75th anniversary of the sinking of HMS Dasher
A poignant 75th anniversary remembrance service was held at the memorial plaque at the new Brodick ferry terminal last Saturday in memory of the victims of HMS Dasher who perished in 1943.
Members of the HMS Dasher Association and the Arran branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland paid their respects at the new memorial plaque where a short service was conducted. A minute’s silence was held and a piper played the lament.
Joining the assembled were members of the Sea Cadet Corps, the Royal Navy and Provost Ian Clarkson. The moving service was conducted by Rev Angus Adamson and former Arran resident, Ian Clarke, who once again returned to Arran to pipe at the occasion and play the lament.
A service takes place on the top deck of the Arran ferry every year with the assistance of CalMac which sails the ship over the exact spot, five miles from the Cumbrae lighthouse, where the ship went down. The crew turn off the engines, hold a service and throw wreaths into the sea.
A further service marking the actual date of the fateful day of Tuesday March 27, took place on the 1.50pm ferry, however, the contingent did not stop at the Brodick memorial.
The annual service takes place on the Saturday closest to March 27, when in 1943 at 4.40pm a huge explosion ripped HMS Dasher apart and sank the vessel within eight minutes, taking with it 527 men of whom only 149 survived.