Masts from SS Richard Montgomery shipwreck packed with explosives to be removed
Work to remove the masts of the SS Richard Montgomery, a sunken shipwreck in the Thames Estuary loaded with 1,400 tonnes of wartime explosives, is scheduled to begin in September.
The ship, which sank approximately 1.5 miles off the Kent coast in 1944, poses a significant risk due to the volatile cargo it contains.
According to the government, experts believe that lowering the height of the three masts below sea level will relieve the pressure on the structure of the wreck, thus reducing the danger of heavy objects hitting the munitions below.
Once removed, the masts will be transported to Chatham’s Historic Dockyard in Kent, where they will be sent for preservation and public display.
Speaking near the wreck site, shipping minister Keir Mather said: “These have been part of the maritime history of places like Sheerness for decades.
“And we want to make sure that this continues for decades to come.”
Mr Mather said that after the conservation work, teams working on the poles “will be able to decide where they are best placed so that local communities can access them”.
Robin Rickard, who provides strategic explosive ordnance advice to the Department for Transport (DfT), said the job of removing the masts would require a lifting barge – a floating platform on long legs “firmly fixed to the seabed so it won’t move”.
He added: “We will put a lifting barge alongside it, both stern and forward, and then use a diamond wire saw to cut and free the masts.”
Mr Rickard said the SS Richard Montgomery (or ‘Monty’) was carrying “ammunition safe to carry” during her ill-fated voyage from the US to Great Britain.
“So they were not armed or fused, especially during transportation,” he added.
“So I’m not surprised that they’ve been in wet storage for 82 years and nothing has happened, which is good news.
“The reason we are doing something about this now is that the masts are in a window where there is a possibility of failure and the Department for Transport has taken every reasonable step to reduce the danger of the mast falling on an explosive cargo.”
Paul Barnard, vice-chairman of the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, said: “Today it really serves as a lasting reminder of the Second World War, the role played not only by Navy allied forces but also by support-class ships.”
He said the masts rising above the water’s surface were “a really important part of the ship and an important part of the story.”
DfT teams had to meet with their counterparts in Washington to ensure the ship’s masts remained in the UK.
US Ambassador to the UK Warren Stephens last month wrote to Labor MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, Kevin McKenna, saying he supported efforts to display the masts.
“I am pleased to share that our Department for Transport welcomes your efforts to honor the memory and publicly display masts across the UK so that they can continue to be appreciated by your constituents,” he wrote.
Mr Mather said: “This demonstrates the depth of the partnership between our two nations, from the Second World War to the present day.”
The minister added that “an exclusion zone will remain in place for as long as it is needed” around the ship, but that “the wreck is stable”.
Nolan Conway, project manager for Resolve Marine, which was contracted to reduce the height of the masts, said: “Building on our extensive experience in complex marine operations, we are committed to carrying out this work safely, efficiently and in close collaboration with all stakeholders.
“This historic project represents a significant milestone in the ongoing management of one of the UK’s most closely monitored debris fields.”
