Author Joseph A. Williams will visit the Essex Library to discuss the true story of the HMS Laurentic, which, laden with 44 tons of gold bullion was sunk by German mines off the coast of Ireland during the Great War. Britain desperately needed that sunken treasure, but any salvage had to be secret since the British government didn’t want to alert the Germans to the presence of the gold. Lieutenant Commander Guybon Damant was the most qualified officer to head the risky mission. As the war raged on, Damant was called off the salvage to lead a team of covert divers to investigate and search through the contents of recently sunk U-boats for ciphers, minefield schematics, and other secrets. The information they obtained, once in the hands of British intelligence, proved critical toward Allied efforts to defeat the U-boats and win the war. Williams, a historian, archivist, and librarian, brings this exciting, true tale of undersea diving and early 20th century naval operations to life on Wednesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. Copies of The Sunken Gold will be available for purchase and signing.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is advised. Call the Essex Library at 860-767-1560 to register or for more information. The Essex Library is located at 33 West Avenue in Essex.