Eye witness 1943

[potiche]

]I would like to contact anyone who remembers the aircraft carrier beached on the shore north of Ardrossan, Firth of Clyde around 28/29 March 1943.
It was clearly visible from the trains running on the Largs line.
I'd be grateful if members can mention it to elderly family & friends (probably over 85yrs old) in the hope of gathering some info for a local project.
Thanks

[Buenchico]

Does this help?
http://en.wikipedia.o.../HMS_Dasher_%28D37%29

This book would seem to be relevant:
http://www.amazon.co....-Dasher/dp/0953263711

Chris

[potiche]

Yes Chris the beached carrier was almost certainly HMS Dasher.
The lack of primary source information has made this an emotive issue for all the families involved, victims, survivors and locals.
I need to substantiate the eye witness report of the beached carrier. The secondary source written account in print, as your link, ignores the fact that she was beached.
The likelihood is that the explosion was caused by a plane failing to land safely and that the carrier was towed out from where it ran aground and scuttled a few days after.

[Buenchico]

It might be worth asking the MoD whether the files have yet been released, or exactly when they will be:
http://www.ardrossanh...les-will-be-released/

[potiche]

They will be released soon so the more eyewitness reports to add to the full picture, the better. The books in print have created an erroneous account of events with spurious links to other wartime events. There is a moral issue in that the author has created a revenue stream for himself by inventing a sensationalist account of events which the eyewitness accounts disprove.

[heathfield]

Check out the photo in of 'Dasher' in Chris's Wiki link - it surely must be a 'flipped' image. With only a very few well-known exceptions, the islands on aircraft carriers are situated on the starboard side. In the photo, it's made out to be on the port side.