Speaker Series: "The Battle of the Atlantic - World War II Comes to Chatham"
Chatham Marconi Welcomes Mr. Jeffrey Gordon to its Speaker Series
The Marconi-RCA Wireless Museum’s coming new exhibit will focus on the U.S. Navy’s secret operation of the Chatham radio station as “Station C” during World War II, and its strategic importance in the Allies' ultimate victory in the Battle of the Atlantic, 80 years ago. The exhibit will also feature life (both military and civilian) in Chatham and on the Cape during the war years.
The Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945) spanned almost the entirety of World War II in Europe, marking the ongoing struggle between the German U-boat fleet and the Allied convoy system for control of the Atlantic Ocean’s sea routes. While the Battle of the Atlantic was a strategic victory for the Allies, it was won at a tremendous cost - 14 million tons of Allied and neutral shipping were lost, including 3,500 merchant ships and 175 warships. The German losses were appalling: Of the 1,155 commissioned U-boats, almost 800 were lost in the nearly six years of battle and of the 35,000 men who went to sea, approximately 29,000 lost their lives – a death rate of 83%, by far the highest casualty rate of any branch of the German military.
The speaker traces a detailed timeline of significant World War II events in the European theater, both before and after the United States entered the war, to provide a clear understanding of the decisive Battle of the Atlantic.
About Our Speaker
JEFFREY GORDON retired in 2018 after a 43-year career in both the public and private sectors of the financial services industry, most notably at Cigna Corporation, Price Waterhouse and Prudential Financial. He has a Master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Hartford and a BA in History from Muhlenberg College. Jeff is a long-time history buff, with a particular interest in the significant moments in the Second World War.
After vacationing in Chatham for 10 years, Jeff and his wife Elise bought their current home in Chatham in 1995, starting out as non-resident taxpayers and then moving full-time to the Cape in 2019 after 39 years in Wethersfield, CT. He has stayed active through volunteer work at the Chatham Food Pantry, the Chatham Railroad Museum, the town’s Traffic Safety Committee and the Chatham Men’s Club, where he has served as Moderator, Chairman of the Executive Committee and Club Secretary. Jeff also is a member of both the Church Council and the Nominating Committee at Dennis Union Church in Dennis, MA.
Jeff volunteered as a docent at the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center for 4 years and was part of the team that developed the popular “The Golden Age of Trans-Atlantic Ocean Liners” exhibit. He has previously contributed two Special Exhibit MarconiGram e-newsletter editions, one on the museum’s special connection to the hospital ship SS Hope and the other describing the French liner Ile de France’s role in one of the great marine rescues of all-time, the sinking of the Italian liner Andrea Doria in 1956.
About Chatham Marconi Maritime Center
About the Chatham Marconi Speaker Series
Programs are usually presented on the first Thursday of each month from September through June, and on alternate Thursday evenings during the Summer. Subjects are drawn from the resources of the Marconi-RCA Wireless Museum, the Education Center's STEM programs, or member-suggested topics related to our mission.
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Date and Time
Thursday Apr 3, 2025
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Fees/Admission
General Admission is $10 either per person attending or for Zoom webinar access for one linked computer. In-person seating is limited. Reservations may be made at ChathamMarconi.org/speakerseries .
This event is free for Chatham Marconi members. Why not join now at www.ChathamMarconi.org to enjoy future Speaker Series programs at no charge?!
Contact Information
See website for more detail.
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