Quote: (Originally Posted by
Deep Blue Divers, Phuket)
[IMG]file:///C:/DOKUME%7E1/DBD/LOKALE%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG]Hi Mike,
Sorry, but there you totally wrong.
wrong about what? I never said the location was known - I asked if it was known as I recall seeing both wreck locations. what was unknown IIRC but it was a few years ago II looked into this was which wreck was which. The admiralty charts are often way off, inaccurate or plain wrong anyway as we have proved time and time again. I recall discussing the finding of the Vestel with my buddy Fred Evans who I believe ID the wreck with you several years ago?? Or are you trying to suggest I am wrong about the navy not wanting people taking the bells off their wrecks?? Just because they didnt in this case ask you to put it back, doesnt mean Im wrong about their position on the fact they dont want people taking stuff (even bells) off their wrecks, or that uk citizen can be arrested for doing so. They see it as grave robbing. Just check out the force z survivors website - you will read some venemous attacks on divers (incuding one against yours truly) 
Quote:
The position of the HMS Vestal was unknown until the day, we found the bell on this wreck south of Phuket.
Neither the British Royal Navy nor anybody else knew the sinking position. Until today, only Deep Blue Divers has the exact GPS coordinates for the Vestal.
Please don’t mix-up the HMS Vestal with the HMS Squirrel.
In the first email of the Royal Navy, they made their position very clear, and we respect their rules. But not at any time, they asked us to bring the bell back to the wreck.
If you wont, I will post the email of the British Royal Navy and our answer mail to you.
Then it becomes clear also for you that we have done the right thing.
Andreas
You did the right thing handing the bell over BUT you didnt do the right thing (In their eyes) by taking the bell (their property) off their wreck (their property and a war grave) in the first place. Thats my only point.
I too have nice thank you letters from navy thanking us for our 'cooperation' but that too doesnt change the fact they dont want anything taken off the wrecks. Just if it is they want us to cooperate in giving it (their property) back rather than keeping it. (as most divers would likely do I suspect)
Look Im not having a go, Ive got more brass in my house than you can wave a large stick at, much of it ripped off wrecks together with Fred, if you could see my hidden gallaries you would know my position on salvage - but that doesnt change the facts re navy positions on removal of artifacts from their war graves - MAJOR NO NO
Like I said you did the honourabe thing by handing it in - but thats a bit like breaking into someones house stealing their TV set then doing the honourabe thing by giving it back to them
In my dealings with navies they usually dont care so much as the survivors association about locations of wrecks (especially USN) and they have more than enough equipment to find and ID all their lost wrecks - the reason they dont is proof of ID comes at a cost to them to formery ID (ie dive themselves - see Lagarto), admin the wrecks and they really want them left alone in peace.