S.S. Thistlegorm

Wednesday 6th June (Clare and I)
EARLY start, 4.30am pick-up!!!! Sweet Baby Je-he-sus we're a dedicated bunch eh? Clare and I were sensible enough to take Angela's advice and bring a blanket, so as soon as we'd set up our equipment we laid down on the bow under the blanket as the sun came up, approx. 3.5 -4 hours rest prior to reaching the Thistlegorm...mmm, zzz...

Okay so the history, The S.S. Thistlegorm was constructed as a Merchant Navy Vessel for the war efforts in 1940. 126m in length she was to carry munitions and supplies out to allied troops, the 8th Army, in Alexandria. Due to ze germans occupying a large portion of the Med. she had to sail around the Cape to the Red Sea. Along with her escort she, and approx. 9 other ships, were told to wait at Shag Rock for further instructions since there had been a collision at the mouth to the Suez. On october 5 1941, 2 german bomber aircraft were sent out on a mission from Crete to locate and bomb a large troop carrier, the Queen Mary, however she was not within their fuel range. As such, the pilots were told to fire on the largest allied target they came across; the Thistlegorm. 2 bombs were released hitting hold 4, detonnating much of the ammunition on board. Sadly 9 men lost their lives.

Dive Site: S.S. Thistlegorm(exterior)
Wreck Dive
Max. Depth:27.4m
Ave. Depth:17.3m
B.T.: 42mins
24 degrees


A great dive, the blast zone was very apparent. Anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, the caterpillar tracks for tanks, the locomotive engines that were blasted either side of the wreck, some of the shells you could even make out the manufacturers date still...



























S.I.: 1.10
Dive Site: S.S.Thistlegorm (interior, penetration)
Wreck Dive
Max. Depth:24.3m
Ave. Depth:17.3m
B.T.: 41mins
WOW!!! Very,very cool dive...left thigh-high wellies, motorbikes lined up in row after row, bedford trucks by the tens...the tread still clear on the tyres, merely a layer of silt atop it all. You could peer through some of the smashed and absent windscreens through to the gauges inside...Truly amazing!! As if time just stood still...

S.I.:2.56
Dive Site: Shark Reef & Yolanda
Max. Depth:23.7m
Average Depth:13.4m
B.T.: 51mins.

Saw Dave the turtle again,(along with a further 2 hawksbill turtles) so Clare and I stopped off to pose with the wee fighter;) This was defo. the right time of day to hit this site (about 5.30pm), well now, or a dawn dive at a guess. Immense schools of fish, batfish and travellies, and again he-uge 5ft napolean wrasse...their eyes are bigger than mine!!