- Work is set to commence in September on dismantling the masts of the SS Richard Montgomery, a sunken shipwreck in the Thames Estuary laden with 1,400 tonnes of wartime explosives.
- The vessel, which sank in 1944 off the Kent coast, poses a significant risk due to its cargo, and experts believe reducing the masts' height to below sea level will alleviate pressure on the wreck's structure.
- The masts will be removed using a diamond wire saw and transported to Chatham’s Historic Dockyard in Kent for preservation and public display.
- Robin Rickard, who is providing strategic explosive ordnance advice to the Department for Transport (DfT), said that the munitions were originally “safe-to-transport”, but the masts are now likely to fail, necessitating their removal.
- The US government has supported efforts to keep the masts in the UK for public display, with the US ambassador to the UK backing the initiative.
IN FULL
Masts from Second World War shipwreck packed with explosives to be removed
