What happened to the Dasher?

Katy Clark MP hosted a meeting in Parliament last week with representatives from the HMS Dasher Association. Her newsletter explains that the Dasher was a Royal Navy Avenger class aircraft carrier that sank off the coast of Ardrossan on 27th March 1943, with the death of 379 from the 528 crew. The HMS Dasher Association represents survivors from that disaster, and family members.

The Association seeks to know exactly what caused the ship to sink in 1943, as well as to learn what happened to the bodies of those who died. Katy has raised the question with every Prime Minister since she was elected in 2005, but a number of documents surrounding the events remain classified by the Ministry of Defence. Since the 70th anniversary of loss of the ship approaches, Katy is pressing the Minister responsible to meet with representatives of the HMS. Dasher Association, with a view to making these documents public.