Exploding Munitions - Captain Kinley and the May Blitz of 1941
Mike Royden
- Regions:
- Cheshire, Merseyside, Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Conwy, Lancashire
- Notice Period:
- Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
- Type:
- Professional
- Fee:
- Paid: £80 plus travel
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 2nd October 2024
Captain Kinley was the master of the ss Malakand which took a direct hit while in dock during the May Blitz of 1941, resulting in the biggest explosion ever witnessed in the city of Liverpool, and the cause of widespread devastation. This talk is about the events surrounding the bombing, plus the broader story of the May Blitz - the most extensive bombing of any city during the Second World War outside of London.
Views: 89 | Enquiries: 1About Mike Royden
I have been a teacher and lecturer for over 30 years after studying History and Archaeology and the University of Liverpool. I have also lectured for many years in Local History on Adult Education Degree courses in University of Liverpool Centre for Continuing Education.
I have broad research interests and have written about various aspects of History for over thirty-five years and book publications include;
Merseyside at War 1939-45 / A-Z of Chester (People, places, events) / Wirral at War / Chester at War / Tales from the ‘Pool – a collection of Liverpool Stories / Tracing Your Liverpool Ancestors /
Pioneers and Perseverance: A History of the Royal School for the Blind, Liverpool 1791-1991.
I have also contributed entries to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and numerous Historical Academic Journals.
Many of my articles can be freely accessed on my websites under www.roydenhistory.co.uk
I've made various appearances on TV and Radio, including BBC Radio 4’s Making History, Heir Hunters, Who Do You Think You Are?, and recent programmes on the Blitz.
I'm also vice-chair of Everton FC Heritage Society. I run the website and write history articles for the matchday programme and compiled the Remembrance booklet for the Club on all players lost in both wars. I am also involved in making documentary films about the history of the club.
A book on the Liverpool shipbuilding firm of Thomas Royden & Sons is due for publication.
I have been giving lectures to Societies and Conferences since the early 1980s. All lectures are fully illustrated.
Other Talks on SpeakerNet by Mike Royden
- The Home Front in Cheshire During WW1
- The Effects of the First World War on Local Communities
- The Hitler's of Liverpool - Did Adolf Visit in 1912/13?
- The Poor Law and Workhouse
- The Recutting of the the River Dee and the Coming of the Canal to Chester
- Henry Bowen of Farndon and the Last Voyage of the Lusitania
- The Home Front on Merseyside During WWII
- Thomas Royden & Sons – Shipbuilders of Liverpool
- The Roydens of Frankby
- Liverpool Castle and the Foundation of a Medieval Town
- A History of the Royal School for the Blind, Liverpool 1791-1991
- Liverpool and the Slave Trade - The Foundation of the Eighteenth-Century Port
- Salt, The Dungeon, and the Rise of the Port of Liverpool
- The Siege of Chester During the English Civil War
- Surviving the Titanic – the forgotten story of Ruth Bowker of the Wirral and Liverpool
- ‘We will not fight’ - Conscientious Objectors of both wars in the Merseyside/Cheshire area
Send a message to the speaker
If you are interested in this talk and wish to contact the speaker, please complete the following form: