, and eight million watched the story unfold on television, with an outside broadcast presented by BBC Mastermind legend Magnus Magnusson.
The memories used to inspire the animation include those of divers, technicians and engineers involved in the epic salvage operation, as well as Bristolians who witnessed the return of the rusting iron hulk in July 1970. Many of those who have given their memories are now in their 70s and 80s. Regretfully the naval architect Ewan Corlett – the man who recognised the ship’s significance, undertook key research and galvanised support through a letter to The Times and an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme – died in 2005 shortly after completion of the £11.3 million conservation and restoration project. A reunion on July 19 will be the first time many involved in the ss Great Britain’s salvage and return to Bristol will have seen each other or the ship in 40 years.
Today Brunel’s ss Great Britain is a multi award-winning museum and visitor attraction attracting more than 170,000 visitors, schoolchildren and venue hire guests per annum. For more details, or to plan your visit, go to www.ssgreatbritain.org
‘THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY’ 1970 FACT FILE
- The salvage team arrives in Port Stanley, the Falkland Islands on 25 March, 1970
- The SS Great Britain floats for the first time on 7 April
- She is berthed on to the salvage pontoon Mulus on 11 April
- The ship leaves the Falklands on 24 April
- The SS Great Britain arrives in Montevideo, Uruguay, on 2 May. The world’s media descends to capture the start of the SS Great Britain’s incredible journey across the Atlantic Ocean on 6 May
- She arrives in Avonmouth on 23 June and is floated from her pontoon on 1 July
- The SS Great Britain is towed up the River Avon on 5 July (one day after the planned date) and returns to her Dry Dock on 19 July
- The salvage operation was underwritten by millionaire Sir Jack Hayward.