Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June 2023 to Question 187400 on HMS Dasher, if his Department will provide support for the search for grave sites of those servicemen lost in HMS Dasher in 1943 on land, who were not included in official records.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
HMS DASHER tragically sank in March 1943 following an explosion onboard where no enemy action was involved. All those lost on HMS DASHER are commemorated either on a headstone marking their grave, or on a memorial to the missing.
The wreck of HMS DASHER is the last known resting place for 356 servicemen and, in line with Government policy to let war casualties lie undisturbed, the wreck is designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986; this means the site can only be accessed under a licence granted by the Secretary of State for Defence.
In response to concerns that some casualties from this tragedy were buried on land, there has been two surveys. Neither survey has found any evidence of casualties buried on land and there is no intention to conduct further surveys until such time as further evidence is provided.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June too Question 187400 on HMS Dasher, if he will support the search for grave sites on land of those lost in HMS Dasher in 1943 which are not included in official records.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
HMS DASHER tragically sank in March 1943 following an explosion onboard where no enemy action was involved. All those lost on HMS DASHER are commemorated either on a headstone marking their grave, or on a memorial to the missing.
The wreck of HMS DASHER is the last known resting place for 356 servicemen and, in line with Government policy to let war casualties lie undisturbed, the wreck is designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986; this means the site can only be accessed under a licence granted by the Secretary of State for Defence.
In response to concerns that some casualties from this tragedy were buried on land, there has been two surveys. Neither survey has found any evidence of casualties buried on land and there is no intention to conduct further surveys until such time as further evidence is provided.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department will support the search for grave sites of those lost in HMS Dasher in 1943.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
HMS DASHER tragically sank in March 1943 following an explosion onboard where no enemy action was involved. Records show that 23 servicemen are buried in marked graves at the following locations, Ardrossan Cemetery (13), Greenock Cemetery (seven), Frizington Roman Catholic Cemetery (one), Mearns Cemetery (one) and at Paisley (Hawkhead) Cemetery (one).
It is Government policy that, where a wreck of a ship is the final resting place for our Service men and women, they should be allowed to lie undisturbed. As DASHER is the last known resting place for 356 Servicemen, the wreck is designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986; this means the site can only be accessed under a licence granted by the Secretary of State for Defence. The lives of those lost are commemorated on war memorials around the country.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the last aircraft carrier was lost by the Royal Navy; and whether she had her airwing embarked.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
Chronologically the last aircraft carrier lost by the Royal Navy was the Escort Carrier HMS DASHER which sank as a result of an internal explosion in the Clyde on 27 March 1943.
The aircraft embarked were Sea Hurricanes from 891 Naval Air Squadron and Swordfish from 816 Naval Air Squadron.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Hunt Class, (b) Sandown Class, (c) Scimtar Class, (d) Archer Class and (e) River Class ships the Royal Fleet Auxiliary has in service.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Royal Navy currently has 34 ships in service within the Classes requested. However, these are all based within the Royal Navy fleet rather than the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as requested in the right hon. Member's question.
Hunt Class - 6
HMS BROCKLESBY | HMS CATTISTOCK | HMS CHIDDINGFOLD |
HMS HURWORTH | HMS LEDBURY | HMS MIDDLETON |
Sandown Class - 5
HMS BANGOR | HMS GRIMSBY | HMS PEMBROKE |
HMS PENZANCE | HMS SHOREHAM |
|
Scimitar Class - 2
HMS SABRE | HMS SCIMITAR |
Archer Class - 13
HMS ARCHER | HMS BITER | HMS BLAZER |
HMS CHARGER | HMS DASHER | HMS EXAMPLE |
HMS EXPLORER | HMS EXPRESS | HMS PUNCHER |
HMS RAIDER | HMS RANGER | HMS TRACKER |
HMS TRUMPETER |
| |
River Class - 8
HMS TYNE | HMS MERSEY | HMS SEVERN |
HMS FORTH | HMS MEDWAY | HMS SPEY |
HMS TAMAR | HMS TRENT |
|
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 12 November (HL9797), whether (1) the Cabinet Office, or (2) the Prime Minister’s Office, hold any records concerning Operation Mincemeat; and if so, whether these records are publicly available.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Cabinet Office (which includes the Prime Minister’s Office) does not hold any records on HMS Dasher or Operation Mincemeat. In line with standard practice, historic records are transferred to The National Archives. A number of files relating to both HMS Dasher and Operation Mincemeat are held by The National Archives, including under references CAB 154/66; CAB 154/112; CAB 79/60/18; CAB 79/60/20; CAB 79/60/24; CAB 79/60/26; CAB 79/60/27; and CAB 146/442.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 12 November (HL9797), whether CAB93/7 contains any records relating to the loss of HMS Dasher; whether (1) the Cabinet Office, or (2) the Prime Minister’s Office, hold any other records concerning HMS Dasher; and if so, whether any of these records are publicly available.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Cabinet Office (which includes the Prime Minister’s Office) does not hold any records on HMS Dasher or Operation Mincemeat. In line with standard practice, historic records are transferred to The National Archives. A number of files relating to both HMS Dasher and Operation Mincemeat are held by The National Archives, including under references CAB 154/66; CAB 154/112; CAB 79/60/18; CAB 79/60/20; CAB 79/60/24; CAB 79/60/26; CAB 79/60/27; and CAB 146/442.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Goldie on 18 May (HL4067) and 20 May (HL4194), what plans they have to release the response to the request made on 3 May 1943 by the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen to Flag Officer in Command Greenock to supply a further list of recovered bodies, following the sinking of the HMS Dasher.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
This information is potentially available in records relating to Western Approaches Command War Diary for 1943, Information and Instructions (General Regulations) for shipping at Greenock, the Records of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen within the records of the Board of Trade, Casualty Branch files, or a file containing information about the sinking given to next of kin. All of those files, under references ADM 116/4539, ADM 199/631, ADM 358/3214, ADM 358/1512 and ADM 1/15419, are open to the general public at The National Archives, Kew. The Naval Historical Branch holds no records of this nature in their collections.
No papers and reports relating to the loss of HMS DASHER are embargoed. They are freely available at The National Archives.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 5 May (HL3163), whether only 23 servicemen out of the 379 servicemen lost on board HMS Dasher when it sank on 27 March 1943 were recovered from the sea.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
Records show that, of the servicemen tragically lost on board HMS DASHER when she sank on 27 March 1943, 22 were recovered from the sea and a further serviceman who was recovered alive subsequently succumbed to his injuries.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all papers and reports relating to the loss of HMS DASHER are embargoed for release until 2043; and if so, why.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
No papers and reports relating to the loss of HMS DASHER are embargoed. They are freely available at The National Archives, Kew.