On 23 October 1942 HMS Charybdis was sunk off Guernsey. Within days the bodies of 21 Royal Navy and Royal Marines had washed up on the Guernsey coast.

Although the Germans decided to bury the men with full military honours, the Islanders seized upon this as an opportunity to show their loyalty to Britain and their respect for the men who died.

In all 5,000 Guernsey people attended the funerals, bringing with them 900 wreaths.

A local man, William de Carteret, removed one of the Union flags that draped a coffin as it was lowered into the ground. (Carefully kept for many years it was later presented to St John Church by his widow in 1973 where along with other mementoes, it is now persevered).

This was a very effective demonstration of anti-Nazi feeling and it proved to be a turning point in the German occupation of the Island.

The Germans subsequently banned members of the public from attending the funerals for the additional 29 sailors whose bodies were later washed up.

In all, 464 men died and 107 survived in this tragedy, the biggest single Channel loss of the war.

SAILORS lost in the Second World War sinkings of HMS Charybdis and HMS Limbourne were remembered at Le Foulon Cemetery yesterday.

Islanders, dignitaries and relatives all gathered to pay their respects on the 65th anniversary of the naval disaster in which more than 500 died.

Within days of the tragedy on 23 October 1943, 21 bodies were washed up on the beaches of Guernsey. Those now rest at Le Foulon.

The occupying Germans allowed them a funeral with full military honours on 17 November 1943 and it is estimated that between 4,000 and 5,000 islanders attended. In the region of 900 wreaths are reported to have been laid that day.

Yesterday’s gathering was much smaller, but included nine survivors of the sinkings.

Yes the Germans did allow the funeral; however so surprised were they at the numbers of civilians that attended, It was the last time that any large gatherings were permitted.

So as any airman was captured; as they were marched to the prison; people stopped and cheered them as they passed; naturally the Nazis didn't like that; so they took them by car after that.

The Germans had the idea that their propaganda would influence the Civilians; it did exactly the opposite.