SS Thistlegorm

[CRB]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Thistlegorm

I had never heard of this but came across an image on a classic bike site.

...and to beat some of the wisecrackers to the punch, 'Barn find. Rare. Needs some restoration' will be on eBlag soon.

 

[vince01]

I dove that wreck several years ago, the ship was loaded with various cargo, bikes, trucks etc etc, brilliant dive if anyone is contemplating going.

 

[ronan]

Isn't there a locomotive on the deck ? Some people will say the bottom of the sea is a good place for BSA M20's

 

[vince01]

Your quite correct, there is a small loco, it lies just off the wreck, as regards the BSAs, jack cousteau didnt think they were any good either, he and his dive team lifted one, to have a look see, and promptly threw it back overboard.

 

[Stueeee]

I've dived Thistlegorm several times since about 2000. It's a popular dive site as there is so much to see in and around the ship. On the more recent dives I was really disappointed that so much stuff (including parts from the row of motorbikes) had been taken. Thistlegorm sank with the loss of some crew as a result of being bombed in WW2, so is effectively a war grave which deserves more respect.

 

[ronan]

Don't understand why anyone would take anything off it, its been underwater for over 70 years, so any bikes, trucks, rifles etc are useless.

 

[vince01]

Its a shame to hear of the looting of the wreck, i can only assume its privateers of some description,
the charter we were on were very adamant, it was strictly look and dont take, and actually checked stab jacket pockets, and as you say, there were fatalities, and i quite agree, the wreck should be treated as a war grave. But as we both know too well, divers, very often prefer a memento to a log book endorsement or a photograph.

 

[julianthegypsy]

Lets be honest, with a name like Thistlegorm it was never going to end well, was it?!