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Introduction I Repatriation I The Royal Navy I Contemporary British Government Policy on Wrecks I San Carlos I Zwanenburg

Contemporary British Government Policy on Wrecks

As a general principle, Her Majesty's Government considers military vessels that sank with loss of life to represent military maritime graves.  As such the Government believes that they should remain undisturbed to the maximum extent possible, and works to ensure this.

In November 2001 the Under Secretary of State for Defence announced that greater protection would be given to the remains of vessels lost in military service, following increased public concern over wreck disturbance and "trophy hunting" by a minority of irresponsible divers.  The Protection of Military Remains Act (PMRA) had been passed in 1986 but its application to sunken vessels had not previously been enforced. Following extensive consultation with veterans' associations, the diving community, maritime archaeologists and other sea users and interested parties, an initial representative group of wrecks were designated under the Act as controlled sites (where all marine activity including diving within a specific distance from a the wreck requires prior licensing by the Ministry of Defence). A second group of wrecks were designated as protected places; under this regime diving is permitted but under a "look but don't touch or enter" basis.  The MOD is conducting a rolling review of British wrecks, in military service when lost, and designating them under PMRA as appropriate.  As at November 2006, a total of forty-eight military wrecks had been designated under the Act. Details are given below.

Name	Location
HMS BULWARK	Off Sheerness, Kent
HMS NATAL	Cromarty Firth
HMS A7	Off Plymouth
HMS DASHER	Clyde
HMS ROYAL OAK	Scapa Flow
HMS VANGUARD	Scapa Flow
UB 81	Solent
HMS H5	Off Anglesey
HMS HAMPSHIRE	Orkneys
HMS AFFRAY	Off isle of Wight
HMS FORMIDABLE	Off Devon
HMS EXMOUTH	Off Wick, Grampian

Total = 12

Protected Places (UK territorial waters)

Name	Location
HMS ACHERON	Off Isle of Wight
HMS BLACKWOOD	Off Dorset
HMS BOADICEA	Off Portland
HMS BULLEN	Off N.W Scotland
HMS EXMOOR	Off Lowestoft
HMS K4	Firth of Forth
HMS K17	Firth of Forth
HMS M1	Start Point Devon
HMS M2	Off Portland
HMS SWORDFISH	Off Isle of Wight
HMS UMPIRE	North Sea
HMS VANDAL	Lochranza Scotland
HMS VORTIGERN	Off Cromer
HMS WARWICK	Trevose Head Cornwall
U-12	Dover Straits
UB-65	Off Padstow Cornwall

Total = 16

Protected Places (International waters)

Name	Location
HMS ARDENT	North Sea (Jutland)
HMS BLACK PRINCE	North Sea (Jutland)
HMS DEFENCE	North Sea (Jutland)
HMS FORTUNE	North Sea (Jutland)
HMS GLOUCESTER	Mediterranean
HMS HOOD	Atlantic
HMS INDEFATIGABLE	North Sea (Jutland)
HMS INVINCIBLE	North Sea (Jutland)
HMS NESTOR	North Sea (Jutland)
HMS NOMAD	North Sea (Jutland)
HMS PRINCE OF WALES	Off Malaysia
HMS QUEEN MARY	North Sea (Jutland)
HMS REPULSE	Off Malaysia
HMS SHARK	North Sea (Jutland)
HMS SHEFFIELD	Falkland Islands
RFA SIR GALAHAD	Falkland Islands
HMS SPARROWHAWK	North Sea (Jutland)
HMS TIPPERARY	North Sea (Jutland)
HMS TURBULENT	North Sea (Jutland)
HMS WARRIOR	North Sea (Jutland)

Total = 20

July 2007

 

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