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 Medal for wartime survivor of ‘secret disaster’
(Courtesy the Lancastria Telegraph)
A 93-year-old war veteran, who survived the Lancastria disaster, has finally received a medal to commemorate the event.
Known as ‘the secret disaster’, it was the worst maritime loss of the Second World War.
Now, nearly 70 years later, Herbert “Topper” Brown, of Rochdale Road, Bury, has been awarded a commemorative medal.
HMT Lancastria was bombed two weeks after the end of Dunkirk, as it rescued British troops being evacuated from France.
On June 17, 1940, the ship was sunk off the Brittany port of Saint-Nazaire within 20 minutes of three direct hits from a German bomber. More than 3,000 people lost their lives — more than in the sinking of the Titanic and Lusitania combined.
The tragedy was kept secret by the British Government because of the impact it could have on the country’s morale.
Mr Brown, who finished the war as a Major, said: “It is remarkable to get a medal for being shipwrecked.”
His son, Philip Brown, added: “He is very proud of it. When he received it he was quite choked up because I know he lost quite a few close colleagues on the ship.
“He was in the water quite a few hours before he was rescued.”
The medal was produced by the Scottish Government. The First Minister Alex Salmond wrote to Mr Brown to pay tribute to his bravery. In the letter, he said the recognition was “long overdue”.
Mr Salmond said: “We recognise the fortitude and stoicism of the survivors who have had to endure a lack of recognition of that day from a succession of Governments.”
The Lancastria, a converted Cunard liner, was carrying around 6,000 people when it was bombed by German planes.
The disaster was not reported in the press until six weeks later.
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