Shipwrecked whisky to go on display at Liverpool Maritime Museum

On 19/01/2011
In Museum News
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Whisky bottle from the SS Politician

By Jennifer Cordingley - Click Liverpool

Two bottles of whisky recovered from a shipwreck 70 years ago has gone on display at Liverpool's Maritime Museum.

The scotch was salvaged from the doomed cargo ship, The SS Politician, which ran aground off the west coast of Scotland on 5th February 1941.

The ship, which had 28,000 cases of malt whisky aboard, had been bound for Jamaica and America.

Looters were punished by Customs and Excise for stealing the duty free drink which was a rationed wartime luxury.

The story of the wreck and looting of whisky by islanders is legendary and was immortalised in book and film Whisky Galore in 1949.

The two bottles, which were aquired by curators UK Border Agency Museum, will go on display to mark the 70th annirversary of the SS Politician's last voyage.

Amazingly, one bottle still contains whisky.

Dawn Littler, curator of Archives at Merseyside Maritime Museum, said: "SS Politician was a famous Liverpool ship.

"We are very excited to be telling her story because everyone remembers the film about her grounding."