This is About the HMS Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue. But I felt it relevant because of the treatment of War Graves. On Sept. 22, 1914 many hundreds of British men went down with the 3 cruisers. The derelicts of the 3 cruisers still rest on the bottom of the North Sea off the Dutch coast at a depth of about 35 meters. As many hundreds of men went down with the ships, the wrecks were initially given the status of official war graves. However, in 1958 the British gave a concession to strip the wrecks to a German towage and salvage company, Reederei Bugier. This company stripped the wrecks from almost all things valuable as regards metal and wooden parts. Henceforth the wrecks were no longer protected and the ban on diving was lifted as that the sunken war ships had turned into regular wreck sites. Since 2010 a few Dutch salvagers have pursued Bugsiers job. This has caused a lot of commotion both in the Netherlands and in Great Britain, resulting in an intervention by order of the Dutch Government. Over the years the three cruisers have come to be part of both the Dutch and British history, and on that account are regarded common cultural heritage.Moreover, the sites have grown into a valuable nature reserve. Quite naturally new reefs formed in and on the ships, offering a new habitat to sub aqua flora and fauna. First and foremost the Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy deserve to be respected because they are the graves of so many men. And now also because of their status as cultural heritage and newly developed natural reserve. Diving is allowed there.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 00:36:24 +0000
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