Captain William Manson from Thurso became a hero in the aftermath of the Silvertown Explosion By Contributor Published: 16:14, 16 January 2021 Get the Courier and Groat sent to your inbox every week and swipe through an exact replica of the day's newspaper The aftermath from the explosion with an inset of Captain William Manson. This month marks the 104th anniversary of one of the great tragedies that shocked the country and in which one Thursonian played a little-known lifesaving role. During World War I, ammunition supplies quickly dwindled as Britain was unprepared for a prolonged conflict. One site the Ministry of Munitions used for ammunition production was the Brunner Mond chemical works, Crescent Wharf, Silvertown. For the first 14 months, work continued with no significant mishaps.