Harry Higton Lancastria Survivor, was recently interviewed by the BBC regarding his latest medal addition. It was a medal given by the Scottish first minister Alex Salmond. The Scottish Lancastria medal is for survivors and relatives of those lost in the disaster which to date is still Britain's Worst Maritime Disaster. When asked what the medal means to him, he replied, 'I am very pleased that someone has seen sense and has given this medal for those lost and survivors. However it should have been given from a British Government years ago. It makes me feel as if the MOD wish to continue the cover up started by Churchill. Its sad really, I wrote to the Queen hoping she might do something, however it has been passed to Bob Ainsworth MOD. Lets see what happens in his hands-Harry Higton Lancastria survivor.

People today in Great Britain, I am sure would like to think to themselves that 21st Century Britain is a meritocracy, a society that rewards its people, for all sorts of commendable efforts, they have made:
The first, Elizabeth Cross was given out on 18th August 2009, the first of 8,000 Elizabeth Crosses commemorating members of the Armed Forces who have given their lives for their country since the Second World War. In fact we feel in doing this and we say this with the greatest of respect for our British Forces. What they have really done is, to give something to the people directly concerned, to take their minds away from the real issues, to cover over the cracks.

We also feel the Elizabeth medal came about as a result of so many losses in this latest conflict in Afghanistan and people still waiting for straight answers. In counseling terms, they are using what we call, “positive strokes”. It seems the Elizabeth Cross has been constructed to pacify relatives of those lost and the public. To try and take the heat off the British Government, who are continually being put in the spotlight with no let up. Sadly I feel there will be many more, who will lose their lives for Queen and country before any real outcome is achieved.

Instead we feel we all need answers to the real issues that still seem to linger on of, “why we went there in the first place and why are we still there. In the end for what real purpose will it finally serve, when we do withdraw. Waking up in the morning to so many losses, will it all add up-as a worthwhile exercise?” Which includes all the people that attacked us in what was called, our 7/11 in London who were all British subjects, terrorists with British passports by the way. So why are we still out there in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban?

Which now leads us into something we both feel is very important and close to Jayne and I. Which is close to many survivors and relatives of those lost on the Lancastria we have worked with. It is in the case of some long overdue recognition for those lost on the Lancastria 17th June 1940, the day we lost the largest amount of British troops at any one moment in time, during WW2. Which is still counted as a disaster of an indescribable magnitude, that continually cries out for British recognition of some kind. Not Scottish, not French but British!

We commend Alex Salmond First Minister of the Scottish parliament when we say this. At least they had the foresight of seeing a continuing British cover up, and could see the disaster for what it really is and what it means to the British people concerned, (the survivors and the relatives of those lost). Who on the day were conscripted into the British forces, and sadly died for King and country. And by properly giving it some due consideration in a Scottish parliament, they rightfully decided on some long overdue recognition. In the eyes of so many they have shamed this British Government by their actions. By actually doing something they should have done themselves years ago, by finally giving recognition in the shape of a commemorative medal. Because sadly in the ongoing case of the Lancastria disaster and a British Government, their words seem cheap. David and Jayne Dalrymple

I am particularly sad that the MOD, especially Kevan Jones Minister for Veterans is playing this game of pacifying survivors and relatives of those lost, in his own words:

“I agree that the memory of all those that died in the sinking of the HMT LANCASTRIA on 17 June 1940 and recognition of those who were saved that day should be commemorated in some way, but we are not able to do this in the form of a medal-I hope this explains the situation.” Kevan Jones-Minister for veterans.

Sadly Kevan Jones is playing this game.

2477 men were recorded as being rescued. Several witnesses who spoke with the Chief Purser claim there were 9000 embarked when Lancastria was attacked. On learning of the disaster late on the 17th of June Winston Churchill banned all news coverage of it for fear it would be far to damaging for British public morale, especially as it was just after the Dunkirk evacuation two weeks earlier, plus it was the capitulation of France which occurred on the same day. The last thing on Churchill's mind was the sinking of the Lancastria. As Churchill later claimed, 'I simply forgot to lift the ban'. An American newspaper was the first to publish details of the loss of Lancastria late in July 1940. Today sixty odd years on survivors can be forgiven if they still feel bitter and twisted about the whole thing. Because they feel they were let down initially by Churchill who decided to carry on with the silence after WW2 and every British Government since that they have petitioned and failed to take any notice of what happened on the 17 June 1940 when we, 'lost, the largest amount of British troops during WW2 at any one moment, in time'. The reply which has always eluded them seems to linger on and on. As stated recently by Des Browne MOD British Government, 'we don't wish to create a precedence we don't give out medals for that sort of thing'. Which mainly points to tradition as their precedence for refusal to give any acknowledgment or recognition for what still stands as Britain's Worst maritime Disaster. What the survivors mostly feel disgusted about there is a time not to far away when all the survivors will be gone and it is felt Churchill will somehow have got his way. Survivors state they have only ever asked for, 'recognition', not medals and (what good is litigation, money to an 80-90 year old), recognition but not for themselves but for those that are still trapped in the hull of the ship back in St Nazaire in the Loire estuary and those in the image that still haunts them. That's the image of people on the upturned hull, with its screws out the water singing for their lives as she sinks. Recognition while it still burns brightly in survivors memories. Recognition and before it is to late.

'You can't get straight answers anywhere. Early and some later history books show nothing that the disaster ever took place. Why is it after 60 odd years the mystery of the Lancastria cannot be disclosed? Why can't the true facts never be divulged? After some years of my own research I still get the same answer-MOD, 'sorry but no information is available on this matter'. Even the Royal Navy denies any Naval people being present at St Nazaire yet there was at least two destroyers I knew of, (HMS Havelock, Highlander), there involved with survivors on board, why should they lie about it'.

'Even the Royal Navy denies any Naval people being present at St Nazaire yet there was at least two destroyers I knew of, (HMS Havelock, Highlander), there involved with survivors on board, why should they lie about it'.

Churchill's final and only words available on the sinking of the Lancastria to date:

'At Brest and western ports the evacuations were numerous. The German air attack on transport was heavy. One frightful incident occurred on the 17 June 1940 at St Nazaire. The 20,000 ton liner Lancastria with 5,000 men on board, was bombed and set on fire just as she was about to leave. A mass of flaming oil was spread over the water round the ship, and upwards of three thousand men perished. The rest were rescued under continued air attack by devotion of the small craft. When this news came to me in the quiet cabinet room during the afternoon I forbade the publication saying: “The newspapers have have got quite enough disaster for-today at least”. I had intended to release the news a few days later but events crowded upon us so black and so quickly that I forgot to lift the ban, and it was some years later before the knowledge of the horror became public'.