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The sinking of HMS Thetis - Report released

10K views 23 replies 21 participants last post by  IAN M 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Good it is available but bad that you have to pay £3.50 to get an electronic copy of it.

It really is a damn cheek of these government departments to charge us to see our own national records considering that taxpayer's money was used to write the bloody thing in the first place, and to put it in electronic format! (Cloud)

Regards,

Brian
 
#4 ·
John,

I hope it will be ploughed back but still think it is a cheek to make us pay. This approach restricts the availability of information like this to those that can afford to pay for it; it should be available free of charge in my opinion. The same argument applies to the Census information.

Anyway after my moaning, a thank you to Martin for reminding me about the National Archives site as there is a lot of information there.

Regards,

Brian
 
#8 · (Edited)
Coastie has emailed me some pictures which he has taken today of the Thetis Memorial in Holyhead, North Wales.
He has asked me to add them to this thread on his behalf because he can't get to a PC just now.
Taken with a phone camera so they are not too clear!
 

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#10 ·
I'd like to thank the Sexton who loaned me a step ladder and held it whilst I took the photo from the top of it. He told me that it is the most photographed Memorial in the Cemetary.
 
#11 ·
My thanks also to Gulpers for posting the piccies, sorry about the quality.
 
#12 ·
Have just finished reading the latest book on the Thetis by Tony Booth " Thetis Down" (2008).
A different kind of read to "Secrets & Scandal".
I have also paid for an electronic copy of the report mentioned by others here, this was recently released, but while it is interesting it is not as important as the internal Naval Inquiry Report carried out weeks after the loss of Thetis and one week before the Public Enquiry. This report, which I understand is still not in the public domain, clearly places the blame on the Navy for the tragic events that took place on Thetis. But of course there is also the involvement of Churchill as First Sea Lord and the Government who have not come clean on what they knew and why they opted for salvage and not rescue. Then there is also the ducking-and-diving that took place to avoid paying out to the dependents who lost their lives.
There is also the involvement of the insurance company who paid out to the Navy on the salvage of Thetis with the result that Thetis cost them nothing and they also got HMS Thunderbolt for half the cost of Thetis.

When on considers Iraq and Afghanistan; one realises that nothing changes!!

Graysonlad.
 
#14 ·
I was a schoolboy at Llandudno when the Thetis was lost - lived in Penmaenmawr. Heard a plane early in the norning - unusual then - searching for her. The maroon was fired for the lifeboat crew in Llandudno to take the local GP out to the site and later the tug came alongside the pier - the one that had accompanied the sub.
Have read several books on the following cock-ups. The naval officer in charge of subs for insatnce, set off in a steam ship to the site from Portsmouth - should have at least taken the train or a light plane.
The cause , of course was tragic - the painting over of the pinhole tap for ascertainig whether the torpedo tubes were open or not.
 
#15 ·
I remember as a schoolboy listening to my father discussing with some of his former seafaring friends the lunacy of the admiral, who IIRC was to be in charge of the rescue operation, setting out for Liverpool Bay on a destroyer when time was of the essence. I understand that the yard had painted over the test tap hole as you say. The design of the inner torpedo door was modified to avoid any repetition. A very sad incident.
 
#16 ·
Holyhead Sea Cadets used to provide the Guard at each anniversary. I used to look forward to it, marching up the town with a Lee Enfield, white belt and gaiters. We felt proud to be involved and it was a way of marking the memory. Then to stand there and take part ion the service. It stopped a few years back - I can't recall why it was stopped but it was always a moving ceremony and well attended.

The bodies were brought ashore and laid out in the old Pontoon House, now long gone. There was a local historian who said they were taken out in Church Bay, where she was hauled ashore, but my father and mother recall she was towed to Holyhead for the removal of the bodies.

Coastie, have they re-instated it or is it just something that was done in the past?

Jonty
 
#18 ·
Radio drama

I recall some years ago the local Liverpool commercial station radio city broadcast a do***entary on the story it was what they now call factu -drama mixing the story with some elements of drama, I don't know if the station has a record or perhaps the Liverpool maritime museum , but for those with a family connection it might be worth making some enquiries
 
#20 ·
I recall some years ago the local Liverpool commercial station radio city broadcast a do***entary on the story it was what they now call factu -drama mixing the story with some elements of drama, I don't know if the station has a record or perhaps the Liverpool maritime museum , but for those with a family connection it might be worth making some enquiries

I wonder if the play that you refer to was in fact a BBC radio 4 play.

It was called "Close Enough To Touch" and was wrote by Fred Lawles.

This play was recorded on board the submarine HMS Onyx between the 1st & 3rd of September 1997, and broadcast On BBC Radio 4 Saturday 27th September 1997 at 14:30.

The program reference Number is 96DA8052NHO
And tape reference number is 0MR735/95DA8052

Hope that is of some use to you.
CR
 
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