Andy Wade
21-12-2006, 22:17
Below is the text from last Sunday's Sunday Express dated 17th December 2006. It was accompanied by a picture of Sir Galahad ablaze, with an inset picture of Simon Weston's scarred face.
Grave robber divers target Sir Galahad
By Jason Groves
CAMPAIGNERS fear that callous foreign divers may be plundering the wreck of the troopship Sir Galahad, which is the final resting place of 50 British war dead.
Unscrupulous companies are already offering “penetration dives” inside the battleships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, in which 840 sailors died in 1941.
Ghoulish videos showing divers swimming among the remains of the war dead are being offered for sale on the internet. Plundered items have also been put on sale on eBay.
Sir Galahad was bombed 24 years ago, just days before the end of the Falklands war. On board was Welsh Guardsman Simon Weston, who suffered horrific burns to almost half of his body. He became a symbol of the infamous attack as he fought bravely to return to normal life.
All three ships are designated war graves under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 and any British diver caught interfering with them would face prosecution.
But to the horror of relatives, a loophole in the law means that foreign nationals can dive with impunity on wrecks in international waters
Campaigners are now urging the Government to tighten the law.
Hannah Rickard, whose late father Ken Byrne survived the sinking of the Prince of Wales, said diving inside the wrecks was an insult to sailors who died fighting for their country.
Mrs Rickard, secretary of the Force Z Survivors Association, said videos showing the bones of the dead have horrified relatives and survivors.
She added: “People are in tears about this – it is disgusting. It is obvious from some of the videos and photos circulating that the graves of these men are being disturbed.
“If it was British divers doing it they would be prosecuted. I think the public would be amazed that foreign divers can get away with interfering with maritime war graves simply because they are not British citizens.
“The Americans have been very effective in protecting their ships. Our Government should be looking to do the same. Otherwise where will this end? We already have reports that people may be diving on the Sir Galahad.”
Interference with maritime war graves has become a growing problem during the past decade as technological advances have enabled amateur divers to stay underwater for longer.
Most divers refuse to enter wrecks that are still likely to contain human remains – but others have embarked on a free-for-all.
Minister Baroness Crawley acknowledged that the videos are “extremely distressing”. But she said that there are limits to what the Government can do to protect ships in international waters.
She said officials will attempt to raise the issue with foreign governments as well as work to “educate” divers. Rick Jolly, chairman of the Falklands veterans’ charity Sama 82, said he was horrified that divers were entering war graves. But he questioned whether they would be able to locate and reach the Sir Galahad, which was towed out to a secret location off the Falklands and sunk after being crippled by Argentine forces in 1982.
He said: “I have heard rumours before about diving on Sir Galahad but I would be surprised if it were the case. The trouble is that if something is difficult there is always someone out there who will go and try to do it. I have no problem with divers looking at wrecks but entering a war grave is completely unacceptable”
Repulse and the Prince of Wales, which were sunk by the Japanese air force in December 1941, lie 50 miles off Kuantan, in Malaysia, in relatively shallow water. A number of items from the two ships have been plundered and sold, including crockery, brasses and bathroom fixtures and fittings.
Following pressure from the Government, two foreign firms have recently removed videos of dives on the Repulse from their websites – but both are still offering trips to the wreck.
Andrew Georgitsis, who sells a DVD he filmed inside the Repulse, denies plundering the wrecks but acknowledges his work has upset some relatives. However, he insists it is justified. He said: “This all serves a purpose in educating the public about our past and our history.”
Grave robber divers target Sir Galahad
By Jason Groves
CAMPAIGNERS fear that callous foreign divers may be plundering the wreck of the troopship Sir Galahad, which is the final resting place of 50 British war dead.
Unscrupulous companies are already offering “penetration dives” inside the battleships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, in which 840 sailors died in 1941.
Ghoulish videos showing divers swimming among the remains of the war dead are being offered for sale on the internet. Plundered items have also been put on sale on eBay.
Sir Galahad was bombed 24 years ago, just days before the end of the Falklands war. On board was Welsh Guardsman Simon Weston, who suffered horrific burns to almost half of his body. He became a symbol of the infamous attack as he fought bravely to return to normal life.
All three ships are designated war graves under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 and any British diver caught interfering with them would face prosecution.
But to the horror of relatives, a loophole in the law means that foreign nationals can dive with impunity on wrecks in international waters
Campaigners are now urging the Government to tighten the law.
Hannah Rickard, whose late father Ken Byrne survived the sinking of the Prince of Wales, said diving inside the wrecks was an insult to sailors who died fighting for their country.
Mrs Rickard, secretary of the Force Z Survivors Association, said videos showing the bones of the dead have horrified relatives and survivors.
She added: “People are in tears about this – it is disgusting. It is obvious from some of the videos and photos circulating that the graves of these men are being disturbed.
“If it was British divers doing it they would be prosecuted. I think the public would be amazed that foreign divers can get away with interfering with maritime war graves simply because they are not British citizens.
“The Americans have been very effective in protecting their ships. Our Government should be looking to do the same. Otherwise where will this end? We already have reports that people may be diving on the Sir Galahad.”
Interference with maritime war graves has become a growing problem during the past decade as technological advances have enabled amateur divers to stay underwater for longer.
Most divers refuse to enter wrecks that are still likely to contain human remains – but others have embarked on a free-for-all.
Minister Baroness Crawley acknowledged that the videos are “extremely distressing”. But she said that there are limits to what the Government can do to protect ships in international waters.
She said officials will attempt to raise the issue with foreign governments as well as work to “educate” divers. Rick Jolly, chairman of the Falklands veterans’ charity Sama 82, said he was horrified that divers were entering war graves. But he questioned whether they would be able to locate and reach the Sir Galahad, which was towed out to a secret location off the Falklands and sunk after being crippled by Argentine forces in 1982.
He said: “I have heard rumours before about diving on Sir Galahad but I would be surprised if it were the case. The trouble is that if something is difficult there is always someone out there who will go and try to do it. I have no problem with divers looking at wrecks but entering a war grave is completely unacceptable”
Repulse and the Prince of Wales, which were sunk by the Japanese air force in December 1941, lie 50 miles off Kuantan, in Malaysia, in relatively shallow water. A number of items from the two ships have been plundered and sold, including crockery, brasses and bathroom fixtures and fittings.
Following pressure from the Government, two foreign firms have recently removed videos of dives on the Repulse from their websites – but both are still offering trips to the wreck.
Andrew Georgitsis, who sells a DVD he filmed inside the Repulse, denies plundering the wrecks but acknowledges his work has upset some relatives. However, he insists it is justified. He said: “This all serves a purpose in educating the public about our past and our history.”