Quote: (Originally Posted by
Drmike)
Its always fun to find a bell or ID a lost ship, Ive been involved with a few discoveries myself - but lets be clear the Navies dont want you disturbing their wrecks and dont want you bringing the bells up.
What the Admiralty does or does not want, I would have thought, is of very much secondary importance. It is not they who have lost family members. Before Joerg and Andreas found the wrecks of the Vestal and the Squirrel nobody knew where either was. Until they found the bell, nobody knew which was the Vestal and which the Squirrel. If I had lost a close family member I would like to know at least where the wreck was: that would give some closure. If it had been me that had found it I would have kept the bell on my mantelpiece, but kudos to A&J for handing it over. As they point out, the Vestal has historical importance as the last British ship lost in the war. I would like to think that the bell will now be taken care of and put in a museum where people can see it and spare a thought for the people who died on it, and on all the ships like it.
Whatever, it's a cracking good wreck and Joerg & Andreas have a great operation that I would recommend to anyone.