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Old State House, Hartford, Connecticut
Zooming All The Way
HMT ROHNA: THE ALLIES’ BIG SECRET OF WWII AND THE NUTMEG STATE
Tuesday, July 7 at 12:00 pm
The Missile Age began on November 26, 1943. On that fateful day, a radio-guided missile hit the HMT Rohna, a British warship in the Mediterranean. More than 1,000 American servicemen perished in the disaster, making it the greatest loss of American life at sea. Many of the victims trained in Connecticut before being sent to Dyersburg, Tennessee where a new unit, the 853rd Engineers Aviation Battalion was organized.
The Rohna is one of the Allies’ greatest secrets. Classified by both the British and American governments, it remains unknown to history to this day.
Catherine, niece of Rohna survivor Lt. William Brown of the 853rd , will share the story of the Rohna and her fate and share letters from soldiers stationed at Bradley Field, Hartford. John Dolan of the West Haven Veterans Museum will join Catherine. West Haven lost three sons. Zooming in from Dyersburg, Danny Walden of the Dyersburg Historical Society will discuss his town’s efforts to preserve the memory of the Rohna. She will also show a trailer for the upcoming documentary, Rohna Classified—It’s Time To Tell The Truth.
To learn more about the Rohna, please visit the website of the Rohna Survivors Association www.rohnasurvivors.org.
This program is FREE to attend. Registration is recommended but not required. To register go to the website www.cga.ct.gov.
