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Andrew Buchan plays Third Officer Thomas Mortimer.

Who is Thomas Mortimer?

He's a very good-natured, decent human being who doesn't let the troubles of the world affect him – but does have his own troubles somewhere beneath. I spoke to Alan [Bleasdale, writer] about his back story. He probably left school at 16ish and went in to junior officerdom, then went up to junior third officer. But he's a loving, loyal family man above and beyond anything else. Full of decency. He doesn't really let anything properly break him down but his emotions are simmering beneath the surface. That kind of contained emotion is more interesting to play.

Is he a real-life character?

Yes. Well, Mortimer, in real life, is actually Thomas Buckingham in the history books. Ninety per cent of what I'm doing is Thomas Buckingham but, fact wise and storyline wise, 10 per cent more towards the ending, as far as I gather, comes from Alan.

Had you heard of the incident before this project?

No. I was reading again the other day the radio message that the German Commander Hartenstein tapped back to Admiral Donitz. And he said: "There are loads of actual passengers, civilians floating in the sea – it's not troops. I’ve ordered a rescue." And Donitz's reaction to that was just one of intense anger. Hartenstein also sent a message to other ships and planes in the area: "Please, I'm attempting a rescue, please do not attempt to bomb me. I am doing good here. I've realised my mistake." And he gives away his co-ordinates. You couldn't write it.

How did you research him?

We've been given loads of research material by Hilary [Norrish, producer] and a book on the Laconia. And we watched The Laconia Incident on DVD, which is actual archive footage. There are a lot of Scouse guys who were on board talking about it and there's just this terror in their eyes when they go back to it in their minds – you can see it. It was 1942 so it’s 68 years on and they’re still completely shaken by it. Being in the black water at that time of night, just not quite knowing what was happening, and being rescued by these German guys who think they're the enemy.

What is the crux of the story, for you?

I do know that nobody wanted this story to be told. The English and Americans didn't want it to be told for obvious reasons – the Allies ended up bombing the U-boat. The Germans didn't because they didn't want their captain to come across as a bit of a sheep instead of a wolf, even though he was a hero. In their minds you do not do that. You don’t rescue people from the sea – hence the Laconia order [given by Donitz after the Laconia incident banning German Naval commanders from rescuing casualties]. All of that makes it massively interesting. The Franka [Potente who plays Hilda] storyline as well. I start off falling in love with a woman I think is English – but she is actually part of the enemy.

The story is one of differing nations co-operating for the greater good. This vast co-production has also demanded international collaboration. How has it been?

It tests the elasticity of your people skills to be honest but everyone throws their individuality in to the pot and it's worked. The Germans? They’ve just been delightful. Obviously we’re relying on them speaking English to us so we can understand but they've been great. They welcome us with open arms, they’re full of characters and there’s no ego amongst them either.

How was the shoot out in South Africa?

Pretty arduous. The sets are awesome. There’s a side of a Laconia and a half of a Laconia – the actual façade of the Laconia is as high as a hotel. It's just fixed with scaffolding so lifeboats can fall off.

And then there was half a German U-boat they built for half a day for bombs dropping around it. And then there's a full German U-boat, floating. We were on it. It goes round Cape Town harbour and you have yachts stopping going, "What is that? I didn’t see that in the guidebook." It looks terrifying.

You filmed in pools and on boats in South Africa – did you get wet?

Well one day I went in 25 times, in the Atlantic. The sharks are close but the South Africans laugh at you – they say, "They're not going to come in to that bay!" I said: "Never mind the bay. They're in this part of the world. If I was swimming near Bolton that would be very safe but if they're just a kilometre away, one shark might get lost."

One day I was filming a scene where I was swimming in the ocean and I bumped in to a dead guy and climbed on the body as a float. It was 10 or 11 degrees and those first three seconds you can't breathe, you can’t move, you can't think. We’ve all tried to go in the sea at the beaches and it actually hurts your bones. I have also done lots of diving through fire into a pool at night. Eyes open diving as well, looking at the camera!