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Maritime military graves to receive greater protection
Published
Friday 9th November 2001
Computer-generated image
of HMS Royal Oak
(Image courtesy Ocean Optics)
Dr Lewis Moonie MP, the Under Secretary of State for Defence, announced on 9 November 2001 that greater protection would be given to military wrecks and maritime graves, following rising concern over disturbance and trophy hunting by an irresponsible minority of divers.
The Protection of Military Remains Act was passed in 1986. But its application to wrecks and sea graves has not previously been enforced. Following extensive consultation with both veterans' associations and the diving community, some wrecks will be designated Controlled Sites, with all diving prohibited without a specific licence, or Protected Places, where diving will be permitted but on a strict "Do Not Touch" basis.
An initial sixteen wrecks, in waters under UK jurisdiction, will be designated Controlled Sites. And five in International Waters will be designated Protected Places. The Ministry of Defence is now undertaking a rolling review of all known British military wrecks, and designated as appropriate.
The sixteen wrecks to be designated as Controlled Sites are:
HMS A7 |
One of the first class of Royal Navy submarines, she failed to surface during a dive in Whitsand Bay on 16 January 1914. All 11 aboard were lost. |
HMS Affray |
A submarine lost to an unknown accident in 1951 off the Isle of Wight, with all 75 crew. |
HMS Bulwark |
A battleship, she blew up at anchor at Sheerness on 26 November 1914, with the loss of 730. Faulty ammunition is believed to have been responsible. |
HMS Dasher |
An escort carrier, she was lost 27 March 1943 after an accident caused a catastrophic fuel explosion during operational training in the Clyde. 379 lost their lives. |
HMS Exmouth |
A destroyer, sunk by a U-boat in the Moray Firth on 21 January 1940, with the loss of 189 lives. |
HMS Formidable |
A battleship, sunk off Devon with the loss of 547 men, by a U-boat on 30 December 1914. |
HMS H5 |
Sunk in collision on 6 March 1918 off Anglesey. Those lost included a US naval officer. |
HMS Hampshire |
An armoured cruiser, sunk by mine 5 June 1916 off Scapa Flow whilst taking Lord Kitchener to a meeting in Russia. He was among the 650 who were lost. |
HMS Natal |
An armoured cruiser which blew up in Cromarty harbour with the loss of 421 officers and men, after a fire spread to a magazine. |
HMS Royal Oak |
A battleship, sunk at anchor in Scapa Flow on 14 October 1939 by U-47 with the loss of 833 lives. |
HMS Vanguard |
A battleship, she blew up on 9 July 1917 at Scapa Flow. There were only three survivors from the 670 aboard. The cause of the blast was never ascertained. |
HMS Sheffield |
A Type 42 destroyer, hit by an Exocet missile on 4 May 1982 off the Falklands, twenty losing their lives. The ship finally sank on 9 May 1982. |
HMS Coventry |
A Type 42 destroyer, sunk by bombs off Pebble Island in the Falklands on 25 May 1982. Nineteen lives lost. |
HMS Antelope |
A Type 21 frigate, hit by bombs on 23 May 1982 in San Carlos Water, Falklands. The bombs failed to explode on impact, but one detonated whilst being defused. Two lives were lost. |
HMS Ardent |
A Type 21 frigate, sunk after being hit by multiple bombs and rockets on 21 May 1982 off the Falklands. 22 lives were lost. |
A German U-boat |
The German government has been invited to nominate a U-boat sunk in British waters to be classified as a Controlled Site. |
The five wrecks to be designated Protected Places are:
RFA Sir Galahad |
A Royal Fleet Auxiliary landing ship, hit by air attack off Fitzroy in the Falklands on 8 June 1982, with the loss of 50 lives. |
HMS Gloucester |
A cruiser sunk off Crete on 22 May 1941 by dive-bombers with the loss of 736. |
HMS Hood |
Battlecruiser, famously destroyed in action against the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen in the Denmark Straits on 24 May 1941. 1,418 lost, only three crew members surviving. |
HMS Prince of Wales |
Battleship, sunk by Japanese aircraft off Malaysia on 10 December 1941. |
HMS Repulse |
Battlecruiser, sunk in company with Prince of Wales. |
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