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A Perthshire man whose grandfather survived one of the most mysterious tragedies of WWII has accused defence chiefs of continuing to cover up the disaster.
Mark Hirst's grandfather, Walter, was rescued from the Lancastria, a former Cunard liner, when she was bombed by the Luftwaffe while evacuating British troops and refugees off France in June 1940.
Another 4,000 people lost their lives. But any reference to the loss was immediately banned after Winston Churchill personally decided it would be bad for morale to let news of the casualties emerge in the darkest days of the war.
Now Mr Hirst, 35, of Abernethy, claims he has contacted the MoD on several occasions to ask what arrangements they have planned to mark the 65th anniversary of the disaster, but received no response.
The French government has confirmed it will send a French naval vessel and marines to mark the ceremony, five miles off St Nazaire next Friday.
Mr Hirst said: "I am travelling to St Nazaire next week to mark the 65th anniversary of the sinking. It will be the last officially organised trip with survivors from the Lancastria Association.
"I have repeatedly tried to contact the MoD to inquire about what arrangements they have made to mark the anniversary, but they have completely ignored me.
"By contrast the French authorities have said they will send a vessel and marines to formally commemorate a tragedy which claimed more lives that the Titanic and Lusitania disasters combined."
A spokesman for the MoD said: "The Lancastria is a matter of historical fact and we are not trying to cover it up. It did happen.
"It was not a Royal Navy ship, so we cannot just turn up without being asked. Having said that our usual policy is to attend 25th, 50th and 60th anniversaries."
Mr Hirst said the sacrifice made aboard the Lancastria outweighed any other single event in terms of loss of life for British forces in WWII.
The 16,243-ton Lancastria, built on the Clyde in 1922, sank in just 20 minutes after being attacked by a Junkers 88, specialist anti-shipping German bomber.
The Lancastria may have had up to 9,000 people on board at the time, and an estimated 4,000 died, including French and Belgian refugees.
Mark Hirst's father, John, a former bugler in the Royal Marines will play the Last Post over the wreck site, on June 17, to mark the final pilgrimage for survivors and to salute and remember the 4,000 victims.
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