Several years ago a Dr Peter Marsden, a Consultant Archaeologist & Historian was involved in taking the MOD to the High Court over their decision not to protect the merchant ship SS STORAA, torpedoed in 1943 with 21 men killed. The main outcome was that the High Court & the Court of Appeal ruled that merchant ships sunk whilst in convoy (ie. under Admiralty orders) were "in military service" and therefore qualify for protection under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. The MOD did not like this as it wanted only to protect warships - including U-boats! As a result the MOD did protect STORAA, but to this day she is the only protected sunken merchant ship.
Since then, the Dept for Transport, that owns most merchant ship wrecks through wartime insurance, has decided to ignore the High Court ruling; and last year issued a salvage contract to an American salvage company to salvage the GAIRSOPPA in which over 30 people died in WW2. There has been no consultation either with the MN veteran bodies like MNA, or with the MOD. However, the MOD has said that, although it has no staff to undertake the historical work, it is prepared to consider applications for designation from veteran bodies like MNA.
I was contacted by Dr. Marsden and asked if I could help. Always up for a challenge, I set about tracing the convoy details of the 2,089 ships commemorated on Tower Hill (excluding those from the fishing fleet). After being given exclusive access to the late Arnold Hagues convoy database, I was able to conclude that 250 of those ships listed on Tower Hill survived the war, 561 were lost while sailing independently, 205 were lost after dispersing from their convoys, while 112 were lost while having become stragglers from their convoys. Of the remaining 961 ships excluding a number sunk in port or smaller river vessels, the convoy data is complete and has been compiled and sent to Dr Marsden who will now contact the relevant authorities and veteran bodies to plan the next step.
-- Edited by British Merchant Navy at War on Friday 20th of May 2011 05:35:10 PM
I dont understand why these wrecks are not classed as war graves. That aside, protected sites are still plundered by a small minority of divers. Only the other week MDP arrested divers scavenging a wreck off the Cornish coats. Well done Billy for offering your expertise in research. Please keep us updated and good luck.
