There was a message on the Forum some time back, mentioning the book 'Midnight Trader' by Hugh Edwards. I've just bought a copy from eBay (only started reading it last night!) and this is a book I have been searching for, for about 30 years! It is primarily about 'm/y Taifun' which WAS Polish S-10, the boat converted at Falmouth Boat Construction in about 1953/4 and (one of three) used in the film 'The Ship that died of Shame' which came out in 1954. I wrote the article on the Polish MTBs and was told some years back that S-10 was lost at sea 'presumably smuggling'.....and that she was owned at the time by the brother of comedian Jimmy Edwards (he of handlebar moustache, 'Whacko', 'The Glums' etc!). The only brother that gets a mention in Jimmy Edwards' autobiography is Alan, and in later life, Jimmy and Alan ran a farm in Fletching,  Sussex. Alan, like Jimmy was in the RAF during WW2, but Jimmy came from a large family (of 8 I believe?) and at the present time I cannot confirm that Hugh Edwards was one of Jimmy's other brothers. Has anyone got any more information? The story of the exploits of 'Taifun' was also serialised in a national newspaper at the time, but I don't know which one, again, if anyone can remember the article, please let me know and I will do some digging at the National Newspaper Archives in London. Thanks

Hello Tim

The question about Midnight Trader was asked by me, here;

http://www.bmpt.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=34&PN=2 - http://www.bmpt.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=34&PN=2

What lead me to believe she may have been one of these was that in the book Mr Edwards mentions the 3 Sterling Admirals, and I haven't come across any other RN MTBs with these engines. It is somewhat disturbing that the film role she played turned out to be her eventual fate!

Regards, Christian.

Scanned from Hugh Edwards book Midnight Trader, MY Taifun;