17 June 2016
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RMS Lancastria
Britain sees its worst maritime disaster on 17 June 1940 when the RMS Lancastria is sunk by the Luftwaffe
On this day in family history, 1940: Britain sees its worst maritime disaster when the RMS Lancastria is sunk by the Luftwaffe near the port of Saint-Nazaire, France. The attack claims the lives of at least 4,000 people - more than the combined total of those who died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic and RMS Lusitania. Lancastria had been taking part in Operation Ariel, the evacuation of British nationals and troops from France, two weeks after the Dunkirk evacuation.
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