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The Bombing of the Torrey Canyon

From the collection of

The Box
Established in 1992, the South West Film & Television Archive collection spans from 1893 to the present day containing more than 250,000 items. Formed from a variety of depositors, including broadcast news and programmes material from the Westward and TSW archive. In 2018 the archive collection transferred to The Box in Plymouth.

The Bombing of the Torrey Canyon

Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson and his Government with Roy Jenkins as Home Secretary took the decision to bomb the oil slicks from the Supertanker SS Torrey Canyon. Blackburn buccaneers from RNAS Lossiemouth and Hawker Hunter jets from 54 Squadron RAF West Lynham, 234 Squadron RAF Chivenor and RAF St Mawgan dumped bombs and aviation fuel over three days but the operation failed to ignite the oil sufficiently. The oil slicks drifted towards France and the UK.

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