Britain's Protection of the Military Remains Act of 1986 protects ships that sunk with British servicemen inside. However, the act only prevents British citizens from entering such war graves -- it doesn't prevent foreign nationals from diving in them. Citing the prevalence of videos and photos posted on the Internet -- clearly showing that companies are taking divers inside ships like the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse -- some people want this loophole closed.
Calling for new laws to ensure wrecks are given the same respect as war cemeteries, Hannah Rickard, whose father survived the sinking of the Prince of Wales, claims, "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." However, Rickard admits that visiting the outside of the wrecks is not wrong, though the wrecks should be treated with the respect of a military cemetery: "to dive and just have a look at these wrecks I don't see as a problem. It's not ghoulish at all. We have battlefields that we go to in this country and the Tower of London where lots of people died."
Additionally, campaigners are comparing the taking of artifacts on the wrecks to grave robbing and are calling for a complete moratorium on that, as well. Admittedly, the loophole seems ridiculous and quite unfair.
[Via Diving News]
1. You mean that British laws don't apply to non-British citizens in non-British countries? Wow, that's unfair. ;)
If it's so important then they should lobby the British Gov't to remove the remains and return them to their home country.
If the wreck is there, people are going to penetrate the wreck. This whole thing blew up because of a technical diving trip about 3 years ago where a diver was filmed accidentally disturbing some remains on the Repulse.
Posted at 12:12PM on Jan 4th 2007 by Bill Reals