1955 HMS Sidon submarine explosion tragedy on Portland

Peter Swarbrick, 87, was aboard HMS Maidstone on the morning of Thursday, June 16, 1955 when the alongside HMS Sidon submarine, moored in Portland harbour, began to sink.

One of its torpedoes had exploded, wrecking the torpedo tube and devastating the forward compartments.

Mr Swarbrick helped some of the stricken sailors to come aboard Maidstone, but Sidon went down with 12 aboard.

Charminster resident Mr Swarbrick is today calling upon people to think of those who perished and all those who were affected by the tragedy.

He said: "On the anniversary I will be thinking of the lads from Sidon that we buried. They'll be in my mind.

"I hope that through the Echo we can keep the memory of what happened alive and that it will still be spoken about.

"Its memory is dying a death. No-one talks about it any more."

Weeks after the tragedy - which also claimed a 13th victim, Dr Eric Rhodes, who had gone on board with the rescue party - Mr Swarbrick volunteered to help recover the dead after Sidon was raised and taken to Chesil Beach.

"We were told it wouldn't be a pretty sight and we had to wait until 3 or 4am so no-one would see us," he recalls.

"My first recollection was how clean everything was. The submarine was looking lovely, apart from human remains twisted among the fittings.

"When it came to my turn to collect the bodies - two of us had to carry them at a time - we got onto the beach with the poor chaps and the pathologist was there with buckets of water. We handed them over and he would wash them so they were nice and tidy."

HMS Sidon submarine (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Swarbrick, then aged 18 or 19, said the only emotion he felt at the time was 'excitement'.

"I will never forget coming back about Maidstone at 7 or 8am and feeling so tired and being shouted at by the midshipman officer on the watch as I came up the gangway, who said: 'Get your hat on straight and smarten yourself up.'

The midshipman officer 'apologised profusely' when he found out where the young seaman had been.

The young Peter Swarbrick asked permission to be part of the guard of honour at the funeral of the dead sailors.

Having raised a family of three children with Jill, now 87 and having enjoyed a post-Navy career as a senior technician for BT technician, Mr Swarbrick - a grandfather and great grandfather - often thinks of the Sidon tragedy.

Peter Swarbrick in his Navy days - he became a type 144 wartime sonar detector (Image: NQ)

His connection with the date of June 16th extends even further, with it also being his wedding anniversary. The Swarbricks are celebrating 61 years of marriage today.

"I was upset at the time Sidon happened but I never cried," Mr Swarbrick said.

"We spent time on the ship afterwards talking about how terrible it was," he added.

"I've lost touch with others like me who were there at the time and as I was so young at the time I often wonder if I am the only one still alive who was there."