Lifeboat 5Lifeboat 5

When Nazi bombs begin to destroy Bess Walder's hometown of East London, Bess convinces her parents to evacuate her and her younger brother, Louis, to Canada aboard the SS City of Benares . On the journey, she meets another evacuee, Beth Cummings. Bess and Beth have a lot in common-both strong and athletic, both named for Queen Elizabeth, both among the older kids on the ship, and both excited about life in Canada. On the fifth day at sea, everyone starts to relax, but trouble is right behind them. That night, a Nazi U-boat torpedoes the Benares. As their luxury liner starts to sink, Bess and Beth rush to abandon ship aboard their assigned lifeboat.