Masts on bomb-laden ship removed to stop explosion

The last masts of a bomb-laden shipwreck in the Thames Estuary have been removed.

The three poles have been visible from the Kent and Essex coasts since the SS Richard Montgomery sank with 1,400 tonnes of explosives onboard in 1944.

Engineers began a major bid to remove them earlier in September, after fears were raised about them toppling onto and detonating the explosives. The last masts were removed on Wednesday.

"It was really important they came off now while the masts were still in a condition where they could be safely removed," project lead Nolan Conway said.

A photographer captured the moment the last masts were removed just before 17:00 BST on Wednesday.

The salvage project was first announced in 2020 and was expected to cost £9.5m.

Conway told the BBC that the structure of the shipwreck had deteriorated to the point the mast could have collapsed and caused an explosion.

SS Montgomery was loaded with 7,000 tonnes of munitions in 1944 and was directed to anchor off Sheerness, Kent, but grounded on a sandbank.

Much of the cargo was removed, but the wreck remains in the sea and was visible about five miles away (8km) in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

The salvage team, who worked from a barge, used a crane to support the masts as they cut through them and lifted them to safety.

It followed months of risk assessments, and the divers had been working in near-pitch black conditions, assisted by sonar imagery.

"Everyone knows about this wreck and grew up with it as part of their childhood," Conway said.

"It's really fascinating to see not just the historical significance of this wreck, but the cultural significance to these communities that have been living with it as a neighbour for all these years."

The masts have long been a draw for tourists, and tour operators said they received extra bookings ahead of their removal.

Chatham Historic Dockyard will conserve the masts, after a campaign for them to stay in Kent, as they technically remained property of the US government.

The Department for Transport is overseeing the removal project.

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