RMS Lancastria - the forgotten tragedy

British Allied Troops Wading to Fleet of Ships Waiting
to Evacuate to England After Loss at Dunkirk
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The Lancastria was built as a Cunard Liner, but requisitioned at the start of the war. Originally used to carry cargo, she became a troop carrier and took part in the evacuation of Norway.

Two weeks after Dunkirk, another less well known evacuation took place. Operation Ariel was the evacuation of remaining troops and British non-combatants from occupied France. Less frantic than Dunkirk, the evacuation took place from Cherbourg and St Malo. Lancastria was pressed into service.

On 17th June 1940, the Lancastria dropped anchor three miles off the coast and waited for instructions.

Able to carry 2,200 people, the Captain was dismayed when instructed to take as many as he could fit. No count was kept of how many people pressed on board and some estimates say over 9,000 were on the ship. Civillians, troops and children were crowded on board, fleeing in front of the German advance.

At 1:50 The Lancastria was advised they could depart, but when they signalled for a destroyer escort none replied. U-boats were known to be active in the area. Overloaded and without an escort the Captain decided to wait for a second vessel to be loaded and set out together for protection.

Dunkirk Scene Showing Bomber Attacking Paddle Steamer
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At 3:45 the Luftwaffe arrived. The first Junkers-88 to target the Lancastria dropped four 500lbs bombs. They all found their target. Many accounts state that one went down the funnel by a freak chance, but this is untrue, as it is disputed by a survivor who was in the engine room during the attack. The bombs actually hit holds number 2, 3 and 4, and the last tore a hole in the port side below the waterline. The Lancastria was doomed.

As the ship listed and began to sink, the crew and passengers began to try to escape. Overcrowded, with many of their exits blocked by fire, few stood any chance. Those who got onto the hull and deck of the ship were strafed by the Luftwaffe, and covered in oil from the leaking fuel. Only a handful of lifeboats could be launched and many of those overturned.

Twenty minutes later and the Lancastria had gone down, taking with her thousands who had not managed to escape the ship.

Dunkirk
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Worse was to come. The survivors have detailed how, once the Lancastria was sinking, and the survivors were struggling in the water, the Luftwaffe began to firebomb them to set the fuel coating the sea ablaze.

Survivors on the hull, clinging to flotsam and struggling in the water were also machine gunned.

The lifeboats fared no better as they were strafed despite containing women and children, civillian non-combatants by any definition.

War Cemetery, 1939-1945, World War II, Bayeux,
Basse Normandie (Normandy), France
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The site of the Lancastria is not protected as a war grave. The British Government has repeatedly refused requests for the site to be given that status. The records were unsealed in 2005 when the first petitions were put it. The request was rejected then and rejected again in 2007. It is suspected this is because the ship was overloaded and they do not want to be sued. The British givernment also refused to issue a medal to survivors.

The Scottish Assembly are fighting the decision, and talking about producing a pack for schools to ensure that the Lancastria is not forgotten. The Assembly also issued a commemorative medal for survivors.

The French Government has placed an exclusion zone around the wreck to protect it.