Recent Military Heritage

Maritime Military Heritage

Radial engine from a WWII B-17 Flying Fortress (Wessex Archaeology) Wrecks
Recent warships have been protected as Designated Historic Wrecks under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 such as the early aircraft carrier HMS Campania and the submarines Holland 5 and HMS A1. Furthermore, the Ministry of Defence has powers to protect vessels that were in military service when they were wrecked under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, while the Sunken Military Craft Act 2004 applies to all US warships and aircraft. In 2002, the MoD designated eleven military maritime graves as ‘controlled sites' including HMS Dasher, HMS Exmouth and HMS Formidable.

Vehicles
The remains of numerous military vehicles are known offshore: the remains of seven Vickers Valentine Tanks, for example, lie on the seabed in Poole Bay . These tanks were fitted with pneumatically powered canvas screens as an experiment in making them seaworthy and were trialled off Dorset from 1942. In addition, the remains of individual DUKW's, six-wheeled amphibious landing craft, have been periodically recorded on the seabed in the English Channel .

Aircraft
The English Channel and the North Sea were the focus of a significant proportion of air activities during the last war and accordingly, the remains of aircraft have been identified on the seabed. However, all aircraft that have crashed in military service are automatically protected as ‘controlled sites' under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

Structures and Artefacts
Elements of Mulberry Units have been recorded in the Selsey area, while isolated findspots offshore, such as shell cases identified on Lulworth Bank indicating the presence of a 1950s naval gunnery range, offer opportunities for further research.

Specific advice on submerged archaeological remains can be sought from the Maritime Archaeology team.