Unfortunately, at least as far as shipping is concerned, Abu Nuhas lies right at the very edge of the busy shipping lane called the Straits of Gobal. This is the southernmost end of the Gulf of Suez - where the north west Red Sea begins to narrow. Even today, these are hazardous waters - imagine how treacherous they must have been at night without any form of warning light.

The Peninsula & Oriental Passenger Steamer "Carnatic" was built by Samuda Bros of London and technically described as an "iron framed planked passenger steamer of 1776 tons." Her dimensions were 294.7' x 38.1' x 25.4' and in addition to her square-rigged sails, she was powered by a single 4 cylinder compound inverted engine producing a very handsome 2,442 HP - also built in London, by Messrs Humphrys and Tennant.

The Carnatic was launched in December 1862 and, after successful sea trials, was registered by P & O (though that abbreviation was not used in those days) in the March of 1863 before sailing for Calcutta on June 27th. For most of her working life, P & O employed the vessel between Suez, Bombay and China and latterly she had been the proud command of Captain P. B. Jones - one of the ablest officers of the company.

The story begins in August 1869 when the Steamer "Venetian" sailed from Liverpool for Alexandria with a cargo bound for Bombay. Shortly afterwards the "Pera" sailed from London with passengers for the same destination. This was at a time when the Suez Canal was nearing completion and due to be opened within three months. Even at this late stage, however, few could imagine how such a new "seaway" would change the shape of world trade forever. Up until now, ships had unloaded passengers and cargo at Alexandria from where they would be moved by land to Suez - over 200 miles away, before joining another vessel and resuming the journey. In this way, the longer and more perilous route around the Cape of Good Hope was avoided.

The passengers on board the Pera had enjoyed an uneventful crossing to Gibraltar and a similarly quiet journey taking in almost the entire length of the Mediterranean before their ship grounded off Alexandria - where they remained for three hours until floating off with the tide. Despite this minor mishap, they were, nevertheless mostly at ease and looking forward to joining the more opulent "Carnatic" - the pride of the P & O fleet. The long trek to Suez was a frightful journey in the most oppressive of conditions - but there really was no alternative and everyone knew they would soon be enjoying cool evening sea breezes once again. In the meantime, the Masters of both the Pera and Venetian had played their part and were already heading back to England.

Progress overland was always slow, so it was not until the second week of September that Captain Jones was able to supervise the arrival and stowage of both passengers and cargo. He exercised great care - some of that cargo was very valuable and he had to make sure every single item was accounted for and thoroughly checked. Finally, he was able to confirm a total of 230 passengers and crew in addition to a cargo of cotton bales, copper sheeting, Royal Mail, and £40,000 specie - as bullion was called in those days.

Finally, on the morning of Sunday 12th September 1869, Captain Jones ordered the mooring lines slipped and set sail for what would be his last voyage in Command. The ship was heading for Bombay and, in the seven years since her launch, both she and her Master had become veterans of the London-India route.

The Carnatic was a sleek vessel with proud lines and, unlike many of the hybrid "sail and steam" ships of the period, this vessel responded well to either form of power - thus giving her a definite advantage when other ships were becalmed. Captain Jones personally negotiated the long narrow confines of the hazardous Gulf of Suez and remained on the bridge to give his personal attention to every detail of navigating his vessel safely.

This demanded many hours of relentless concentration until, at long last, the Sinai began to fall away to the east and the Egyptian mainland even further away to the west, as the Carnatic got ever nearer to the wider and safer shipping lanes of the open Red Sea. Satisfied with his work, Captain Jones finally handed over control to the Officer of the Watch and retired to his cabin.

At 1 am on September 13th the Carnatic struck Sha'b Abu Nuhas Reef and within moments of being rudely awoken, the Captain was back on the bridge to take control. Not a man to overreact, he was most thorough in checking every single aspect of the ship's condition. As the various reports were received, he became quite satisfied that the pumps could handle the amount of water being taken on and that passengers and crew were as safe as could be expected. He decided, therefore, that everyone would all remain on board.

At daybreak Captain Jones assessed the situation once again. The Carnatic was stuck fast on a Coral Reef - some 3 miles from Shadwan Island. Damage assessment was being regularly monitored and, though the ship was certainly leaking, she was still in pretty good shape and the pumps were coping. To help matters, Jones ordered a large proportion of the cotton dumped overboard in a bid to lighten the vessel in the forlorn hope that she would simply float off the Reef with the tide. Whilst there was no panic amongst the passengers, some did make it known that they wanted to take to the lifeboats and head for the comparative safety of Shadwan island. Captain Jones, however, would hear none of it and insisted that life continued much as before on the stricken vessel.

At first sight, this may appear to have been foolhardy but Jones was well aware of the dangers involved in moving 230 people three miles to a remote island in small boats and of the deprivations they would suffer until rescued. For the moment at least, his vessel was relatively sound, they had power and could still enjoy all considerable comfort. He also knew that the P & O Liner - Sumatra, was due to pass by at any time, inbound for Suez and he fully expected to be rescued later that day.

Meals were served, people strolled the decks and, up aloft, a constant lookout was kept for the expected ship. In the event, however, the Sumatra did not appear and, as evening fell, a deputation of passengers approached the Captain once again with a plea to be allowed to reach Shadwan Island by lifeboat - and once again he refused. Totally underestimating the power of a Coral Reef to inflict damage on a steel-hulled vessel, Captain Jones made the fatal decision to spend another night on board. Accepting both his wisdom and his authority, some of the passengers even dressed for dinner and the waiters served drinks before they all enjoyed a sumptuous evening meal. For some, it would be their last.

As the Carnatic pivoted on top of the Coral head that held her so firmly in place, the leaks were clearly getting worse. Whilst these continued to be carefully checked, what went undetected was the slow, irreversible process that was weakening the keel itself as it steadily rocked to and fro in the gentle sea. By now it was only a matter of time.

As darkness fell, the level of water within the ship finally engulfed the boilers and with that the engines died. Suddenly they were without power and light. Now even more passengers wanted to leave - but still the Captain placed his faith in the timely arrival of the Sumatra. It was not until the morning of the 14th September - by which time the sea state had also begun to increase, that the Captain finally realised his ship was lost. He ordered the lifeboats be made ready - but only ready, and still refused to give the order to "abandon ship."

With everyone on board clutching a small package of personal belongings and ready to "take to the boats" just as soon as the order was given, there was an eerie atmosphere as passengers and crew stared at the one man able to decide their fate. Finally, he issued the long-overdue order - but when it came, it was already too late for some.

In the time-honoured traditions of women and children first, the only three ladies and one child had barely taken their seats in one of the small clinker-built lifeboats when the Carnatic suddenly and without warning split in two. Thirty three hours on top of a Coral outcrop had proved too much for the gallant little ship and, with her back broken, she literally snapped in two with the aft section falling immediately below the surface and taking with it 26 passengers and crew.

Instantly, much lighter, the fore section fell over onto its port side as it also began to slip off the Reef - spilling almost everyone into the sea as it did so. Then, just as these remaining passengers and crew were fighting for their very lives amongst masts and spars and all manner of debris - in their individual bids to survive, they were engulfed by the returning wave caused by the sinking stern. If ever there was a call for "all hands" this was it and, as the freed lifeboats floated off, there were many instances of bravery and brute strength as passengers and crew forgot their respective positions and worked together for the common purpose of saving each other.

One by one the survivors were firstly hauled to safety and then taken to a rallying point where the other lifeboats had been placed together in the shallow waters above the Reef. Then it was a matter of collecting anything might be needed and, with a final scan for survivors, it was time to leave.

Shadwan Island, however, was not only three miles away - it was three miles to the south of Abu Nuhas Reef and, to shorten the journey considerably, each of the seven lifeboats was hauled across the shallow waters above the Reef by the men taking it in turns - until, finally, this small, pitiful flotilla was able to row the remaining distance. It was the longest three miles that any of them had ever travelled and it was already after sunset when they arrived. Once again, they had to negotiate yet more Coral Reefs - but this time they did so quite safely.

"Rescue" was their only thought - but in the meantime they had to survive and here they were rather fortunate. Many of the bales of cotton were now washed up on Shadwan and, being so tightly packed, were still very dry inside. The Cotton was actually calico - like a form of course muslin. Being a "material" it immediately provided rudimentary clothing and warmth during the cold night ahead. In fact, there was so much that it even provided bedding for the ladies.

More importantly, however, a large amount was immediately carried to the highest point on the island and set alight. By now, they all knew the Sumatra could not be far away and, at last, they were right. Just as soon as the ship was sighted, the only signal rocket in their possession was also fired. The Sumatra - very similar in size and appearance to the Carnatic, hove to and sent out two boats to investigate. By now, however, it was 9 pm and all agreed it was far too dangerous to negotiate Coral Reefs for a second time that night. It was not until the following morning, therefore, that all survivors were safely on board and the Sumatra was able to complete her interrupted journey to Suez.

One survivor later wrote, "I cannot overrate the kindness and attention shown to us by all on board the Sumatra, and, in truth, we sorely needed help. Of all the baggage in the Carnatic, one small dressing-bag alone had been saved. We displayed our whole property on our persons; and, as we were all nearly alike, I may state, for example, that my costume consisted of a pair of tattered trousers, a shirt, and fifteen yards of Manchester calico gracefully wreathed round my temples."

It was not the practise of P & O to insure their vessels against loss but to cover such eventualities from a special "reserve" fund. Thus, this particular "Carnatic" is not found in Lloyd's Register of Shipping - though there are others of the same name. This ship, however, had been the pride of the Peninsular & Oriental Steamship Company fleet and her loss plunged them into serious financial difficulties with their shares dropping sharply and then falling again as new survivors' accounts were published. In the meantime, Captain Jones had been recalled to England to face an official Board of Enquiry.

Recovering the Treasure
The cargo, however, was insured and being of such great value (the equivalent of several million pounds by today's standards), Lloyd's immediately dispatched Captain Henry Grant to take charge of a salvage operation. On arrival in Suez - and with only one Diver available to him, Grant was informed that the Carnatic had sunk in over 40 fathoms (over 70m!) and later admitted he almost turned back. Having come this far, however, he decided the least he could do - was take a look. He arrived at the scene on 29th September and, chasing away some local Arab boats, was heartened to find the Carnatic in quite shallow water at the bottom of a Reef with some of her features still visible above the surface.

Working from the Egyptian vessel "Tor," Grant's one and only Diver was Stephen Saffrey from Whitstable (a name still common in that town) but, adverse weather conditions delayed his first descent until 15th October. Grant had been informed that, in readiness for an "orderly" evacuation, Captain Jones had ordered the specie moved to the Mail Room and this is where the search began. A body was recovered, mail bags were sent to the surface and pocket watches removed from the safe, but no gold.

Next to the "Mail" Room, was a "Post Office" but this necessitated the removal of a large internal bulkhead which separated the two. Working for long hours on his own, this task took Saffrey several days. Finally, he was through and, on the 24th recovered another 16 mail bags - just in time for them to be handed to a passing steamer and resume their own journey to Bombay. The first box of bullion was then brought to the surface on the 26th and this was followed by a steady stream of heavy boxes until the task was completed on November 8th. In the meantime, local Bedouin free Divers had recovered over 700 sheets of fine-grade copper that was still destined for India's Mint.

Official reports record that the entire cargo of "specie" was in fact recovered and, having been found in a very secure and undisturbed part of the ship, no other outcome was ever likely. That said, we all enjoy stories of "missing treasure" and the Carnatic has spawned one or two of its own such tales over the years. Today, however, the real treasure is found the vessel's beautiful lines - still a magnificent sight, even after almost 130 years underwater.

Diving the Carnatic
It seems that the Carnatic was a long-forgotten part of Egypt's maritime heritage until Divers, searching for a much later shipwreck happened upon her remains. It was then the subsequent research which revealed this tragic, yet fascinating story from another age of shipping and another age of Diving. Many accounts, however, still describe the wreck as being in two separate halves - but then she did break in two with each "half" sinking separately. Visiting the wreck, however, will reveal what must be one of the most incredible postscripts to any shipwreck story - because, today, the two halves of the Carnatic have fallen to the seabed just as they might have done had they gone down as one piece.

I was visiting the Red Sea as a guest of Diving World and spending a week on board their luxurious live-aboard Diving boat "Miss Nouran." Our Dive Guide was that very popular Instructor Ali Baba from whom I learned a great deal. He explained that, with prevailing winds being generally from the north, our Skipper - Captain Mohammed Hassan would carefully lay out two anchors onto the sand and allow the wind the push the boat gently back towards the Reef - thus presenting the dive platform right above the wreck and avoiding any contact whatsoever with the Corals. I became very impressed with the way in which these two experts worked together and took great pride in getting each separate set of circumstances down to a fine art - but then they regard both the corals and the wrecks as far too important to damage!

The Carnatic lies parallel with the base of Abu Nuhas Reef. She is on her port side with the bows facing east and the stern west. Bearing in mind the manner of her sinking, there are three distinct elements to this dive - with the fore and aft sections still largely intact and these being joined together by the very badly damaged area - where the ship broke and, once, the engine room was found.

Depending on the tide, it is a fairly constant 25-27m to the seabed and 18-20m to the upper (starboard) side throughout the dive. The wooden superstructure and planking have all long-since rotted away - though many fragments of planking are still found attached to the iron framework. This leaves a steel hull held together by iron cross-members and, with the decking gone, this allows the Diver to explore both the external features and two deck levels within the wreck itself.

At the Bows there is a large copper ring that once held the bowsprit in place and just in front of this is the ship's leading curved metal bowsprit support - underneath which was once found the figurehead. Swimming slightly away from the Bows and looking back, it is easy to see the Carnatic's fine, sleek lines - even today.

From the Bows, the ship gently widens to the main body where, on both sides, lifeboat davits are found - still swung out. These are, however, usually missed by Divers because the preferred route from stem to stern is to enter the vessel and swim between the first two levels of iron framework - a fascinating close-encounter with something built in 1862! We even found a small brass porthole, though I must confess that I covered it with debris so that it would remain in situ for a little while longer - all the others having been removed.

Emerging from this forward section the Diver will then encounter the most severely damaged part of the wreck. Although this is now nothing more than a pile of scrap metal, it does, nevertheless, still provide plenty of scope for exploration and investigation - after all, the "4 cylinder compound inverted engine" is still in there - somewhere.

For many, however, the stern remains the most exciting and interesting part of the entire experience. Within the ship, this section is very similar to the Bows - and once again the Diver is able to swim in between the framework of two deck levels. Deep in the hold I was surprised to find some very old barrels and I could not help but wonder what it was they once contained that has proved to be such a fine "wood preservative" - Brandy? To see the very best aspect of the entire vessel, however, the Diver must come out of the wreck - where, once again, lifeboat davits are found on both sides, and swim right around the stern.

My first reaction on seeing this finely moulded stern, with it's single row of seven square windows, was that it was reminiscent of Nelson's day - and that is not a bad comparison. In many ways it is easy to see how traditional styles - evolved over so many years of building wooden ships, had now been adapted into steel. Below the windows, the gracefully rounded stern curves inwards and down towards a magnificent rudder revealing the one feature that certainly was not found in that previous era - namely, the large three-bladed propeller resting on the sand.

After such a long time underwater, it is fairly safe to assume that the Carnatic is likely to remain pretty much as she is for the foreseeable future. She is well colonised by coral, soft corals and her own indigenous population of Vanikoro Sweepers and is probably one of the finest examples of her time to be found anywhere in the world - and well worth the visit.

Should you do so, however, spare but a thought for those who lost their lives.

Postscript
Philip Buton Jones was born in Liverpool in 1830 and gained his Master's Certificate in London in 1858 - at the relatively early age of 28 years. His previous Commands included the Columbian, Mongolia, Surat and Syria during which time he was assessed as one of the ablest Master Mariner's afloat. Consequently, he was duly assigned to the Carnatic in 1867. After the loss of the Carnatic, however, he was adjudged to have been negligent in not evacuating the ship in good time and his certificate was suspended for 9 months from 29 Nov 1869. Captain Jones never did return to the sea.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Travel: Ned Middleton travelled with Diving World, For more details contact:

Diving World
Bank Chambers
6 Borough High Street
LONDON SE1 9QQ.
Tel: 020 7407 0019
Fax: 020 7378 1108

Dive Suits: The water temperature in the Egyptian north Red Sea is cooler than most people realise - as low as 16-18°C in winter. A full wetsuit is always best - though many prefer dry suits.

Misc: Bring all your own film, batteries, toiletries and medicines - local stocks can be limited with some items being old and out of date.

Electricity: 220 volts AC with the Continental two-pin system is found in the Hotels but do check the power supply on your Boat.

Currency: Local Currency is the Egyptian Pound (E£). Although exchange rates fluctuate, a good approximation is E£ 5o6 to UK £1. Sterling, DM and US $ are all widely accepted.

Language: The official language is Arabic with English being widely spoken.

Time: GMT + 2 Hrs.

A Masterpiece Amongst Shipwrecks

Ecologically, the Red Sea is a magnificent underwater Marine Park of such unique diversity of flora and fauna that it will always remain one of the Underwater Wonders of the World in it's own right. Had there been no shipwrecks, it would still attract visitors - just as the Great Barrier Reef does in Australia or the Belize Barrier Reef does in the Caribbean, though, it must be said that today's Diver is far too demanding to settle for Corals and Fishes and as soon as he (or she!) had earned that T shirt which proclaims "Red Sea - Been there - Dived that" it would be time for something different the following year.

It is an undeniable fact, therefore, that it is the incredible ship's graveyard which attracts Scuba Diving Tourists back to the Red Sea, especially the Egyptian Red Sea, year after year - as though the Divers were made of metal and the ships a veritable magnetic force.

The Gulf of Suez is that narrow strip of water to the north-west of the Red Sea which leads to the Suez Canal and was already a major seaway long before that famous man-made connection with the Mediterranean was ever opened. Time was, when passengers and freight were unloaded at Alexandria and moved overland to Suez before joining a new ship and resuming the journey. Today, of course, they sail right through but, whichever direction they take, it has always been the Gulf of Suez which remains the most treacherous stretch of water of the entire journey.

Today the Red Sea is a highway for many thousands of Freighters, Tankers and even Liners - all using the Suez Canal as they make their way between the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Although this route is much shorter and safer than the 1200 mile alternative round the Cape of Good Hope, they still have to successfully navigate unpredictable currents and shallow Coral Reefs - all of which combine to make the Red Sea one of the most testing stretches of water in the world.

Many have come to grief and today there are ancient shipwrecks and modern - with some that are neither, such as the Carnatic lost in 1869 with the loss of 26 lives, the Dunraven in 1876 and the Ulysses in 1887 - each representing a fascinating insight into tragic and incredible stories from another age of transport and, in the case of the Carnatic, another age of Diving. Then there are the WW2 casualties such as the Thistlegorm and the newly re-discovered Rosalie Moller - to name but two and both lost within 48 hours of each other in 1941. Finally, there is that new breed of "modern" shipwreck such as the Kimon M (1978), the Chrisoula K (1981) and the Giannis D (1983).

With so much to offer - in addition to a welcoming climate, it is easy to understand why this relatively small section of the Red Sea has become so popular with Divers to the extent that the Egyptian north Red Sea is probably the most outstanding centre for Scuba Diving in the world.

Of all the shipwrecks in the entire Red Sea, one vessel sits mast and funnel above all others and that ship is, of course, the SS Thistlegorm. Such is the pulling power of this single shipwreck that she attracts more Divers than any other underwater site - anywhere in the entire world. In fact, the Thistlegorm has consistently remained "The World's Foremost Diving Attraction" ever since she was re-discovered in the early nineties. After my own very first visit to this vessel, I found myself calling her "The Mighty Thistlegorm!"

The Ship

The Thistlegorm was built by Joseph Thompson & Sons of Sunderland and launched in June 1940. She was 126.5m (415 feet) in length and displaced 4,898 gross tonnes. Powered by a triple-expansion, 3 cylinder steam engine that generated a very comfortable 365 horsepower. She was one of a number of "Thistle" ships owned and operated by the Albyn Line. With her construction being part funded by the British Government, however, she was destined for "War" duties from the moment she was launched.

Unfortunately, apart from the official photograph of her launching, there appears to be no pictures of the Thistlegorm from her days afloat.

In the official history of the Albyn Line, a Mr Harry Bansall recalls his own experiences on the ship. Being well connected within the Company, he had asked to go to sea and was soon offered a berth as fifth engineer in the brand new ship at the age of just 18.
Despite her designation as an "Armed Freighter" with an additional armoured Gun Deck built over the aft section, an overall shortage of weapons, meant that only an old 4·7" gun and a heavy calibre machine gun - both of WW1 vintage, were all that could be spared for the Thistlegorm. Her maiden voyage was to the USA to collect steel rails and aircraft and her second voyage was to South America for grain. It was during this journey that the Captain decided on some mid-ocean gunnery practise.

The traversing mechanism of the 4·7" gun was badly worn and had been replaced with a manual mechanism which meant that a second person had to push the barrel around by hand as it was being fired! After the first shot, the second round jammed in the breech. Such misfires are always dangerous - because an attempt to fire the round has been made and it can, therefore, now explode at any time. A long rope was, therefore tied to the firing mechanism and this led away to a shelter behind the aft mast house. The resultant flash engulfed the entire stern of the ship - with the projectile managing a whole 50m before dropping into the sea. Thus ended all gunnery practise.

The Thistlegorm's third voyage was to the West Indies from where she returned with sugar and rum. This, however, culminated in a return to the Clyde where she was laid up for two months for repairs to her boilers before being assigned her final cargo.

The Final Journey

By May 1941, the Thistlegorm was in her home port of Glasgow being loaded with supplies essential for the British 8th Army and the relief of Tobruk. Though described on the manifest as "MT" (Motor Transport), this - probably deliberate, non-description hid a wide array of Land Mines, Shells, Ammunition, Weapons, Bedford Trucks, Armoured Cars, Bren-Carriers, BSA Motorcycles, Trailers, Vehicle spares, Aircraft and Aircraft parts, Radios, Rubber thigh-boots - and a great deal more besides.

To save cargo space, the Motorcycles were placed onto the back of the Bedford trucks - three at a time before loading. Finally, being a commercial company, the Albyn Line were also taking the opportunity to deliver two sets of rolling stock to Egyptian Railways - each comprising an 0-6-0 Railway Engine, one Tender and one Water Carrier - all six items being carried as deck cargo.

Because of her classification as an "Armed Freighter" the Skipper - Captain William Ellis, had an additional team of nine Royal Navy personnel on board to man these guns. Thus it was that on 2nd June 1941 Captain Ellis ordered the mooring lines slipped before easing his ship out of Glasgow - a port that neither the ship nor nine of those on board would ever see again.

Sailing independently down the west coast of the British Mainland, the Thistlegorm made good time to her secret rendezvous off the south coast of England. Here she joined a large convoy and, being Armed, was assigned a prominent position - towards the leading edge, by the Convoy Commodore.

With Axis Forces occupying almost all of the northern Mediterranean coastline - and Malta under constant siege, the safest route to Alexandria was via South Africa. This was a lengthy detour - although the journey was, nevertheless, uneventful. After refuelling in Capetown - where they were joined by the Light Cruiser HMS Carlisle - a Light Cruiser of 4,190 tons, the Convoy proceeded up the east coast of Africa before finally entering the Red Sea.

By the time they arrived at the entrance to the Gulf of Suez it was the third week in September and the Thistlegorm was immediately assigned to "Safe Anchorage F" to await further instructions. The Master let out the starboard anchor and some 250m of chain and allowed the gentle current to push the vessel back until he was satisfied that all was well. This was "good holding ground" and, at long last, the main engines were closed down. All they could do now was wait for clearance to proceed through the Suez Canal to Alexandria.

These were difficult times and getting through the Canal was dependent on several factors. Enemy activity over the Canal - especially air raids from German aircraft based in Crete, cargo priority and how long other vessels had been waiting, all had to be taken into consideration. At this time, however, two vessels had collided further up the Gulf of Suez and were virtually blocking the entire entrance to the Canal - an event that led to the "Thistlegorm" - with her much needed and valuable cargo, remaining at anchor for a full two weeks.

Up until now these "Safe Anchorages" - each with it's own letter of the alphabet, were regarded as exactly that, Safe! There were no enemy ships and enemy aircraft rarely ventured this far south. This was, however, all about to change when German Intelligence received information that a large troopship (possibly the Queen Mary) was due to travel through the Suez Canal with 1200 reinforcement British Troops destined for North Africa.

Having mastered the relatively new skill of night flying, Heinkel He 111's from II/Kg26 (No 2 Squadron 26th Kamp Geswader) based in Crete were alerted to the possible presence of such a large vessel. Their task was to seek and destroy. At 2250 hours on 5th October 1941 two twin-engine Heinkels crossed the north Egyptian coast heading southeast in search of this prize.

Aided by a clear moonlit night, they searched in vain for the big ship until fuel levels became critical. Then, just as they were on the point of returning home "empty handed," one of the pilots spotted a ship at anchor. Turning away in order to put his aircraft in the best possible position for an attack, the pilot turned again as he continued to lose altitude. He came in low over the sea and, as he approached the bows of the Thistlegorm, he released two bombs right above her.

Both bombs penetrated No 5 hold - aft of the bridge, detonating a great deal of ammunition and the resultant explosion sent the two locomotives spiralling into the air as the ship was ripped open like a huge tin can. Even to this day, the rear decks are peeled back towards the Bridge leaving many a Diver wondering what exactly he is looking at. Some contemporary accounts have even described this as "Armour Plating!"

The vessel began to sink and the crew quickly abandoned ship - with hardly any time to launch the lifeboats, most of them leapt straight into the sea. One injured man, however, was trapped on the blazing deck and desperately needed help. Crewman Angus McLeay wrapped some rags around his bare feet and ran across the hot steel plates and rescued him - an action for which the 30 year old McLeay from Stornoway was awarded the George Medal and Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea.

Caught unawares, the Thistlegorm had been given no time to defend herself and badly damaged, she quickly sank - the event was timed at 0130 hrs 6th October 1941. Captain Ellis and the other survivors were rescued by HMS Carlisle and then taken to Port Tewfik where he reported that four members of his crew of 39 and five of the 9 Royal Navy ratings had all lost their lives. Such was the part played by Captain Ellis in the evacuation of his ship and the saving of so many lives, he was subsequently awarded the OBE - for "Services to the War Effort" by King George VI.

The spectacular loss of the Thistlegorm, however, had lit up the night sky - revealing more vessels at anchor to the retreating German aircraft. From that moment on, those hitherto "Safe" anchorages would never be quite as safe again.

The Ship Today

For many years, British vessels passing the site where the Thistlegorm went down would dip their flags as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives. The ship itself, however, remained undisturbed until the early fifties when Jacques Cousteau discovered her. He raised several items from the wreck - including one of the motorcycles, the Captain's safe and the ship's bell. Indeed the February 1956 edition of "National Geographic" clearly shows the ship's bell still in place and his Divers in the ship's "Lantern Room" - all of which were also still in place at that time - but not, apparently, when the vessel was rediscovered by modern Scuba Divers.

Cousteau later published a book although, deliberately or otherwise, it contained wrong co-ordinates and, once again, the Thistlegorm passed into obscurity. All that changed in the early nineties when a group of divers happened upon her by chance. In so doing, they had re-discovered one of the greatest shipwrecks of all time.

What makes this ship so extra-special is a combination of several factors. To begin with, despite extensive damage aft of the Bridge, the main section is upright and on an even keel. Then, there is the story of her passing, with all it's ingredients of War, Heroism and Tragedy - something that can never be recreated for any vessel deliberately sunk. Lest we forget, even the Titanic would have passed into obscurity were it not for the manner of her sinking! Then, prevailing conditions and accessibility all come into play - and the Red Sea is hardly bleak and wind-swept. An acceptable climate and relatively warm waters, therefore, come into the equation which also includes very good underwater visibility and a maximum depth of just 32 metres.

What more could be asked of any shipwreck you might ask - and the word "Cargo" springs to mind. In the case of the Thistlegorm, that cargo is a veritable underwater "World War II Museum."

Diving the Thistlegorm

In December 1998 I was visiting the Red Sea for the very first time and, with a most successful indoctrination into the delights of some outstanding aspects already behind me, I found myself contemplating my very visit to the Thistlegorm. For me, this was a very long-overdue visit and, I have to say that, as I entered the water, I was wondering whether or not any shipwreck could live up to the hype - both good and bad, which had gone before.

Then as now, I was visiting the Red Sea as a guest of Diving World and spending a week on board their luxurious live-aboard Diving boat "Miss Nouran" - an excellent live-aboard by any standards. Easy to say I know - but, believe me, I saw much of the competition over those two visits and, well, you don't want to know about some of those - much less Dive with them! Our Guide on the first trip was that well known character Ali Baba - a man who has been deaf since birth but, who can lip-read in five languages. Ali Baba was an exceptionally fine Diving Guide and Instructor with a great sense of humour and, in a world where other Diving Boats can often make things chaotic for the novice, his one outstanding quality is that he cares!

Our Guide on the second occasion was Geof Loe - an ex-Marine who has previously spent 15 years at sea in another career. During the past year, however, he and his delightful wife Trudy have made Diving their new way of life and I was now very impressed by his approach and overall knowledge. On both occasions however, Both Ali Baba and Geof explained the difficulties associated with mooring above the Thistlegorm. The first person into the water is always the Dive Guide and they took a chain loop attached to a stout rope all the way down to the anchor chains at the Bows while the Skipper kept "way" on the boat to make the task easier.

Once we were secure, the engines were switched off and, my Diving Partner and I always tried to be first in. We followed the rope halfway down before crossing to the Bridge just as soon as it came into view. Dropping down in front of the Bridge we suddenly saw those three WW2 vehicles on the starboard side of No 2 Hold - exactly as depicted in some of the many accounts I had studied.

Below these we found another level with sufficient room to swim into the hold, over the tops of many more vehicles still parked as though, even now, they were waiting to be unloaded. Behind each cab, we found three motorcycles - stowed in this fashion purely for the sea passage. With the powerful lights from twin strobes illuminating this incredible scene, it suddenly became all too obvious why so many "downbeat" articles have also been written about this single shipwreck.

The motorcycles have been pushed over by Divers searching for something to remove and keep. The badges, pedals, twist grips and tool kits are all gone. As for the lorries and trucks, there are only a few steering wheels left - but that is not all. In order to get at those steering wheels or, in some cases a souvenir from the engine, Divers have smashed their way in through the roof or bonnet of each vehicle - thus maximising the damage caused in search of their wretched trophy.

So much for the cargo - what about the ship's brass fittings, I thought, and of course these too were all long-gone. I could not help but wonder how many visiting "tourist" Divers will have had either the time or the equipment to remove anything of significance - telegraphs, portholes etc.

Perhaps those writers who have had the audacity to publish photographs of these stolen goods have the answer... Strong words I know, but the SS Thistlegorm is an unofficial War Grave and whilst the Ministry of Defence would never seek to prevent Scuba Divers from visiting the ship - and never have!, they do regard all items taken from her as simple theft!

But worse was to come with the discovery that the greatest damage of all, occurs each and every day and is caused by the Diving Boats themselves. Anything up to 20 Boats might be moored over the Thistlegorm at any one time. The first to arrive generally tie up to the shallower reaches of the wreck such as the Bridge - and the shallower the better for the Dive Guide who has to retrieve the mooring line at the end of the day. Then, when there is no more space, the Boats tie to each other.

Some of the larger boats weigh several tons, so it is easy to see how the combined force of such a fleet - all pulling together as they take a single wave, is able to exert pressures that no ship's superstructure was ever designed to withstand. In 1998 large sections of the Thistlegorm's Bridge were to be found on the seabed off the starboard side, whereas another, even larger section, was found hanging down and swaying precariously on the port side.

When I returned in 1999 the Bridge section was even shorter and the large portion hanging down the side of the wreck had finally fallen to the seabed below. Even as our own craft lie quietly tugging at her mooring line, another vessel came upon us so suddenly that, for a brief moment she was wedged between ourselves and an adjacent boat. Seeing that she had been slightly damaged by the mild impact, I hailed the "skipper" and drew his attention to the existence of a sharp protrusion hanging menacingly under their Diving Platform. He really was not that fussed!

It remains the supreme irony, therefore, that the World's foremost Scuba Diving attraction is literally being pulled apart by the very Diving Boats who are dependent on her for their livelihood!

Looking back to that day in 1998, I must confess that - before I got into the water, I had wondered why Ali Baba had taken that little extra time to take our line down as far as the ship's anchor chains. Suddenly, it was rather obvious - he insisted on using one of the Thistlegorm's strong points. In 1999 Geof Loe insisted on doing exactly the same and, for me at least, this says an awful lot about Diving World!

Despite the manner of her sinking and the ongoing destruction, the Thistlegorm is still in a remarkable condition. The front two thirds or so remain largely intact and sit upright on a sandy seabed at a maximum depth of 32 metres. The starboard anchor is deployed, some railings are still in place and all the winch houses, winches, blocks, windlasses and other paraphernalia are there to be found. Working our way from Bows to Stern, the Diver drops down from the forecastle to the main deck and is immediately confronted by two 4-wheeled railway water carriers on either side of No 1 Hold - with the one on the port side resting precariously over the edge of the Hold.

Each hold contained two levels with the upper level being known as "tween decks." Throughout the ship, these tween decks provided a storage space that was, in effect, a large shelf that stretched under the decks of the ship and several vehicles are still found here. Bedford trucks and a number of Motorcycles are found on the starboard side. Although the same is found on the port side, the top of the hold is damaged and bent downwards and, with the presence of that water carrier, perched somewhat menacingly over the edge, this side tends to be less well visited.

Below this, in the hold itself, much of the cargo of parts and spares has come to look like an accumulation of debris that serves to obscure much that might have been of interest - including more vehicles, trapped beneath.

Above No 2 Hold on either side are the two Tenders beside which are two "torpedo" shaped Paravanes. Here, there are more interesting vehicles in the tween decks but below these on the port side, the Diver will discover two large Armoured Cars built on Rolls Royce Chassis - looking like a pair of armour-plated boxes with tiny viewing holes for the driver. The plating is some two inches thick - though the doors have now come away revealing a curious communications system that few would understand today.

On the starboard lower side, however, there begins that incredible journey. Swimming gently above the vehicles, there is plenty of room to explore and inspect the various Lorries, Trailers, Motorcycles and other items as you journey below the bridge and pass through No 3 hold. Here are the small arms - weapons of various calibre in packs of 6 or 8 placed "Butt to Muzzle" and each pack now concreted together as a single entity. Beyond this, is the fuel store - virtually empty after such a long journey. To one side, however, there is a large gap where the Diver is quite easily able to exit through the bulkhead which once formed the outer wall of No 4 Hold.

Emerging into the daylight, the Diver is confronted by the devastation and twisted metal that surrounded the sinking. A little further on and Ammunition boxes form a large pile of fairly uniform debris - on top of which is an up-turned Bren carrier with it's characteristic tracks. Further over to the left is another resting on it's side. Jutting out from the fore section is the broken drive shaft and some 20m further on is the remainder - sticking out of what remains of the stern. Below this, is a number of very large shells - possibly 14inch and once destined for a British Capital Ship.

The stern itself is canted over at an angle of 45 degrees and is as interesting as any other part of the ship. The two deck-mounted guns are still in place and are best viewed from below - where they make excellent silhouettes against the distant surface.

Turning around and swimming back - but this time above the wreck, the Diver passes over the most extensively damaged section once again, before the ship begins to take shape. Here, is that upper deck which was "peeled" back almost as far as the Bridge. The evenly spaced steel girders which once supported the deck are now on top and who knows what lies trapped below it. Off the port side, one can also see the remains of one of the two Railway Engines - sitting, remarkably, upright the seabed. Finally, there what remains of the Bridge which, even though it was stripped bare long ago, is still well worth a visit.

A gentle current generally prevails from bow to stern