HMS DASHER

[George Ardrossan]

Sixty-seven years ago today, on Saturday 27 March 1943, the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Dasher was sailing in the Clyde Estuary between Ardrossan and Arran. At 4.40 pm, there was an enormous explosion. Within a short time, the ship sank. Of the 528 men on board, 379 were killed by the blast or drowned. A memorial stone and plaque, in the Sunken Gardens on South Beach, Ardrossan were unveiled on 27 March 1993, exactly fifty years after the tragedy. Every year since 2000, there has been a commemoration service on the weekend of or before 27 March.


This morning, on its journey from Ardrossan to Brodick, the Arran Ferry will stop over the place where the Dasher sank and wreaths will be thrown into the sea during a short service. Tomorrow at 11 am, another service will take place in the Sunken Gardens.

George

[Penny Tray]

Thanks for this reminder George.

This is an artist's impression of the disaster:

http://www.bookpalace.com/acatalog/Smit ... SinkLL.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[George Ardrossan]

That's an excellent drawing, PT.

Here is a photo of today's HMS Dasher Memorial Service. It was well-attended. More photos can be seen on http://www.ArdrossanPhotographs.net.



George

[Mz Taz]

Can I ask if anyone else has heard this rumour about HMS Dasher and one of members of her crew.

I read a piece about this disaster and the fact that there was a possibilty that going back to the famous WW2 story later made into the film "The Man that never was" the British Government of the time had concocted the idea of a set of fake plans(invasion) attached to a fake officer by handcuffed briefcase which was allowed then to conveniently washed up on a beach for the Germans to think was real. Apparently they were going to use the body of a dead tramp found in London but he decomposed too quickly and they instead used one of the HMS Dasher crew.

Am I havering????????

[Penny Tray]

Mz Taz,

This may help:

http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index. ... ckMelville" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Mz Taz]

Thanks Penny checked this out and I'm not havering and what a fantastic piece of history this was.

[Penny Tray]

This link shows a photogrpah of HMS Dasher's galley, including some of the crew:

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/dbtw-w ... 0&FG=0&QS=" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mike mccann]

Saltcoats folk singer Dusty Millar has composed a powerful song about HMS Dasher and includes reference to " The Man who Never Was ". Can be heard on his CD " A Golden Journey " .

[George Ardrossan]

It's good to see that you have joined the Threetowners, Mike.

I have heard Dusty sing his Dasher song a few times and, as you say, it is very powerful. The whole CD is very good. I particularly like the Ballad of Chieftan Tam Martin, a tribute to his sadly-deceased friend Tam

Dusty donates all profits to the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland - CHAS. The total in January 2010 was £3000 and will, no doubt, be more by now.

The CD sells for £10 and is available from Dusty or outlets in Saltcoats and Ardrossan. Details can be seen at http://www.ardrossanhighlandgames.org.uk/dusty.htm.

George

[mike mccann]

Hi George '
Just watched a tv documentary ' Operation Mincemeat ', the true story of the Man Who Never Was ' .
He was in fact a welsh tramp called Glyndwr Michael who committed suicide in London and whose corpse was used in the deception. At time of writing this , the programme is still available on BBC IPlayer .

Mike

[John Donnelly]

I saw that documentary too.

It did not ring true to life. The Welsh tramp died of poisoning, and they passed him off as having been drowned !!??!!

Any Silent Witness fan would be able to tell you that any pathologist worth their salt would have sussed that in a split second.

JD.

[George Ardrossan]

Hi George '
Just watched a tv documentary 'Operation Mincemeat', the true story of the 'Man Who Never Was '.
At time of writing this, the programme is still available on BBC IPlayer. Mike

Thanks for letting me know, Mike. I am downloading the programme right now.

George