THE story about "one of the biggest sea tragedies" in modern times that led to the deaths of 31 people has been told in a new book.
At the end of the month villagers in Mylor Bridge will remember the sinking of an unlicensed pleasure boat on its return from Fowey almost 50 years ago.
The tale has been "lost in history" until now, according to author Martin Banks, who has published the full horrific details of what happened on July 31, 1966, when the 45-foot (14m), privately owned motor vessel Darlwyne was on a return trip from Fowey to Mylor.
Only 12 bodies out of the 31 passengers, which included 27 guests from the Greatwood Hotel, in Mylor, and two village children, were ever recovered.
The wreck of the Darlwyne has never been found. "Falmouth was brought to a halt when some of the bodies were bought into Falmouth Harbour," said Mr Banks.
"Shop-keepers pulled their blinds down. "The HMS Britannia, which was moored in the harbour at the time, took down its bunting and flew its flag at half mast.
"It is one of the biggest sea tragedies in Britain within the past 200 years, and certainly Cornwall. "I particularly wanted to tell the story because it has never been told. It has been lost in history."
According to Mr Banks, there were widespread demonstrations on the streets of the UK after passengers refused to get on pleasure boats, which led to many ferry companies going bust.
"The search was criticised publicly and heated questions were raised in Parliament about the tragedy," he added. "At the inevitable public inquiry it was revealed that neither the Darlwyne nor its crew were licensed to operate as a passenger-carrying craft, and a media frenzy ensued in the UK over the trade in unlicensed pleasure boats."
Following extensive research Mr Banks has published The Mysterious Loss Of The Darlwyne – A Cornish Holiday Tragedy.
St Mylor Parish Church has a memorial screen commemorating the tragedy and one of the village children lost on the Darlwyne is buried in the churchyard.
A lone granite cross stands on Dodman Point, St Austell Bay, just above where the Darlwyne is thought to lie.
The Mylor Local History Group is holding a coffee morning and commemoration event in aid of RNLI and National Coastwatch Institution at Tremayne Hall, Mylor Bridge, on July 26 between 10am and 1pm.
Mr Banks will be reading from, and signing, his book, as well as displaying a photography exhibition, and screening a cinema newsreel which shows the Greatwood Hotel and Falmouth and Fowey lifeboats in the aftermath of the disaster.
