The importance of marine salvage during armed conflict has been
vastly underestimated since becoming a vital Naval arm during the First World
War. Between 1915 and 1918 the Admiralty Salvage Section saved nearly 400
merchant vessels, desperately needed to bring food and war materials into
Britain. During the Second World War,
some two million tons of shipping was successfully recovered. From D-Day onwards
Admiralty salvage men cleared many stricken craft from the Normandy beaches alone,
often under heavy shellfire. Then, as the Germans retreated back across Europe,
salvage teams undertook vital port clearance duties, greatly aiding the Allied
advance on Germany. During the Suez Crisis,
Falklands Conflict and even the last Gulf War the same story can be told. And
their peacetime operations have also been important. In 1954 for instance, under
the direction of Earl Mountbatten of Burma, wreckage from a de Havilland
Comet airliner was recovered from a record-breaking depth of more than 600 ft.
and helped lead to the discovery of metal fatigue. Drawing on a wealth of
official documents, Admiralty Salvage is the first book to explore in depth the
courage, personal sacrifice and invaluable contribution these forgotten heroes
have made during both peace and war.
Available July 2012
