Kristin Scott Thomas Learns About the Russian Arctic Convoys

- [Narrator] As the supplies bolstered Russia's military strength, Germany intensified their attacks on the convoys.

- [Elizabeth] If men were in the water from a sinking ship, they could not stop to rescue them if there was an attack going on.

They had to keep moving.

I've heard recounts where young men would be in the water screaming for their mothers and the older ones who knew actually that there was no hope for them would stick their thumbs up and shout taxi, taxi as the destroyers went past and tried to make light of it.

- [Kristen] God, how did they cope?

- [Elizabeth] These are the things that I think the destroyer crews really suffered from afterwards was the ones that they couldn't help because to stop would have made them a sitting target and they had no alternative but to keep moving all the time.

- [Narrator] Elizabeth has diaries from sailors who traveled on the same convoys as my grandfather.

- So lying between us was a destroyer.

She had a miserable and worn appearance, Impulsive, poor Impulsive.

They'd been to Russia twice and they'd been at sea 37 days running on one occasion and they hadn't seen anything female for over three months.

They were in a sad way, nearly all had beards.

They were full of strange hatreds, neuroses, and dislikes.

And most of their venom was- Sorry, it's really moving.

But how many trips did he make in total over the- - [Elizabeth] So he completed eight convoys.

- Gosh.

It's sort of unimaginable, really.

- Yes.

- So it is hell basically.

- [Elizabeth] Yes.

- You go out, you lose your limbs, you lose, you're in pain, you're suffering and you go mad.

- [Elizabeth] Yes.

It was described as the three Ts, tiredness, tension, and terror.

- Oh God.

(melancholy music)