Angle RNLI volunteers and aerodrome men rushed to the coast as 72 died in one of the worst maritime disasters of the war

IT was Easter Sunday, 25 April 1943, when tragedy struck off the Pembrokeshire coast in one of the deadliest non-combat maritime disasters of the Second World War. With gale-force winds battering the cliffs and wild seas pounding the shore at Freshwater West, two heavily laden landing craft were caught in a storm they were never designed to survive. By the end of the night, 72 young servicemen were dead.

The two vessels, LCG 15 and LCG 16, were Landing Craft Guns—flat-bottomed ships hurriedly converted from tank carriers to floating gun platforms. They had left Belfast en route to Falmouth, carrying Royal Navy sailors and nearly 70 Royal Marines, bound for the upcoming Allied invasion of Sicily. Neither craft had undergone sea trials. When the weather deteriorated in Cardigan Bay, they requested permission to take shelter at Fishguard and later Milford Haven. For reasons never properly explained, both requests were refused.

As the landing craft battled mountainous seas, they began shipping water through large, uncovered deck spaces—areas that had been left open during their rushed conversion. Many aboard had already expressed concerns. Some joked the gaps could serve as swimming pools; others warned they were death traps.

By the time the vessels reached the waters off Freshwater West, they were floundering. The RNLI lifeboat from Angle was undergoing repairs and could not be launched. But this did not stop the crew, members of the Angle Lifesaving Company, and men from the nearby Angle Aerodrome from rushing to the beach and cliffs to attempt a rescue.

Without a lifeboat and with no equipment capable of battling such violent seas, they could only watch in horror as LCG 15 disappeared beneath the waves. Her companion, LCG 16, managed to stay afloat until later in the night, but it too was eventually lost.

The bodies of marines and sailors were later pulled from the sea and recovered from the surrounding rocks. Many were never found. It was, and remains, one of the most tragic maritime losses in West Wales, made more devastating by the knowledge that it might have been avoided.

In the midst of this disaster, further tragedy unfolded. HMS Rosemary, an old Royal Navy sloop returning to Milford Haven after convoy duty, was diverted to the scene. Spotting LCG 16 still afloat off St Ann’s Head, the crew of the Rosemary attempted a rescue. But the seas were too rough to pass a line. With the men aboard the LCG waving desperately for help, six sailors from the Rosemary volunteered to take the ship’s small whaler and try to reach the landing craft.

The tiny boat was launched and quickly lost from view in the storm. Moments later, a massive wave overwhelmed it. All six volunteers drowned. Not long after, LCG 16 also went down.

To this day, questions remain. Why were the landing craft allowed to sail in such condition? Why was shelter denied in Fishguard and Milford Haven? An official inquiry took place, but with the war ongoing, it was quickly buried. No one was held accountable.

High on the dunes above Freshwater West, a small memorial stands as the only public marker of the disaster. For those who know the story, it serves as a poignant reminder—not only of the 72 men who died, but of the Pembrokeshire villagers and airmen who ran to help without hesitation, despite having no lifeboat, no weapons, and no way to save the doomed crews beyond watching and mourning.

In the annals of wartime heroism, the efforts of the people of Angle that Easter night deserve to be remembered. Even without a boat, they stood ready.

Pictured above: An annual memorial service is held to remember those who died in the tragedy (Image: Martin Cavaney)

The Pembrokeshire Herald’s coverage of the VE Day 80 commemorations are kindly sponsored by PMR