The Indian ‘Titanic’
Secret Silver Bullion and the Indian Ocean Tragedy of the SS Tilawa in 1943
$67.99
- Hardcover
208 pages
- Release Date
30 March 2027
Summary
In late 1943, the British India Steam Navigation Company’s SS Tilawa was speeding through the Indian Ocean with a cargo of silver bullion heading for Durban. The 2,391 bars of silver were to be struck as coin in the South African mint. But on 23 November, fate intervened when Tilawa was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-29 off the Seychelles. After the first torpedo hit, the lifeboats were launched; but a second torpedo then sank the ship. Of the 732 passengers and 222 crew, 280 went down…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781048182675 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1048182673 |
| Author: | Emile Solanki |
| Publisher: | Pen & Sword Books Ltd |
| Imprint: | Frontline Books |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 208 |
| Release Date: | 30 March 2027 |
| Dimensions: | 156mm x 234mm |
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Emile Solanki
Emile Solanki is the founder of Tilawa1942.com. He has dedicated approximately twenty years to the systematic study of the SS Tilawa within the context of British imperial maritime history and the Second World War Indian diaspora. His research positions the vessel not only as a unit of wartime navigation but also as a civilian lifeline carrying Indian families, workers, and migrants. Their experiences at sea have been largely overlooked in naval and maritime historiography.
Solanki has delivered invited lectures and presentations internationally, including in Mumbai, at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, the University of Plymouth, and in Durban. His presentations have engaged academic, maritime, and heritage audiences. His work is built upon extensive archival research, legal documentation, oral histories, and site investigations, which include direct engagement with the wreck and its material remains.
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