Earlier this week, Tuesday, March 17, the British newspaper The Times published an article about the problems with divers and war graves, written by Fin Kavanagh. Treasure hunters are making millions of pounds salvaging British wartime shipwrecks amid accusations that they are “desecrating” maritime graves. More than 40 ships serving as war graves in British waters have been plundered by divers in the past five years. A freedom of information request to the Maritime & Coastguard Agency revealed that more than 400 relics had been plundered from merchant navy war[…]
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Artefact hunting and expeditions by Stichting Duik de Noordzee Schoon
Tomorrow, July 14, 2019, Stichting Duik de Noordzee Schoon (foundation for keeping the North Sea clean) will return from a ten-day expedition to the North Sea that started on July 5, 2019. Part of this expedition is the search for the Dutch submarine Hr. Ms. O-13 who left Dundee, Scotland for Norway on June 12, 1940 to intercept German warships. According to Trouw, who discussed this with the chairman of Stichting Nabestaanden Onderzeeboten 1940-1945 (Committee of relatives of the crews of Submarines 1940-1945), Jan Spoelstra (78). If the Dutch submarine[…]
Read moreClarifying Wob request of 20 April 2018
Dear Director of Legislation and Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Thank you for your letter of 25 June 2019 regarding the non-processing of my Wob (FOI) request MT-2018-049 and a new deadline to clarify my Wob request ‘War graves’ MT-2018-034, both submitted at the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency (DCHA) and at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (ECS). It is unfortunate to be informed that you have withdrawn the first-mentioned Wob request and I will consider whether I will prepare a notice of objection.[…]
Read moreVoice for the Ocean – Lest we forget!
Article written by Annie Rickard, relative of commander Harrington Douty Edwards DSO, of HM Submarine E5, perished during the First World War above Schiermonnikoog on March 7, 1916. The article is published in a regional magazine, delivered free to households in the parish of Silverstone, United Kingdom. Silverstone News & Views – Issue 237 – October 2018 Genealogy is a fascinating hobby.
Read moreGermany collects the artefacts from World War I in Westerbroek
Wednesday September 12th, Germany has collected the artefacts that a dive team from Lauwersoog had taken from the wreck of the German cruiser the ‘Mainz’ which perished at Heligoland during the First World War. A conflict had arisen about the artefacts, because Germany believes the Dutch divers should have stayed away from the wreckage.
Read more‘Germany’ wants her military cannon back and drives from Dresden to Westerbroek and back again for it
A truck with artefacts from a warship drove from Westerbroek to a museum for military history in Dresden, on 12 September. These are items from the shipwreck of the Mainz. This ship sank during WWI at the Battle of Heligoland, a German island in the North Sea.
Read moreDebate House of Representatives about protection and preservation of heritage
On 11 September 2018 the debate about the protection and preservation of heritage took place in the House of Representatives.
Read moreGermany sends army truck to confiscate WWI items at Groningen dive team
A German army truck will soon stop at the door of Henk Bos to seize archaeological objects that dive team De Zeester took from a German WWI wreck.
Read moreWrecks in the Belgian part of the North Sea receive extra protection
Wrecks that have been lying on the bottom of the North Sea for over 100 years are now automatically recognized as heritage. That is what the Belgian government has decided.
Read moreThe last battle of torpedo boat V-187
War wrecks off the coast of Heligoland On 28 August 1914 four German warships sank in the North Sea in the battle against the British navy. Scavenger divers plunder the wrecks – something underwater archaeologists now want to prevent.
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