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The Online Magazine of Clyde shipping, shipbuilding and the Clydeside area
itself. Past, Present and Future
Articles both new and gleaned from our sister site, Clydeshipping, added frequently - do check back often! |
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The Forgotten Disaster |
 TYRRHENIA making her way through waves. Picture supplied by John Young
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She was probably destined to be an unlucky ship.
Cunard ordered her for the Glasgow-based Anchor Line, who they now owned.
Often Cunard swapped ships between the two distinctive brands, and it would
be the case that she would be better known in the future as a Cunarder.
She was launched on 31st May 1920 as the TYRRHENIA but problems with labour disputes at Wm
Beardmore's shipyard in Dalmuir meant she was not completed until 1922.
She made her maiden voyage from Glasgow to Quebec and Montreal on June 13th
of that year, but did not distinguish herself much in that role. Her crew
even had a nick-name for her - Soup Tureen!
After a brief spell she was withdrawn from the route and was refitted as a
Cabin Class ship in 1924 and on March 22nd 1924 she made her first voyage
from Liverpool to Queenstown and New York as a Cunarder with a new name
LANCASTRIA.
In 1932 it was decided she was better suited to cruising and this she did,
going to Mediterranean and Northern Europe destinations until the outbreak
of war in 1939.
In 1940 she emerged as the troopship HMT LANCASTRIA and began trooping
duties.
On 17th June 1940 she lay some 5 miles off St Nazaire, and took on board
thousands of troops, RAF personnel, and civilians, including women and
children, fleeing from the advancing German forces. It is not known exactly
how many people were crammed aboard her, but some estimates put it at around
9000 all told. Most sources agree the total could have certainly been in
excess of 6000
German aircraft attacked her, riddling her with bombs, one of which went
straight down her funnel and her fate was sealed. She sank rapidly - in just
20 minutes and of the thousands on board only around 2500 were saved.
As survivors clung grimly to her hull, singing songs to keep moral up, she
disappeared beneath the waves, taking thousands to their deaths.
It was Britain's worst disaster involving a merchant vessel, but Churchill
ordered that the news should not be reported.
Only about a month later did the press report it, but in a muted fashion.
No memorial was ever erected, and her story was largely forgotten, except by
the friends and relatives of those who perished.
So it is fitting that we heard as the New Year rolled in that the Lancastria
Association of Scotland are going to petition the Scottish Parliament to put
to rights the lack of a fitting memorial - probably to be erected on the
site that now covers the shipyard in Dalmuir where she was built. They also
want the vessel, which lies in 20 metres of water, to be pronounced a war
grave to give her dignified protection.
Let us hope they succeed, so that we never forget the victims of this
terrible event of World War Two.
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| Copyright B.Biddulph, Clydesite 2005 - Unless otherwise stated. Any materials credited shows the name of the copyright owner where known. The pages are intended for private use, for educational purposes. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without the permission of the copyright owner. Reassemble the following to email address format to contact: editor at clydeshipping .co .uk |
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