Santi Finding the Eagle - meeting with families of HMS Narwhal sailors

A meeting of Polish shipwreck explorers, associated in the Santi Project to Find the Eagle, with the families of sailors of the British ship HMS Narwhal took place in the UK. It was the Poles who last year found the wreck of the Ryal Navy submarine, which had remained missing since World War II.

About the discovery made during Santi’s Finding the Eagle expedition last year, we reported in autumn 2017. It was then that the idea of holding a reunion in the UK with the descendants of the 59 sailors who died serving on HMS Narwhal was first mooted.

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The ship remained missing and the fate of her crew unknown since July 1940. It was then, during her last mission, that the “Narwhal” set off from her base in Blyth, Nothumberland to German-occupied Norway, with the task of laying mines. Unfortunately for the crew of the British vessel, the Germans had broken the Royal Navy’s ciphers and knew the ship’s potential route.

The news of the discovery and identification of the British Royal Navy submarine appeared on a forum dedicated to wreck issues. The subject was quickly picked up by the leading media in the British Isles, and soon afterwards, the first messages began to reach the members of the expedition from the families of the sailors who had served on HMS Narwhal.

As a result of subsequent events and after several months of preparation, a meeting was held in London between members of the Santi Finding Eagle expedition and the relatives and families of the sailors who died during the fateful patrol in July 1940.

[blockquote style=”2″]”This is extremely important. I’m 80 now and my only memories of my father come in the form of looped images and sounds. I never thought this would be possible.” – said an emotional Tamara Lo, daughter of HMS “Narwhal” captain Ronald Burch.[/blockquote]

After finding the British wreck, the Poles did not make any dives on it, but now this may change.

[blockquote style=”2″]”We are determined and we should do it, otherwise it will be an unfinished story. As long as we don’t go down there and there’s that one percent uncertainty, we’re going to sleep badly.” – Tomasz Stachura said[/blockquote].

The dive itself, however, will not be easy and will have to be preceded by a lot of effort and preparation. The Narwhala wreck is located at a depth of 94 metres, 240 km from the shore and only 80 metres from a gas pipeline running along the bottom. The latter fact in particular complicates many aspects of the exploration of the wreck and its surroundings.

The Poles, however, are determined to reach the wreck and make photographic and video documentation. They also plan to leave a memento, very possibly in the form of a plaque commemorating the fallen sailors.

Source: Santi Finding the Eagle

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