Lecture: "The Halifax Explosion" presented by Greg Banner

"The Halifax Explosion" presented by Greg Banner

September 21st, 2017

In December 1917 a WWI ammunition ship blew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This was the largest man-made explosion in human history prior to atomic weapons. The town was devastated and over 2000 people died. Besides the Canadian response, all of the New England states sent supplies and people to help with the relief effort. Even in the middle of WWI contributions were sent in from all over the world. Some Americans are aware of this event because of the gift of a Christmas tree sent every year to Boston from Nova Scotia in appreciation for their efforts. With the 100th anniversary of this event coming up in December 2017, a number of special commemorative events are planned. This presentation will provide an overview of the events surrounding this accident, the impact on Halifax and some of the response efforts to help out the city.

Greg Banner is a member of the Tiverton Yacht Club and Herreshoff Museum. He is a retired Army officer who currently works for the federal government in the homeland security and emergency response fields. His academic background, including two Masters Degrees, is in history. He got interested in, then researched this event, as it combines aspects of military, disaster response, maritime and local history.

Refreshments are provided thanks to our sponsors: Gowrie Group, Points East Magazine, PURE Insurance, Cisco Brewers Nantucket, Triple Eight Distillery, Nantucket Vineyard