Shipping tragedy marked

Shipping tragedy marked

A memorial was erected in the town

A formal commemoration has been held to mark the sinking of an aircraft carrier in the Clyde estuary 60 years ago.

The town of Ardrossan is staged the ceremony to remember the sinking of HMS Dasher during WWII.

The converted aircraft carrier went down in 1943 with the loss of 379 lives.

Details of the sinking of the HMS Dasher have been sealed in top-secret Royal Navy Files.

Relatives of the men who lost their lives when the aircraft carrier sank after a fuel explosion are still finding out information about the tragedy.

The vessel was hit by a fuel explosion

Despite Thursday's ceremony being the last official commemoration of the loss of HMS Dasher, the community of Ardrossan is determined the naval disaster will not be forgotten.

A memorial was erected in the town 10 years ago, a book of remembrance sits in the local museum and the graves of 13 of the sailors who perished lie in Ardrossan cemetery.

A huge explosion ripped through the ship causing it to sink in eight minutes.

Of Dasher's crew of 528 men, 379 were lost.

Only 23 bodies were identified and given proper funerals.

The other 356 were recorded as "missing".