See the Fal under fire at the Maritime Museum

To coincide with Armed Forces Day and the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic, a new exhibition opening at the Maritime Museum on June 20 features a selection of emotive images of life on the river Fal during wartime.

The exhibition, entitled Fal Under Fire, includes photography and paintings which illustrate how vitally important the defence of the port and surrounding area was during World War Two. At the height of the war Falmouth Bay and the Carrick Roads rarely had fewer than 100 vessels anchored. With the docks working at full capacity dealing with convoy casualties and Falmouth's strategic significance at the far west on the Atlantic seaboard, the Fal was an obvious target.

Exhibitions Manager Ben Lumby says: "People sometimes forget that as well as being the embarkation point for operations such as the St Nazaire Raid, Falmouth was a target in itself. We are really pleased to be displaying two well-known paintings by Charles Pears and Tony Warren alongside contemporary images of life on the Fal during the war. We would like to say a huge thank you to the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society, Falmouth Art Gallery, the Warren family and David Barnicoat for their support with this exhibition."

The exhibition Fal Under Fire opens at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth on June 20 and runs until September 22. For more information on opening times and admission prices visit www.nmmc.co.uk or call 01326 313388.