Kingposts of the SS Richard Montgomery in the Thames Estuary.
The good news is that last month there was a debate in the UK’s House of Lords about what to do with the wreck of the Liberty ship SS Richard Montgomery, which sank loaded with munitions in the Thames estuary near Sheerness in World War II. The bad news is that similar debates have been taking place for most of the past 75 years since the ship sank with no clear answer as to what to do with the dangerous wreck.
SS Richard Montgomery sank in a gale in 1944. The wreck which still contains an estimated 1,400 tonnes of high explosives, has been referred to by the BBC as the “ticking time bomb of the Thames.” The New Scientist has referred to the ship as “The Doomsday Wreck.”
For most of the intervening period since the ship sank, the strategy has been to monitor the condition of the wreck and its dangerous cargo, rather than attempt to raise the high explosives in the 9,000 shells and bombs still believed to be in the ship’s holds. The one encouraging note is that the UK government may now be considering new means to keep the wreck safe.
Kent Online reports that Baroness (Diana) Barran said: “An advisory group of experts is considering whether monitoring and regular surveying is still the correct course or whether a more proactive intervention should be considered. Interventions could include the removal of munitions or some form of containment of the wreck. We appreciate there are no risk-free options which is why we are using the most qualified experts we can find.”
The risks of removing the munitions are very real, as is the risk of doing nothing. A 1967 attempt to clear the Kielce – a smaller wrecked munitions vessel almost four miles (6.4km) out to sea – triggered an explosion that measured 4.5 on the Richter scale and damaged property in nearby Folkestone, though no injuries were reported.
On the other hand, the Royal Military College of Science warned in 1970 that if the remaining bombs blew up, the force of the explosion would create a 3,000 meter-high column of water and a five meter-high tidal wave would swamp Sheerness and its 11,000 residents and travel up the Thames.
Just monitoring is the lower cost option for possibly blowing us all up. 🙂
Monitoring does little good (except to make politicians feel good) if it decides to self-destruct with no notice…
No good options and having been through US Navy EOD school, I will watch from this side of the pond.
thank you for the advice
Medway Port control used to be at Garrison Point just over a mile from the wreck. They have now relocated to Liverpool which they obviously consider to be a safe distance for viewing the big bang and are managing VTS remotely. Our new esteemed Prime Minister, when he was Mayor of London, wanted to build an airport on land to be reclaimed just upstream. Just telling you this so you know you are not the only ones with an idiot in charge 🙂
I have sailed past Montgomery a number of time in Thames Barges ans a variety of traditional craft in both dark and daylight the wreck is on all the charts she is marked with bell buoys, light at night with lights, visible markers abound around the wreck, keeping clear is quite compelling.