Documentary on the Lancastria sinking

[@GregoryLancaster-rf7ce]

My dad was in St Nazaire on 17th June 1940, he was probably on Lancastria, anyway he got back to Falmouth where he was able to phone home and let his family know he was back in England. He got married a week later. My other connection with the ship is that we lived next door to Jim Dunbar the Chief Engineer. My family lived in Crosby, near the Gladstone Dock, where Lancastria had sailed from. My grandfather had probably assisted in preparing the ship for its voyage as he worked at that Dock

[@juliemanarin4127]

My grandfather died on the Lancastria...he was in the British military and washed up on the shore. He is buried in Pornic Cemetery in France. His name was Julian Thomas.

[@damiendecentralised3663]

This documentary is more relevant now than ever!!! What a great documentary Mark. My Grandad died on the ship so i've always known the government can lie and keep secrets to save face!!

[@richardcline1337]

Isn't that what British bureaucrats are famous for, saving the ass....uh, face....of the Admiralty? The tragic sinking of the Wilhelm Gusloff is just as bad but they were Germans so what hell, right?

[@craigsutherland8274]

About 5 years ago I videoed a 92 year old ex Lancastrian crew member called Joe O'Brien. Joe was from Liverpool and was a 17 year old assistant steward and he was the last surviving Lancastria crew member. Joe passed away a couple of years ago when he was 95. It was an honour to interview Joe and it was the first and only time Joe had been recorded on video, or any other media, talking about the Lancastria. I have about 3 hours of Joe talking of his experiences of the war and at he spoke about the Lancastria and the sinking at length. Joe reckoned that over 7,000 people on the Lancastria died that day. His memory was crystal clear. The true loses were very understated in official records I must do something about the video to get the story out there. The photos of the doomed men on the up turned hull is haunting. Men on rafts, on the hull and in the water sang patriotic songs (There will always be an England, Roll out the barrell etc) and the courage and stoic British nature of those people is famous and admired. Joe told me that he had a good voice and had sung for the passengers in pre-war days. He had found a raft and it was he who started singing and it rapidly spread though the people on rafts, in the water and on the hull. Bless you Joe Craig Mosgiel New Zealand

[@janobrien1348]

Thanks for sharing this Craig. FYI I have just come across this documentary. My father, who is 102 (almost 103) is also a Lancastria survivor.

[@juliemanarin4127]

My grandpa in the British military died on the ship and is buried in Pornic Cemetery in France...his name was Julian Thomas.

[@colliecowell]

My Dad , Joe Westwood ( from Eastleigh ,Hants) was a survivor. REs Railway Detachment. Crossed to France via Newhaven to Dieppe. He had been at a Territorial summer camp at Longmoor and went straight to France from there. He was rescued by a trawler and taken to Plymouth and hopitalised. He was a good swimmer but the ingestion of fuel oil along with cracked ribs from landing on some flotsam always caused a chest problem . However he lived to eighty.

[@janobrien1348]

I have just come across this documentary while researching the sinking of the Lancastria on behalf of my elderly father. My father will be 103 years old in April this year and is probably one of the last remaining survivors of this terrible tragedy. He managed to jump off the boat as it was sinking and then, while in the water, got shot in the leg by the enemy aircraft. He even remembers the last meal on the ship before it was attacked - sausages and mashed potato! And of course, he also remembers very clearly some of the men singing "Roll out the Barrell" as they clung on to the hull of the boat as was sinking...

[@juliemanarin4127]

Lucky man!! My grandfather died on her...he was in the British military and washed up on shore

[@GregoryLancaster-rf7ce]

I strongly believe that my dad was on Lancastria when she was sunk. I think he kept quiet about being on the ship because he didn’t want to worry his mum and my mum. Can you remember where your father landed in England? Was it Falmouth, like my dad?

[@chashughes1954]

My great uncle Charlie was a cook on board. He told me that he was in the galley when the bombs hit and he couldn't get up the stairs, so went another way back through the kitchen. He turned the chickens on the way cos he 'didn't want the fish to have them part cooked'. He managed to get to the deck and was trying to stop people, in full kit with packs, from jumping in, getting them to take them off first. Men were getting stuck in the portholes trying to get out and the worst of it was the oil and the staffing runs, catching fire from incendiaries, in the water. He was reported missing presumed dead, but managed to get home and was on another ship soon on the Canada run and later the Artic run. He went home 2 years later not knowing that everybody though he was dead. That must have been an interesting moment and a good night in the pub. RIP to all those that didn't make it.....

[@Andy-lm2zp]

My mum told me about it, her brother perished, I remember her telling me about the oil and the strafing of people in the water which she thought was beyond cruel

[@juliemanarin4127]

@Andy my grandfather died on her too...he was in the British military

[@davejardine9759]

Thank you for a very informative video. I'm aware of most of the story of the sinking of the Lancastria after reading numerous books about the event and having attended several remembrance services at the site of the old William Beardmore shipbuilding works at Clydebank ( Now in the grounds of the Golden Jubilee hospital) My father was one of the survivors and very rarely spoke about the experience. He was blown off the deck during the bombing which no doubt helped in his survival. He was 21 years old at the time. It is impossible to imagine what hell the survivors had to endure, both physically and mentally, swimming through choking and burning oil with the dead and dying all around. That this is still hushed up by the UK government after Churchill's original D notice is a disgrace. The Scottish Parliament's acknowledgement is a small consolation.

[@Andy-lm2zp]

Amazing that your father survived ! I have never come across anyone that had a relative onboard. My uncle perished on the Lancastria, he was my mothers brother Tommy, 18 yrs of age, I heard about it 50 yrs ago growing up. All the best to you.

[@davejardine9759]

@@Andy-lm2zp With the current awareness of Post Traumatic Stress disorder and the mental health issues attached to events as horrific and unimaginable as this I believe my father's early death in 1968, aged only 49, was directly attributable to this disaster.

[@juliemanarin4127]

My grandfather died on the ship...he was in the British military

[@Jackneville1]

My step father Ernest Wilson served on the Lancastria. he did not speak about it that much but he did say that the ship was full to bursting point when it got hit. he died a few years ago now so it was very interesting to watch this video.

[@amc3]

Really interesting film Mark, has a very personal interest to me, my Grandfather William McDonald from Inverness was on board the Lancastria, a young Medic with the British Expeditionary Forces. Like your own Grandfather, he also survived, but would never talk about it. He took his experience and memories of the event to his grave. Cloaked in darkness, rather like the British deafening silence and failure to explain the true facts. Hope I live until 2040, perhaps then I will get some answers, something our Grandfather`s were bitterly denied.

[@juliemanarin4127]

My grandfather Julian Thomas died on the ship...he was in the British military and his body washed up on the shore. He is buried in Pornic Cemetery in France.

[@SouthwesternEagle]

In 2015, all files relating to the Lancastria were released into the British National Archives. It's already declassified now.

[@gordonlamb5414]

My father was at the sinking of the Lancastria on one of the rescue ships. I believe he was on the P&O ship the Oronsay, I can remember him saying the first bloke he pulled out of the water was a bloke he sat next to at school. It should not be forgotten.

[@dmc4426]

My grandpa was in the Royal Navy in WWI. He came to the US after. He has lost a brother in RAF in WWI. Being in the US he heard about the sinking of the Lancastria, he sent letters about it to family in the UK who did not know the Lancastria had sunk. He believed his nephew was lost on the Lancastria.

[@neilharris7639]

Gordon- noted your comment- My father served on same ship- interested to know more about your fathers service

[@juliemanarin4127]

@D Mc .my grandfather died on the Lancastria...he was in the British military and his body washed up on the shore.

[@stevewhaley997]

My father was on the Saint Nazaire harbour side, on the day the Lancastria was sunk. He was about to board a ship that was taking the soldiers to her, then the captain of the small boat, kicked the gangplank away, saying that it could take no more. The small boat then sailed to the Lancastria full of people. My father said that was the last boat in the harbour, which meant that he would probably end up as a prisoner of war. Then a small trawler came into the harbour and round about 100 of the last soldiers got on board. My father said has he was sailing passed the Lancastria, when some German dive bomber came and bombed the ship. He never went into what happed after that, but he did say, that there must have been over 10,000 to 12,000 people on board and as many as 6000 to10,000 people that did not get off the ship before she sank and the figure the government gave after the war was under estimated by at least 4000. God bless all the loss soles from any war.

[@juliemanarin4127]

My grandfather died on the ship...he was in the British military and his body washed up on shore

[@stevewhaley997]

@@juliemanarin4127 I know that my father was always haunted by the fact that the boat he was on, could not pickup any survivors because, that boat was in danger of sinking, due to the amount of people on board. When my father landed back in England he was discharged , due to him having a lung problem and he was told he should have never been allowed to join the armed forces in the first place. He smoked for the rest of his life, which cleared his lungs and he died age 83, after braking his hip whilst delivering a full paper round. Sorry to read about your grandfather and all the other people on board the Lancastria, but it,s stories like ours that should be remembered. Regards Steve

[@ianrushton646]

My grandad was on board and did not survive. A private in the Royal Engineers. This has helped greatly with my understanding of what it must have been like.

[@juliemanarin4127]

I'm so sorry 😪 My grandfather died on the ship too...he was in the British military and his body washed up on shore. His name was Julian Thomas and he was buried in Pornic Cemetery in France..

[@juliemanarin4127]

In fact my grandfather probably knew yours as my grandfather was in the engineer's too!

[@ianrushton646]

@@juliemanarin4127 Thanks for info - I have just seen lots of messages from different years regarding the video - it took your response to make me read them all! And it is a moving coincidence that I read them today - 17th June - my grandad was Tom Rushton - the grandad I never met or knew - This event obviously had a massive impact on my dad ( also past ) ..but part of the whole was that he never talked about it - my mother ( also past ) said 'don't expect him to tell you anything - he does not tell me anything and I'm his wife' ! But I guess one positive we can take from that event is thinking about those that it happened to..

[@ejyxx5534]

My great grand father was actually on this ship when it sank

[@juliemanarin4127]

My grandfather died on that ship too.

[@chelamcguire]

A tremendous insight into a hellish tragedy. Our government should wake up to the voices who are crying out. The story must be told both openly and honestly.

[@rarevhsuploads4995]

The model in the glass case @12.33 is the RMS Aquitania probably the one on display aboard the HQS Wellington moored on the River Thames near Bank Underground Station. A video of it is uploaded on my channel. The RMS Lancastria along with the sinking of the RMS Lanconia in 1942 & Athenia in 1939 are virtually unknown to the modern public. This documentary was informative, thank you. Can I ask why it was spelt Edimbourg not Edinburgh?

[@bodhranmoni]

My great great Uncle age 26 was killed 17/6/40 Simon Walsh , no remains to bury. RIP to all. My daughter's birthday is the 17th June.

[@bilk00]

My dad was in RAF he was a survivor he told us when we were children his friend whom he called Ginger was on fire you couldn’t possibly imagine how horrific it must have been and I think it must have affected him all his life. My grandma received a telegram saying he was lost at sea he turned up on the door step what a great shock we still have the telegram so sad .

[@juliemanarin4127]

My grandfather died on the ship...Julian Thomas...his body washed up on shore and is buried in Pornic Cemetery in France. He was in the British army corps of engineers.

[@1tzBry]

3:20

[@1tzBry]

18:03

[@ejdiii333]

Germany had there own version of the Lancastria, When a Soviet submarine sunk the German passenger ship Wilhelm Guftloff in Early 1945, with an estimated 10,000 plus fleeing German soldiers and families from a peninsula near Poland and the North sea, it was a bitter blizzard night. most froze to death, no rescue was attempted, she sunk in minutes, very few survivors. and both kept quiet about for several decades after the war., Even Nations reap what they sow....war is hell.

[@toniannfargiano8021]

PUT HER IN HISTORY BOOKS

[@jackmarrowmapping1176]

I have learned about the Lancastria. There should be answers and documentation.

[@skalar-haubitze1619]

With all due respect but what are the expectations of getting these still classified information? There was a coverup, no doubt about it. But apart from that the story should be very clear: a rushed retreat of a large amount of people, too many men on a single ship, the ship is sunk and capsizes fast due to some unfortunate hits many kilometers off shore. Take all of that and you have a recipe for disaster.

[@juliemanarin4127]

Well it means something to me since my grandfather was in the British army of engineers and he died on the ship. His body washed up on shore and he is buried in Pornic Cemetery...his name was Julian Thomas.

[@imagine4414]

Okay I do believe their were 9,000 people on board the Lancastria.

[@adismell]

The figures are a bit exaggerated, aren't they? Between 4000 and 5800 were on board. They stopped counting after 4000, not 6000. I mean, I'm not an expert, but the figures are disputed.

[@Documark]

Well over the past 25 years I have met and interviewed dozens of survivors of the Lancastria disaster, including one Charles Napier. Shortly before the ship was attacked he spoke with the ship's Chief Purser who told him there were upwards of 8 to 9000 people aboard. Charles believed the later downward estimates were a deliberate attempt to cover up the fact the Lancastria was grossly, perhaps negligently overcrowded. The crew stopped counting those aboard around lunchtime when it became patently obvious there was not enough life saving equipment on board to save everyone if the ship were to sink. She was still loading men in the minutes leading up to the attack at 3:48pm. You are correct in one regard however. You are not an expert on this. :)

[@JaneMetcalfe]

My late Grandad was on this ship. He survived because he was a good swimmer and managed to dive OVER the oil. Imagine that? He then got shot at from the air whilst in the water, culminating in his leg being amputated. He wasn't allowed to talk about it so kept his feelings bottled up. Nana said he had nightmares. He opened up to Mum very close to when he died. I shall never, ever forgive Churchill for his 100 year gagging order. I reckon there was a reason for this cover up. Pure incompetence letting so many on for a start. By the way, Grandad returned his medal for trying to save someone in the water. Apparently, the bloke died in his arms so Grandad thought "What's the point of being awarded this when the man wasn't saved?" I'm sure it played on his mind. He also never went to the Cenotaph as he wanted to forget rather than remember. Guess when Mum's birthday is? 17th June! She was born in 1946.

[@JaneMetcalfe]

He certainly was.

[@Mrlrobertson]

The last two sentences seem a bit snippy .

@@Documark Mark , what is your estimate of the number of victims ? I'm skeptical of the higher numbers as it just seems like it's the sensational nature of ''News'' where things are often exaggerated ... on the other hand I can understand how they'd want to cram as many as possible onto the ship , but maybe there wasn't THAT many wanting to get on in the first place .. maybe they took all the soldiers who were there , and it simply wasn't the higher number ..4000 sounds about right to me

[@Henry-vu5sg]

Why does the commentator refer to England as Germany's last enemy in Europe? Does he not know Germany was fighting Great Britain? Such casual ignorance detracts from an otherwise excellent documentary.

[@Charlesputnam-bn9zy]

they made much of the Wilhelm Gustloff however

[@alannewman85]

In the screen text - Edinburgh is spelt Edimburgh.

[@AbelMcTalisker]

I think this is a translated version of a French documentary. Edimbourg is the way the French spell it.

[@chrisstewartbenson119]

Yet again an example of those who run our lives dictating what is written about OUR history. The worlds second largest maritime disaster and Churchill just shut it up, wrote it off and let 4,000 people just vanish from history. Disgusting and they still get away with it. The fact that this story has had less than 500 views to date also is a marker to how we have to let our story, of us ordinary people, let us tell our story. C x

[@AbelMcTalisker]

Suppressing it at the time probably made a lot of sense as this was only a few weeks after Dunkirk and "officially" all the BEF was supposed to have been evacuated. The fact that British forces were still fighting in France and other, less successful evacuations had taken place subsequently was being downplayed as part of the propaganda war. Why the historical record wasn`t corrected after the war though? Bureaucratic inertia probably played a part in it as did the fact that the greater loss of life that occurred later in the war allowed the story to be largely forgotten. There are also various political agendas to be considered. This story doesn't sit well beside the whole "Dunkirk Spirit" narrative with those who indulge in simple-minded flag-waving after all.

[@VicVictor-r5u]

Recently, it seems that there is a flood of videos demeaning the sinking of the Gustloff. It's the anti west flavor of the day. They know nothing of this tragedy.

[@wor53lg50]

The worsest in history was the wilhelm gustloff where 9.500 souls perished, and thats just a conservative estimate,they say closer to 10.000... And that was in the icy baltic which for survivors would have been same sort of conditions as the titanic survivors!!even colder in fact, with no chance of immediate rescue, as a sub had sank her, and would have been lurking about to take out the rescue ships aswell....only a very few survived on cali floats and a couple of life boats and debris due to her going down so quick..

[@juliemanarin4127]

But at least that is well documented! My grandfather died on the Lancastria.

[@1tzBry]

20:52