"It's a long way to Tipperary" and the Scottish Parliament it seems - Mark Hirst reviews the success of the Lancastria exhibition at Holyrood in November 2005
The Lancastria exhibition organised by the Association in Scotland sought to raise wider public awareness of the sacrifice aboard Lancastria on the 17th of June 1940 and bring increased focus on the issue of designation of the wreck as an official war grave, which the British government for reasons best known to themselves apparently wish to obstruct.
This was also the first in a series of events and activities which the Lancastria Association of Scotland have planned over the course of the next year and by any measure it was a huge success with positive feedback from those who attended the exhibit, many journalists and also Scottish politicians of all colours.
The exhibition consisted of a newly commissioned Lancastria banner stand, archive photographs, lists of known victims and Lancastria artefacts from before the war along with books and other material.
Fiona Symon, whose father was lost aboard Lancastria had a personal collection of photographs and letters and she was joined on the exhibit stand by John Hirst whose father Walter survived the disaster.
The French documentary "Lancastria - Histoire d'un naufrage confidential" by French film director Christophe Francois was also shown and Christophe had flown over to Scotland especially for the exhibit and allowed extracts of his film to be shown on Scottish Television, Grampian and BBC Scotland TV news bulletins which ran throughout the day. The exhibit was also covered with bulletins on BBC Radio Scotland, GMTV news bulletins, BBC online and BBC teletext and was featured in the political round-up programme at the weekend, "The Politics Show". The Scottish Press Association ran bulletins throughout the week and the story was featured in a number of local and national Scottish newspapers.
Kit Fraser, BBC Scotland's Political correspondent said it had been the best-facilitated campaign story for television he had ever experienced and highlighted the need to "spread the word further".
The Association is especially grateful to survivor Charles Napier (Ex-663 Artisan Works Company, Royal Engineers) who conducted a series of television and newspaper interviews and helped give a first hand impression of that day and the sacrifice made.
The focus of the exhibit was the Lancastria Book of Condolence which the Association had commissioned in conjunction with the Beardmore Conference Hotel in Glasgow. The Beardmore now sits on the site where Lancastria's keel was laid on the Clyde in 1920.
< Members of the Association in the Chamber of the Scottish Parliament with the book of remembrance signed by MSPs, from left to right Rita and Jim Hingle, Jimmy Robertson, Fiona Symon, Christine Grahame MSP, Christophe Francois and Councillor John Mitchell.
The hand made leather bound book which is inscribed on the front cover in gold leaf simply reads "Lancastria - 17th June 1940". The inside text says "In memory of the 4000 plus victims of the Clyde built Lancastria who died 17th of June 1940 - Signed by Members of the Scottish Parliament 10th November 2005. We will remember them."
During the course of the day MSPs from all political parties including many independent members came and signed the book. These included party political leaders, Scottish Ministers of State, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament the Rt Hon George Reid as well as his two deputies, a member of the Lords, Lord James Douglas Hamilton and many more.
Many spontaneously left personal messages along with their signature; Rosie Kane a Scottish Socialist Party MSP simply wrote "Its time for remembrance, recognition and dignity"; Fiona Hyslop of the Scottish National Party wrote "with remembrance and respect"; Labour's Christine May wrote "Thank you for your sacrifice. We will remember you"; Holyrood's SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon added "In memory of all who lost their lives to safeguard our way of life." Independent MSP Dr Jean Turner wrote "They should never be forgotten" and Liberal Democrat MSP Eleanor Scott added, "Never forget the courage, the sacrifice, the lessons to be learned. May we honour their sacrifice by making a peaceful world." Scottish Conservative leader Annabelle Goldie signed and added "In memory of the Lancastria" before revealing that her mother had been a passenger aboard Lancastria during one of the many peacetime cruises Lancastria undertook during the 1930s. Indeed Ms Goldie has said she will pass copies of photographs taken aboard Lancastria during this cruise to the Association in due course for our archives.
The Lancastria Book of Condolence will, sometime early in the New Year, be passed to the National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle where it will remain for all time.
Before that however it will be placed on public display at the National Maritime Museum at Braehead, Glasgow as part of a wider Lancastria exhibit which the Lancastria Association of Scotland has secured. The exhibit of Lancastria material will be the first ever staged by the museum. We hope to bring the exhibit to Aberdeen maritime museum in the latter part of 2006.
The week before the exhibit Christine Grahame MSP lodged another parliamentary motion at the Scottish Parliament which again sought to raise awareness of the sacrifice aboard Lancastria. It also received overwhelming cross party support.
A large number of relatives of victims and survivors travelled to Edinburgh during the course of the day. Jim and Rita Hingle travelled all the way up from West Yorkshire, whilst brother and sister Jane (Leiper) and Ernie Archibald left Aberdeenshire at 5:30am to take the arduous road and rail journey to the Holyrood complex. Granddaughters of survivor Charles Napier, who are studying in Edinburgh, also attended. Many other relatives turned up during the course of the day and a number of MSPs said it was the best-attended exhibit that had been held at the Parliament.
In the evening Christine Grahame hosted a dinner in the members restaurant at the Scottish Parliament for relatives and special guests, including the French Consul General in Scotland M. Pierre-Antoine Berniard. M Berniard has offered his assistance in pressing the case for designation of Lancastria as an official war grave by the British government.
Presently the UK Government is persisting in citing potential "diplomatic" difficulties, but this is refuted by official French government contacts the Association maintains in both France and Scotland. Documents obtained from the British Government by the Association under Freedom of Information legislation also indicate the "difficulties" are purely on the part of UK Ministers for the time being. More details on how members of the association can challenge this are available below.
All in all the exhibit was a great success and achieved what it set out to do; to increase awareness for the memory of the victims of the Lancastria who have effectively remained forgotten. All of us understand however that this is just one step in a process.
Following the publicity around the exhibition many more people have come forward with a direct connection to the Lancastria. Many others with no connection to Lancastria have been clearly touched on learning of this unknown sacrifice and want to help in pressing the case for official recognition and designation by the UK government to ensure the Lancastria is given proper acknowledgement.
Next month the Lancastria Association of Scotland will be going back to the Scottish Parliament to ensure a lasting memorial is commissioned in memory of the victims. That memorial may be in the form of a specially commissioned Lancastria medal to be awarded posthumously to the victims (their relatives) and survivors and/or it may be in the shape of a major lasting memorial. An overwhelming majority of MSPs have now signed the book of condolence; we now expect them to support us in our call for a lasting permanent salute to their ultimate sacrifice.
There are a number of ways you can help directly in the campaign to bring about official recognition for the Lancastria. You can write to your local MP and ask him to support the campaign.
You may wish to highlight that in Scotland we have support from ALL of the political parties in the Scottish Parliament including Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats - parties currently represented in Westminster. Crucially we have support from Scottish Ministers and former senior members of the British Armed Forces.
This is not in any way a party political issue as the cross party support in Scotland suggests, but is about doing the right thing in memory of the victims of the Lancastria who died, irrespective of political belief or outlook, religion or class, age or status.
It is the position of the Lancastria Association of Scotland that those of us alive today have a duty to ensure their sacrifice is not forgotten. We have had more than 65 years of official silence, indifference and hand ringing from officials and successive governments in London. That situation cannot continue.
The UK Government have themselves a duty to ensure that our war dead are given the maximum dignity and protection that can be afforded. That is the very least that should be expected. It is highly regrettable that we are left to campaign for this at all and formal acknowledgement in the shape of designation of the wreck should have occurred years ago. It may be "purely symbolic" and "inappropriate" for the British Government but that is not a view shared by our members.
We are not asking them to re-right the history books, but give the dead of the Lancastria their rightful place and honour.
I urge you all to act.
Mark Hirst Lancastria Association of Scotland
(below is footage of the Scottish Parliament hearing which considered the petition calling on MSPs to commission a commemorative Lancastria medal)
