Protection of Military Remains Act 1986
Encyclopedia
The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (1986 c. 35) is an Act of Parliament
in the United Kingdom
which provides protection for the wreckage of military aircraft and designated military vessels
. The Act provides for two types of protection: protected places and controlled sites. Military aircraft are automatically protected but vessels have to be specifically designated. The primary reason for designation is to protect as a 'war grave
' the last resting place of UK servicemen (or other nationals), however, the act does not require the loss of the vessel to have occurred during war.
There have been four statutory instruments designating wrecks under the Act, in 2002 (amended 2003), 2006, 2008 and 2009. Twelve wrecks are designated as controlled sites, on which diving is banned. These twelve vessels (including one German submarine), all lost on military service, provide a small representative sample of all such vessels. All other vessels that meet the criteria of the act are subject to a rolling programme of assessment and those that meet the criteria will be designated as protected places. The order that is currently in force, since February 2010, designates 55 wrecks as protected places. This means that diving is allowed but divers must follow the rule of look, don't touch.
, nor are they required to have been lost during wartime.
The wreckage of all military aircraft (UK or other nations) that crashed in the United Kingdom, in United Kingdom territorial waters or in United Kingdom controlled waters are automatically protected irrespective of whether there was loss of life or whether the wrecking occurred during peacetime or in a combat. The wreckage of United Kingdom military aircraft are also protected under the act elsewhere in the world.
, for a project to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the loss of the M2 submarine
including the placing of a white ensign underwater.
. Licences have been granted for excavation of aircraft, provided that it is not thought that there are human remains present or unexploded ordnance. In the case of sunken vessels, any activities necessary, such as the recovery of extant human remains and the sealing of openings into wrecks is generally carried out by Ministry of Defence diving teams. Controlled sites at sea are marked on admiralty charts and their physical location is marked by means of a buoy (sea mark
).
Since the passing of the Act, investigators have been able to obtain licences to excavate subject to a number of conditions. The applicant must have thoroughly researched the crash and be able to identify the aircraft and the fate of the crew. This research becomes the property of the Ministry of Defence. The landowner of the site of the crash must have given permission. Special conditions may be imposed by local councils or heritage agencies. Following excavation all material recovered must be identified to the Ministry of Defence. Personal property of the aircrew is likely to be returned to next of kin, and military artefacts of historical interest are likely to be placed in the care of the Royal Air Force Museum, but the licensee may apply for ownership of other material. Licences cannot be issued for sites where there is likely to be unexploded ordnance, and Ministry of Defence policy is not to issue licences where human remains are likely to be found. The Ministry of Defence reserves the right to witness all excavations.
A large number of aircraft were lost in the sea off the South and East Coasts of England during the Second World War. These areas are commercially important for marine aggregates. Since the aircraft are protected under this Act, the discovery of aircraft remains during aggregate dredging means that dredging must stop and an exclusion zone around the position of the wreck established. The disturbance of wrecks by dredging is also of concern for potential disturbance of human remains and because of damage to an important historical resource. A project undertaken in 2007-2008 by Wessex Archaeology
funded under the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund managed by English Heritage
, looked at the potential of the historical resource of such wrecks and also for issuing guidance to the aggregates industry to manage the impact of finding remains.
, public opinion supported the idea that a maritime war grave should be sacrosanct. The ships of concern included HMS Hampshire
, where it is alleged that personal possessions of casualties had been looted by divers and where the British Government gave rights for the salvage of HMS Edinburgh which had occurred without respecting the human remains that it contained. However, although the Act gave immediate protection to wrecked aircraft, the wrecks of ships needed to be individually designated to be protected.
By the year 2000, there was widespread concern amongst survivor associations (such as those of Force Z), and amongst the majority of divers, about the behaviour of a minority of scuba divers who were disturbing wrecks which most thought should be treated with respect. In 2000, the diving associations, BSAC, PADI
and SAA
, with the support of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
, Ministry of Defence
, Nautical Archaeology Society
, and Joint Nautical Archaeology Policy Committee, launched a code of conduct for divers entitled "Respect our Wrecks", with the central message of look, don't touch. It was not until 2002 that the first designations came into force. The announcement stated that there would be sixteen controlled sites (in waters under UK control), and five designated protected places (five UK wrecks in international waters and one German U-boat in UK waters), with four of the Falkland
wrecks HMS Ardent
, HMS Antelope
, HMS Coventry
and HMS Sheffield
listed as controlled sites. The order only covered eleven controlled sites, which did not include the Falkland wrecks. HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse
(the ships of Force Z) as well as HMS Hampshire
were included in the designations. However, HMS Ardent and HMS Antelope were already protected (as prohibited sites because they were considered dangerous) by an order passed in 1983 under the Falkland Islands Protection of Wrecks Ordnance 1977. HMS Coventry and HMS Sheffield had to wait until 2006 to be protected.
The coordinates given for the position of HMS Hampshire
had to be corrected in a subsequent order in 2003.
On 31 May 2006, the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Jutland
, it was announced that the remains of the fourteen UK ships lost in that battle were being designated as protected places. The 'second tranche' came into force on 1 November 2006. This revoked the first tranche, but re-designated the wrecks and added a further 29 protected places and 1 controlled site (the ). HMS Sheffield
was one of the protected places added. At around the same time, the Falkland Islands issued an order under the Falkland Islands Protection of Wrecks Ordnance 1977 designating HMS Coventry
as a restricted area.
was a merchant vessel sunk by a German torpedo on 3 November 1943 while she was part of a military convoy. Those who died included Royal Navy personnel, as well as merchant seamen.
Rosemary Fogg and Valerie Ledgard (the claimants), the daughters of one of the men who died, Petty Officer James Varndell RN requested that the Ministry of Defence designate the wreck. When the Ministry of Defence refused on the grounds that this was a merchant ship and therefore not eligible for designation, the claimants launched a judicial appeal, supported by Peter Marsden (a local historian and maritime archaeologist) and the Merchant Navy Association. The High Court
judge, Mr Justice Newmann decided in their favour of the claimants on 13 December 2005. The Ministry of Defence appealed, but on 5 October 2006, the Appeal Court
upheld the High Court decision. The court ruled that the act could apply to merchant vessels and that the Secretary of State for Defence
was therefore required to reconsider whether or not the Storaa should be designated under the act. Note that the judgement did not guarantee that the wreck would be designated, only that it was eligible for consideration. However, the wreck was subsequently designated in 2008.
The third tranche came into force on 1 May 2008, revoking the 2006 order, but re-designating the wrecks and adding 10 more vessels designated as protected places. These included the first merchant ships to be protected, SS Storaa
and Atlantic Conveyor
, which had been requisitioned to serve as a transport ship in the Falklands War
.
, HMS Antelope
and HMS Coventry
which were sunk in the Falklands War
are not protected under this act, but are protected under the Falkland Islands Protection of Wrecks Ordnance 1977.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
which provides protection for the wreckage of military aircraft and designated military vessels
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
. The Act provides for two types of protection: protected places and controlled sites. Military aircraft are automatically protected but vessels have to be specifically designated. The primary reason for designation is to protect as a 'war grave
War grave
A war grave is a burial place for soldiers or civilians who died during military campaigns or operations. The term does not only apply to graves: ships sunk during wartime are often considered to be war graves, as are military aircraft that crash into water...
' the last resting place of UK servicemen (or other nationals), however, the act does not require the loss of the vessel to have occurred during war.
There have been four statutory instruments designating wrecks under the Act, in 2002 (amended 2003), 2006, 2008 and 2009. Twelve wrecks are designated as controlled sites, on which diving is banned. These twelve vessels (including one German submarine), all lost on military service, provide a small representative sample of all such vessels. All other vessels that meet the criteria of the act are subject to a rolling programme of assessment and those that meet the criteria will be designated as protected places. The order that is currently in force, since February 2010, designates 55 wrecks as protected places. This means that diving is allowed but divers must follow the rule of look, don't touch.
Protection under the Act
The Act provides for two types of protection: protected places and controlled sites. The primary reason for designation is to protect the last resting place of UK servicemen (or other nationals). While this is often referred to as protection as a war grave, the protected wrecks are not graves in the sense of falling under the control of the Commonwealth War Graves CommissionCommonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
, nor are they required to have been lost during wartime.
The wreckage of all military aircraft (UK or other nations) that crashed in the United Kingdom, in United Kingdom territorial waters or in United Kingdom controlled waters are automatically protected irrespective of whether there was loss of life or whether the wrecking occurred during peacetime or in a combat. The wreckage of United Kingdom military aircraft are also protected under the act elsewhere in the world.
Protected places
Wrecks are designated by name and can be designated as protected places even if the location of the site is not known. Thus, the wreckage of a UK military aircraft is automatically a protected place even if the physical remains have not been previously discovered or identified. Shipwrecks need to be specifically designated, and designation as a protected place applies only to vessels that sank after 4 August 1914 (the date of the United Kingdom's entry into the First World War). The Act makes it an offence to interfere with a protected place, to disturb the site or to remove anything from the site. Divers may visit the site but the rule is look, don't touch and don't penetrate. The law concerning protected places applies anywhere in the world, but in practice, outside the UK, the sanctions can only be enforced against UK citizens, UK flagged ships, or vessels landing in the UK, unless backed by local legislation. The first and only license granted in respect of a vessel designated a protected place was granted to Mike Williams of the Nautical Archaeology SocietyNautical Archaeology Society
The Nautical Archaeology Society is a charity registered in England and Wales and in Scotland and is a company limited by guarantee.The charitable aims and object of the company are to further research in Nautical Archaeology and publish the results of such research and to advance education and...
, for a project to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the loss of the M2 submarine
HMS M2
HMS M2 was a Royal Navy aircraft-carrying submarine shipwrecked in Lyme Bay, Dorset, Britain, on 26 January 1932. She was one of three M-class boats completed.Four M-class submarines replaced the order for the last four K-class, K17-K21...
including the placing of a white ensign underwater.
Controlled sites
Controlled sites must be specifically designated by location, where the site contains the remains of an aircraft or a vessel that crashed, sank or was stranded within the last two hundred years. The Act makes it illegal to conduct any operations (including any diving or excavation) within the controlled site that might disturb the remains unless licensed to do so by the Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
. Licences have been granted for excavation of aircraft, provided that it is not thought that there are human remains present or unexploded ordnance. In the case of sunken vessels, any activities necessary, such as the recovery of extant human remains and the sealing of openings into wrecks is generally carried out by Ministry of Defence diving teams. Controlled sites at sea are marked on admiralty charts and their physical location is marked by means of a buoy (sea mark
Sea mark
A sea mark, also seamark and navigation mark, is a form of aid to navigation and pilotage aid which identifies the approximate position of a maritime channel, hazard and administrative area to allow boats, ships and seaplanes to navigate safely....
).
Protection of aircraft
During the 1970s there was a rapid growth in excavation of the crash sites of military aircraft. These were sometimes carried out by interested amateur souvenir hunters, and sometimes by more serious prospectors of valuable military artefacts. The rights and wrongs of this activity was confused by conflicting statements from the Ministry of Defence, who, in 1973 stated that they had abandoned all claim to crashed planes and that any of official interest had been recovered. Later on they reversed this position, claiming Crown title of both RAF and German wrecks and stating that any excavation required official permission, issuing guidelines and threatening that excavation without such permission was illegal interference with Crown Property. Excavations continued however, and several incidents involving the discovery of human remains and live ordnance (along with concerns about divers and shipwrecks) led to the passing of the Protection of Military Remains Act in 1986.Since the passing of the Act, investigators have been able to obtain licences to excavate subject to a number of conditions. The applicant must have thoroughly researched the crash and be able to identify the aircraft and the fate of the crew. This research becomes the property of the Ministry of Defence. The landowner of the site of the crash must have given permission. Special conditions may be imposed by local councils or heritage agencies. Following excavation all material recovered must be identified to the Ministry of Defence. Personal property of the aircrew is likely to be returned to next of kin, and military artefacts of historical interest are likely to be placed in the care of the Royal Air Force Museum, but the licensee may apply for ownership of other material. Licences cannot be issued for sites where there is likely to be unexploded ordnance, and Ministry of Defence policy is not to issue licences where human remains are likely to be found. The Ministry of Defence reserves the right to witness all excavations.
A large number of aircraft were lost in the sea off the South and East Coasts of England during the Second World War. These areas are commercially important for marine aggregates. Since the aircraft are protected under this Act, the discovery of aircraft remains during aggregate dredging means that dredging must stop and an exclusion zone around the position of the wreck established. The disturbance of wrecks by dredging is also of concern for potential disturbance of human remains and because of damage to an important historical resource. A project undertaken in 2007-2008 by Wessex Archaeology
Wessex Archaeology
Wessex Archaeology is one of the largest private archaeological organisations operating in the United Kingdom, based near Salisbury in Wiltshire.-Background:...
funded under the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund managed by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
, looked at the potential of the historical resource of such wrecks and also for issuing guidance to the aggregates industry to manage the impact of finding remains.
Criteria for designation of wrecks
As a result of an extensive consultation carried out in 2000-2001, the Ministry of Defence announced that it would carry out a rolling programme of assessment of all British military wrecks known to have been lost on military service. Designation as a controlled site is only applicable in waters controlled by the United Kingdom. Wrecks considered dangerous will be designated as controlled sites. Wrecks that met a set of criteria would be designated. Under the act, wrecks to be designated as controlled sites must have sunk within the last two hundred years. Wrecks to be designated as protected places must have been lost after 4 August 1914. The criteria for designation announced by the Ministry of Defence include: whether the wreck represents the last resting place of servicemen; whether the wreck has suffered sustained disturbance and looting, and whether designation is likely to stop such disturbance; whether diving on the wreck attracts public criticism; whether the wreck is of historical significance. In addition it was announced that if a wreck designated as a protected place suffers sustained disturbance it will be designated as a controlled site.History of designations under the Act
The Act was passed in 1986, partly in response to concerns over excavation of military aircraft, partly over public disquiet about the fate of sunken military ships and also because in the aftermath of the Falklands WarFalklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, public opinion supported the idea that a maritime war grave should be sacrosanct. The ships of concern included HMS Hampshire
HMS Hampshire (1903)
HMS Hampshire was a Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick, Tyne and Wear and commissioned in 1905 at a cost of £833,817....
, where it is alleged that personal possessions of casualties had been looted by divers and where the British Government gave rights for the salvage of HMS Edinburgh which had occurred without respecting the human remains that it contained. However, although the Act gave immediate protection to wrecked aircraft, the wrecks of ships needed to be individually designated to be protected.
First designations
Professional Association of Diving Instructors
The Professional Association of Diving Instructors is the world's largest recreational diving membership and diver training organization founded in 1966 by John Cronin and Ralph Erickson...
and SAA
Sub-Aqua Association
The Sub-Aqua Association or SAA is a diver training organization for scubadivers in the United Kingdom. The association and some other UK-based diving groups have traditionally used a club-based system with unpaid instructors, while the other principal training agency, PADI, organises most of its...
, with the support of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is a UK executive agency working to prevent the loss of lives at sea and is responsible for implementing British and International maritime law and safety policy.This involves coordinating search and rescue at sea through Her Majesty's Coastguard , ensuring that...
, Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
, Nautical Archaeology Society
Nautical Archaeology Society
The Nautical Archaeology Society is a charity registered in England and Wales and in Scotland and is a company limited by guarantee.The charitable aims and object of the company are to further research in Nautical Archaeology and publish the results of such research and to advance education and...
, and Joint Nautical Archaeology Policy Committee, launched a code of conduct for divers entitled "Respect our Wrecks", with the central message of look, don't touch. It was not until 2002 that the first designations came into force. The announcement stated that there would be sixteen controlled sites (in waters under UK control), and five designated protected places (five UK wrecks in international waters and one German U-boat in UK waters), with four of the Falkland
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
wrecks HMS Ardent
HMS Ardent (F184)
HMS Ardent was a Royal Navy Type 21 frigate. Built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland. She was completed with Exocet launchers in 'B' position...
, HMS Antelope
HMS Antelope (F170)
HMS Antelope was a Type 21 frigate of the Royal Navy that participated in the Falklands War. Her keel was laid down 23 March 1971 by Vosper Thornycroft in Woolston, Southampton, England. Budget costs for this class were £3.5 million but actual costs exceeded £14 million...
, HMS Coventry
HMS Coventry (D118)
HMS Coventry was a Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. Laid down by Cammell Laird and Company, Limited, at Birkenhead on 29 January 1973, she was launched on 21 June 1974 and accepted into service on 20 October 1978 at a cost of £37,900,000.She was sunk by Argentine Air Force A-4 Skyhawks on 25...
and HMS Sheffield
HMS Sheffield (D80)
HMS Sheffield was the second Royal Navy ship to be named after the city of Sheffield in Yorkshire. She was a Type 42 Guided Missile Destroyer laid down by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering at Barrow-in-Furness on 15 January 1970, launched on 10 June 1971 and commissioned on 16 February 1975.An...
listed as controlled sites. The order only covered eleven controlled sites, which did not include the Falkland wrecks. HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse
HMS Repulse (1916)
HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner...
(the ships of Force Z) as well as HMS Hampshire
HMS Hampshire (1903)
HMS Hampshire was a Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick, Tyne and Wear and commissioned in 1905 at a cost of £833,817....
were included in the designations. However, HMS Ardent and HMS Antelope were already protected (as prohibited sites because they were considered dangerous) by an order passed in 1983 under the Falkland Islands Protection of Wrecks Ordnance 1977. HMS Coventry and HMS Sheffield had to wait until 2006 to be protected.
The coordinates given for the position of HMS Hampshire
HMS Hampshire (1903)
HMS Hampshire was a Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick, Tyne and Wear and commissioned in 1905 at a cost of £833,817....
had to be corrected in a subsequent order in 2003.
Second tranche including Battle of Jutland wrecks
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
, it was announced that the remains of the fourteen UK ships lost in that battle were being designated as protected places. The 'second tranche' came into force on 1 November 2006. This revoked the first tranche, but re-designated the wrecks and added a further 29 protected places and 1 controlled site (the ). HMS Sheffield
HMS Sheffield (D80)
HMS Sheffield was the second Royal Navy ship to be named after the city of Sheffield in Yorkshire. She was a Type 42 Guided Missile Destroyer laid down by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering at Barrow-in-Furness on 15 January 1970, launched on 10 June 1971 and commissioned on 16 February 1975.An...
was one of the protected places added. At around the same time, the Falkland Islands issued an order under the Falkland Islands Protection of Wrecks Ordnance 1977 designating HMS Coventry
HMS Coventry (D118)
HMS Coventry was a Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. Laid down by Cammell Laird and Company, Limited, at Birkenhead on 29 January 1973, she was launched on 21 June 1974 and accepted into service on 20 October 1978 at a cost of £37,900,000.She was sunk by Argentine Air Force A-4 Skyhawks on 25...
as a restricted area.
The Storaa judgment and third tranche
The SS StoraaSS Storaa
Storaa was a 1,980 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1918 by the Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Company as Wellpark for British owners. In 1927, she was sold to Belgium and was renamed Navex. A further sale in 1937 saw her renamed Prina. In 1938, she was sold to the Netherlands and was renamed Willy...
was a merchant vessel sunk by a German torpedo on 3 November 1943 while she was part of a military convoy. Those who died included Royal Navy personnel, as well as merchant seamen.
Rosemary Fogg and Valerie Ledgard (the claimants), the daughters of one of the men who died, Petty Officer James Varndell RN requested that the Ministry of Defence designate the wreck. When the Ministry of Defence refused on the grounds that this was a merchant ship and therefore not eligible for designation, the claimants launched a judicial appeal, supported by Peter Marsden (a local historian and maritime archaeologist) and the Merchant Navy Association. The High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
judge, Mr Justice Newmann decided in their favour of the claimants on 13 December 2005. The Ministry of Defence appealed, but on 5 October 2006, the Appeal Court
Court of Appeal of England and Wales
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom above it...
upheld the High Court decision. The court ruled that the act could apply to merchant vessels and that the Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
was therefore required to reconsider whether or not the Storaa should be designated under the act. Note that the judgement did not guarantee that the wreck would be designated, only that it was eligible for consideration. However, the wreck was subsequently designated in 2008.
The third tranche came into force on 1 May 2008, revoking the 2006 order, but re-designating the wrecks and adding 10 more vessels designated as protected places. These included the first merchant ships to be protected, SS Storaa
SS Storaa
Storaa was a 1,980 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1918 by the Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Company as Wellpark for British owners. In 1927, she was sold to Belgium and was renamed Navex. A further sale in 1937 saw her renamed Prina. In 1938, she was sold to the Netherlands and was renamed Willy...
and Atlantic Conveyor
Atlantic Conveyor
The Atlantic Conveyor was a British merchant navy ship, registered in Liverpool, that was requisitioned during the Falklands War and sunk on 25 May 1982 after being hit by two Argentine Exocet missiles, killing 12 sailors...
, which had been requisitioned to serve as a transport ship in the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
.
List of designations under the Act
All of the wrecks designated under the act are designated under the 2009 order (which came into force on 1 February 2010) since this revoked the previous order. Information about the wrecks can generally be found in the announcement for the year that they designated (2002, 2006, or 2008). HMS ArdentHMS Ardent (F184)
HMS Ardent was a Royal Navy Type 21 frigate. Built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland. She was completed with Exocet launchers in 'B' position...
, HMS Antelope
HMS Antelope (F170)
HMS Antelope was a Type 21 frigate of the Royal Navy that participated in the Falklands War. Her keel was laid down 23 March 1971 by Vosper Thornycroft in Woolston, Southampton, England. Budget costs for this class were £3.5 million but actual costs exceeded £14 million...
and HMS Coventry
HMS Coventry (D118)
HMS Coventry was a Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. Laid down by Cammell Laird and Company, Limited, at Birkenhead on 29 January 1973, she was launched on 21 June 1974 and accepted into service on 20 October 1978 at a cost of £37,900,000.She was sunk by Argentine Air Force A-4 Skyhawks on 25...
which were sunk in the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
are not protected under this act, but are protected under the Falkland Islands Protection of Wrecks Ordnance 1977.
| Name | Year | Status | Located in/near | Date sank | Conflict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMS A7 HMS A7 HMS A7 was an early Royal Navy submarine.She was a member of Group Two of the first British A-class of submarines... |
2002 | Controlled Site | Whitsand Bay Whitsand Bay Whitsand Bay, situated in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom runs from Rame Head in the east to Portwrinkle in the west. It is characterised by sheer, high cliffs, dramatic scenery and long stretches of sandy beaches... |
Accidental loss in peacetime | |
| HMS Acheron HMS Acheron (H45) HMS Acheron was an A-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War in Home waters and off the Norwegian coast, before becoming an early war loss when she sank after hitting a mine off the Isle of Wight on 17 December 1940... |
2006 | Protected Place | Isle of Wight Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
|
| HMS Affray HMS Affray (P421) HMS Affray , a British Amphion-class submarine was the last Royal Navy submarine to be lost at sea, on 16 April 1951, with the loss of 75 lives... |
2002 | Controlled Site | Isle of Wight Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent... |
Accidental loss in peacetime | |
| HMS Amphion HMS Amphion (1911) HMS Amphion was an Active-class scout cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built at Pembroke Dockyard and launched on 4 December 1911. She became the first ship of the Royal Navy to be sunk in the First World War... |
2008 | Protected Place | Harwich Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south... |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
|
| HMS Ardent HMS Ardent (1913) HMS Ardent was an Acasta-class destroyer and the seventh Royal Navy ship to bear the name. She was launched in 1913 and was sunk at the battle of Jutland in 1916.-Pennant Numbers:-Construction:... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
|
| Atlantic Conveyor Atlantic Conveyor The Atlantic Conveyor was a British merchant navy ship, registered in Liverpool, that was requisitioned during the Falklands War and sunk on 25 May 1982 after being hit by two Argentine Exocet missiles, killing 12 sailors... |
2008 | Protected Place | Falkland Islands Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland... |
Falklands War Falklands War The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands... |
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| HMS Black Prince HMS Black Prince (1904) HMS Black Prince was a armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1900s. During the First World War she served in the Mediterranean before joining the Grand Fleet... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
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| HMS Blackwood HMS Blackwood (K313) HMS Blackwood was a Captain-class frigate of the Evarts-class of destroyer escort, originally commissioned to be built for the U.S. Navy... |
2006 | Protected Place | Dorset Dorset Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Boadicea HMS Boadicea (H65) HMS Boadicea was a built for the Royal Navy that saw service during World War II until sunk on 13 June 1944 while supporting the invasion of Normandy.-Construction:... |
2006 | Protected Place | Isle of Portland Isle of Portland The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Bullen HMS Bullen (K469) HMS Bullen was a Buckley class Captain class frigate during World War II. Named after Captain Charles Bullen of at the battle of Trafalgar.The Commanding Officer was Lt Cdr A.H. Parrish RN.-Sinking:... |
2006 | Protected Place | North West Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Bulwark HMS Bulwark (1899) HMS Bulwark belonged to a sub-class of the Formidable-class of pre-dreadnought battleships of the Royal Navy known as the London-class.-Technical description:... |
2002 | Controlled Site | Sheerness Sheerness Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island.... |
Accidental loss in First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
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| HMS Calgarian | 2009 | Protected Place | Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
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| HMS Curaçao HMS Curacoa (D41) HMS Curacoa, named after the island Curaçao in the Caribbean Sea, was a Ceres group C-class light cruiser. In 1942, she became one of the Royal Navy's major accidental losses during the Second World War.-First World War:... |
2008 | Protected Place | North West Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Dasher HMS Dasher (D37) HMS Dasher was a British Royal Navy aircraft carrier, of the Avenger class – converted merchant vessels – and one of the shortest lived escort carriers.-Design and description:... |
2002 | Controlled Site | River Clyde River Clyde The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire.... |
Accidental loss in Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Defence HMS Defence (1907) HMS Defence was a armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1900s. She was the last armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy. She was stationed in the Mediterranean when the First World War began and participated in the pursuit of the German battlecruiser and light cruiser... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
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| HMS Delight HMS Delight (H38) HMS Delight was a D-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s. Delight was initially assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet before she was transferred to the China Station in early 1935. She was temporarily deployed in the Red Sea during late 1935 during the Abyssinia Crisis, before... |
2008 | Protected Place | Lyme Bay Lyme Bay Lyme Bay is an area of the English Channel situated in the southwest of England between Torbay in the west and Portland in the east. The counties of Devon and Dorset front onto the bay,-Geology:... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Exmoor HMS Exmoor (L61) HMS Exmoor was a Hunt class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was a member of the first subgroup of the class, and saw service in the Second World War, before being sunk by German E-boats in 1941.-Construction and commissioning:... |
2006 | Protected Place | Lowestoft Lowestoft Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Exmouth HMS Exmouth (H02) HMS Exmouth was an E-class destroyer flotilla leader built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s. Although assigned to the Home Fleet upon completion, the ship was attached to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1935–36 during the Abyssinia Crisis... |
2002 | Controlled Site | Moray Firth Moray Firth The Moray Firth is a roughly triangular inlet of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of north of Scotland... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Fisgard II HMS Invincible (1869) HMS Invincible was an Audacious-class ironclad battleship of the Royal Navy. She was built at the Napier shipyard and completed in 1870. Completed just 10 years after , she still carried sails as well as a steam engine.-Armament:... |
2009 | Protected Place | Portland Bill Portland Bill Portland Bill is a narrow promontory of Portland stone, which forms the most southerly part of Isle of Portland, and therefore also the county of Dorset, England.... |
Accidental loss in First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
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| HMS Fitzroy | 2009 | Protected Place | Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Formidable HMS Formidable (1898) HMS Formidable —the third of four ships of that name to serve in the Royal Navy—was the lead ship of her class of pre-dreadnought battleships. She was the second British battleship to be sunk by enemy action during the First World War... |
2002 | Controlled Site | Torbay Torbay Torbay is an east-facing bay and natural harbour, at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south-west of England, situated roughly midway between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. Part of the ceremonial county of Devon, Torbay was made a unitary authority on 1 April 1998... , Devon Devon Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with... |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
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| HMS Fortune HMS Fortune (1913) HMS Fortune was an Acasta-class destroyer, and the twenty-first ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name. She was launched in 1913 and was sunk at the battle of Jutland in 1916.-Pennant Numbers:-Construction:... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
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| HMS Gloucester | 2002 | Protected Place | North of Crete Crete Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Ghurka HMS Ghurka (1907) HMS Ghurka was a Tribal-class destroyer built in 1907 for the Royal Navy.During the First World War, she served in the North Sea and the English Channel with the 6th Destroyer Flotilla. She was sunk on 8 February 1917 after hitting a German mine. Only five of the crew survived. The wreck is located... |
2008 | Protected Place | Dungeness | First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
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| HMS H5 HMS H5 HMS H5, was a British H-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was sunk after being rammed by the British merchantman Rutherglen, mistaken for a German U-boat, on 2 March 1918. All on board perished.... |
2002 | Controlled Site | Anglesey Anglesey Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales... |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
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| HMS Hampshire HMS Hampshire (1903) HMS Hampshire was a Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick, Tyne and Wear and commissioned in 1905 at a cost of £833,817.... |
2002 | Controlled Site | Scapa Flow Scapa Flow right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about... |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
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| HMS Hood HMS Hood (51) HMS Hood was the last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. One of four s ordered in mid-1916, her design—although drastically revised after the Battle of Jutland and improved while she was under construction—still had serious limitations. For this reason she was the only ship of her class to be... |
2002 | Protected Place | Denmark Strait Denmark Strait The Denmark Strait or Greenland Strait |Sound]]) is an oceanic strait between Greenland and Iceland... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Indefatigable HMS Indefatigable (1909) HMS Indefatigable was a battlecruiser of the Royal Navy and the lead ship of her class. Her keel was laid down in 1909 and she was commissioned in 1911... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
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| HMS Invincible HMS Invincible (1907) HMS Invincible was a battlecruiser of the British Royal Navy, the lead ship of her class of three, and the first battlecruiser to be built by any country in the world. She participated in the Battle of Heligoland Bight in a minor role as she was the oldest and slowest of the British battlecruisers... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
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| HMS K4 HMS K4 HMS K4 was a British K class submarine built by Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 28 June 1915 and commissioned on 1 January 1917, one year before the end of World War I.- Accident 17 November 1917 :... |
2006 | Protected Place | Isle of May Isle of May The Isle of May is located in the north of the outer Firth of Forth, approximately off the coast of mainland Scotland. It is 1.8 km long and less than half a kilometre wide... |
Accidental loss in First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
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| HMS K17 HMS K17 HMS K17 was a British K class submarine built by Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness.- Loss :K17 was sunk on 31 January 1918 during the night time fleet exercises later known as the Battle of May Island when she was attached to the 13th Submarine Flotilla. ploughed into K17 at the head of a line of... |
2006 | Protected Place | Isle of May Isle of May The Isle of May is located in the north of the outer Firth of Forth, approximately off the coast of mainland Scotland. It is 1.8 km long and less than half a kilometre wide... |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
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| HMS L24 HMS L24 HMS L24 was an L-class submarine built by Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness for the Royal Navy. She was laid down on 13 February 1919 and was commissioned on an unknown date.-Sinking:... |
2008 | Protected Place | Portland Bill Portland Bill Portland Bill is a narrow promontory of Portland stone, which forms the most southerly part of Isle of Portland, and therefore also the county of Dorset, England.... |
Accidental loss in peacetime | |
| HMS Loyalty HMS Loyalty (J217) HMS Loyalty was an of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War.-Service:Loyalty was laid down as HMS Rattler on 14 April 1941 at Harland and Wolff, Belfast, and launched on 9 December 1942. She was commissioned on 22 April 1943, and renamed HMS Loyalty in June 1943... |
2008 | Protected Place | English Channel English Channel The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS M1 HMS M1 HMS M1 was a submarine of the British Royal Navy, one of four vessels of her class ordered towards the end of the First World War. She sank with the loss of her entire crew in 1925.... |
2006 | Protected Place | English Channel English Channel The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover... |
Accidental loss in peacetime | |
| HMS M2 HMS M2 HMS M2 was a Royal Navy aircraft-carrying submarine shipwrecked in Lyme Bay, Dorset, Britain, on 26 January 1932. She was one of three M-class boats completed.Four M-class submarines replaced the order for the last four K-class, K17-K21... |
2006 | Protected Place | Lyme Bay Lyme Bay Lyme Bay is an area of the English Channel situated in the southwest of England between Torbay in the west and Portland in the east. The counties of Devon and Dorset front onto the bay,-Geology:... |
Accidental loss in peacetime | |
| HMS Natal HMS Natal (1905) HMS Natal was a Duke of Edinburgh-class armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1900s. She escorted the royal yacht in 1911–1912 for the newly-crowned King George V's trip to India to attend the Delhi Durbar. During World War I the ship was assigned to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the... |
2002 | Controlled Site | Cromarty Cromarty The Royal Burgh of Cromarty is a burgh in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland.-History:It was previously the county town of the former county of Cromartyshire... |
Accidental loss in First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
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| HMS Nestor HMS Nestor (1915) HMS Nestor, launched on 9 October 1915, was an . She served in the 13th Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet and was sunk on 31 May 1916 at the Battle of Jutland... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
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| HMS Nomad HMS Nomad (1916) HMS Nomad, built by Alexander Stephen and Sons, Linthouse, and launched on 7 February 1916, was an Admiralty M-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was commissioned under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Paul Whitfield and briefly served in the 13th Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
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| HMS Penylan HMS Penylan (L89) HMS Penylan was a Hunt class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was a member of the third subgroup of the class, and saw service in the Second World War, before being sunk by German E-boats in 1942.-Construction and commissioning:... |
2008 | Protected Place | English Channel English Channel The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Prince of Wales | 2002 | Protected Place | Off Kuantan, Malaysia | Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Queen Mary HMS Queen Mary HMS Queen Mary was a battlecruiser built by the British Royal Navy before World War I, the sole member of her class. She was similar to the s, though she differed in details from her half-sisters. She was the last battlecruiser completed before the war and participated in the Battle of Heligoland... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
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| HMS Repulse HMS Repulse (1916) HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner... |
2002 | Protected Place | Off Kuantan, Malaysia | Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Royal Oak | 2002 | Controlled Site | Scapa Flow Scapa Flow right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Shark HMS Shark (1912) HMS Shark, was an Acasta-class destroyer built in 1912 and sunk during the Battle of Jutland on the evening of 31 May 1916.-Construction:She was built at the Wallsend yard of Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson and launched on 30 July 1912... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
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| HMS Sheffield HMS Sheffield (D80) HMS Sheffield was the second Royal Navy ship to be named after the city of Sheffield in Yorkshire. She was a Type 42 Guided Missile Destroyer laid down by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering at Barrow-in-Furness on 15 January 1970, launched on 10 June 1971 and commissioned on 16 February 1975.An... |
2006 | Protected Place | Falkland Islands Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland... —international waters |
Falklands War Falklands War The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands... |
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| RFA Sir Galahad RFA Sir Galahad (1966) RFA Sir Galahad was a Round Table class landing ship logistics vessel belonging to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She was first managed for the British Army by the British-India Steam Navigation Company, before being transferred in 1970 to the RFA, part of the British fleet, .-Design and... |
2002 | Protected Place | Falkland Islands Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland... |
Falklands War Falklands War The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands... |
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| HMS Sparrowhawk HMS Sparrowhawk (1912) HMS Sparrowhawk was an Acasta-class destroyer built in 1912 and sunk in 1916 at the battle of Jutland after a collision with the destroyer leader HMS Broke.-Construction:... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
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| SS Storaa SS Storaa Storaa was a 1,980 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1918 by the Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Company as Wellpark for British owners. In 1927, she was sold to Belgium and was renamed Navex. A further sale in 1937 saw her renamed Prina. In 1938, she was sold to the Netherlands and was renamed Willy... |
2008 | Protected Place | Hastings Hastings Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900.... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Swordfish HMS Swordfish (61S) HMS Swordfish was a group one British S class submarine that was sunk on a combat patrol in the English Channel in November 1940 during the Second World War.... |
2006 | Protected Place | Isle of Wight Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Tipperary HMS Tipperary (1915) HMS Tipperary, launched on 5 March 1915, was a Faulknor-class destroyer leader.Originally ordered by Chile, they were bought by the Royal Navy at the outbreak of World War I and served with the 4th Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet.... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
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| HMS Turbulent HMS Turbulent (1916) HMS Turbulent, launched on 5 January 1916, was a Talisman-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. The vessel was originally have to been named HMS Ogre, but was renamed whilst under construction, on 15 February 1915.... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
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| 2002 | Protected Place | Dover Dover Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| 2008 | Protected Place | Firth of Forth Firth of Forth The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| 2006 | Protected Place | North Cornwall Cornwall Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of... |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
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| 2002 | Controlled Site | Isle of Wight Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent... |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
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| HMS Umpire HMS Umpire (N82) HMS Umpire was a Royal Navy U-class submarine built at Chatham Dockyard and sunk in an accident nine days after commissioning with the loss of 22 men.... |
2006 | Protected Place | Blakeney, Norfolk Blakeney, Norfolk Blakeney is a coastal village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. Blakeney lies within the Norfolk Coast AONB and the North Norfolk Heritage Coast. The North Norfolk Coastal Path passes through the village... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Vandal HMS Vandal (P64) HMS Vandal was a Royal Navy U-class submarine built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness, yard number 838. The submarine had the shortest career of any Royal Navy submarine, being lost with all 37 onboard just four days after commissioning.... |
2006 | Protected Place | Lochranza Lochranza Lochranza is a village located on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The population, somewhat in decline, is around 200 people.... Isle of Arran Isle of Arran Arran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Vanguard HMS Vanguard (1909) The eighth HMS Vanguard of the British Royal Navy was a St Vincent-class battleship, an enhancement of the "" design built by Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness... |
2002 | Controlled Site | Scapa Flow Scapa Flow right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about... |
Accidental loss in First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
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| HMS Vortigern HMS Vortigern (D37) HMS Vortigern was a V Class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served in both World Wars, and was sunk in 1942.-Construction and commissioning:... |
2006 | Protected Place | Cromer Cromer Cromer is a coastal town and civil parish in north Norfolk, England. The local government authority is North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is in Holt Road in the town. The town is situated 23 miles north of the county town, Norwich, and is 4 miles east of Sheringham... |
Second World War World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
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| HMS Warrior HMS Warrior (1905) HMS Warrior was a Duke of Edinburgh-class armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1900s. She was stationed in the Mediterranean when the First World War began and participated in the pursuit of the German battlecruiser and light cruiser . Warrior was transferred to the Grand Fleet in... |
2006 | Protected Place | Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... —international waters |
First World War World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... , Battle of Jutland Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only... |
See also
- Aviation archaeologyAviation archaeologyAviation archaeology is a recognized sub-discipline within archaeology and underwater archaeology as a whole. It is an activity practiced by both enthusiasts and academics in pursuit of finding, documenting, recovering, and preserving sites important in aviation history...
- Maritime archaeologyMaritime archaeologyMaritime archaeology is a discipline within archaeology as a whole that specifically studies human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of associated physical remains, be they vessels, shore side facilities, port-related structures, cargoes, human remains and submerged...
- Archaeology of shipwrecksArchaeology of shipwrecksThe archaeology of shipwrecks is the field of archaeology specialised in the study and exploration of shipwrecks. Its techniques combine those of archaeology with those of diving....
- Wreck divingWreck divingWreck diving is a type of recreational diving where shipwrecks are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificial reef sites...
- List of shipwrecks
- Protection of Wrecks Act
- Battle of JutlandBattle of JutlandThe Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...