HMS Dasher Memorial, Arran Ferry 71
23 March 2013
On the afternoon of Saturday
27 March 1943, the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Dasher was sailing in the
Clyde Estuary between Ardrossan and Arran. At 4.40 pm, there was an enormous
explosion. Within a short time, the ship sank. Of the 528 men on board, 379
were killed by the blast or drowned. In recent years, there has been a commemoration
service on the Ardrossan to Brodick Ferry on the Saturday of or before 27 March.
The ferry stops above the spot where HMS Dasher lies and a short commemorative
service is held. The 2013 service was held
on the Caledonian Isles and was conducted
by Canon Matt McManus, Parish Priest of the Church
of Saint Peter in Chains. HMS
Tracker, shown in the background, a Royal Navy patrol and training vessel, escorted
the ferry.