SS Lancastria 70th anniversary

It's 70 years since the sinking of the Lancastria

This year marks the 70th anniversary of Britain's worst maritime disaster.

Six thousand military personnel and civilians died when the troop carrier SS Lancastria was sunk by the Nazis off Saint-Nazaire in 1940.

The survivors were taken to Falmouth and Plymouth.

The ship was helping to evacuate troops, and civilians, from France.

One of those who survived the disaster was Fred Coe.

BBC Radio Cornwall's John Danks has been hearing his story. Click on the audio link to hear the report.

Before the Second World War the Lancastria had been used for cruising, the last cruises being from New York to the Bahamas.

When war broke out the Lancastria was painted grey and was requisitioned by the Ministry of War Transport.

During the first few months of war she was busily engaged in cargo and transport duties in the North Atlantic, her massive cargo capacity proving ideal for the task.

When the Norwegian campaign began, the Lancastria was set aside for troop-carrying but was kept back until needed to evacuate troops from Harstaad.

She returned to Britain with her public rooms crammed with dejected weary soldiers. En route, she was spotted by a high-flying German aircraft and, although they attacked, the bombs missed and she sailed safely home.

On 17 June, 1940, the Lancastria moored in calm waters off the west coast of France - her mission to help evacuate thousands of British soldiers fleeing the Nazis.

But the afternoon was to end in disaster as, at about 4pm, the ship was struck by a succession of German bombs, causing thousands of deaths.

The immense loss of life was such that the British government banned any public announcements of the disaster through the D-Notice system.