ONE of the darkest days of the Second World War for Windermere was commemorated on Saturday when a special plaque was unveiled. 

It bears the names of six young men of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps who all drowned in the lake on July 20 in 1945 while on an army exercise. 

The plaque, on a bench next to the town war memorial, was dedicated by members of the Windermere branch of the Royal British Legion in an 11am ceremony.

The men died after waves suddenly capsized their collapsible assault boat between Cockshot Point and Belle Isle, Windermere, while they were wearing full battle kit. 

Three other men who also went into the water were saved. 

The men to die were 2/Lt Rodney Nigel Holt, 20, of Romsey; Jack William Weir, 19, of Culloden; Reginald Ernest Taylor, 19, of Stratford-on-Avon; Harvey Cohen-Richard, 19, of Upper Holloway; Henry Frank Thorp, 18, of Hammersmith and Ronald William Digby, 21 of Willesden. 

Under wartime reporting restrictions, little was published until several days after the event and even then made just page 12 in the Ulverston News. 

Its July 28 edition noted: "The accident in lake Windermere reported in the News last week, proved a much more serious occurrence than was at first reported. 

"It was indeed the worst disaster in lake Windermere for over 300 years, no less than six lives being lost. "Here is the tragic story. 

"An officer and five riflemen of the King's Royal Rifle Corps were drowned early in the morning when an assault craft capsized in half a gale. 

"Three other men were rescued by comrades in other boats after clinging to the sides of the overturned boat. 

"The men, comprising a platoon, were on a special assault course and were from Barnard castle, Durham. 

"The lake was very rough when three boats set out on the 300-yard journey to Belle Isle. "It was the third boat which shipped water heavily and capsized when two-thirds of the way across." At a meeting of Windermere Urban District Council, the chairman Cllr J. B. Dixon noted: "Some people might think it was no longer necessary for them to continue this intensive training, but they must remember the country was still to a great extent under war conditions."