HMS ILLUSTRIOUS

Lost 17 October 1948

Incident – On Sunday evening October 17th, 1948, the Pinnace from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS with about 50 men onboard, many of them young National Servicemen, was returning to the ship after a day out in Weymouth and Dorchester in bad weather when it was swamped and sank in Portland Harbour. In the ensuing tumult 29 young sailors lost their lives.