Preserved, wrecked or memorial Aircraft Carriers of the Fleet Air Arm 1939-1945

MARITIME MEMORIAL WRECKS
&
WAR GRAVES

Preserved, war Memorials graves and wrecks of Aircraft Carriers of the Royal Navy 1939-1945

Honour the dead, heed the law, respect our maritime war graves

Around our shores are the wrecks of ships and aircraft lost in military service in two world wars. Many of these involved loss of life and so should be considered war graves. In 1986 the UK Parliament passed the Protection of Military Remains Act to protect such wrecks, mainly as a result of divers disturbing such war graves.

However many of Royal Navy aircraft carriers were sunk in enemy action in international waters all round the world. According to International Law, the wrecks of ships which sank in international waters are the property of its country of origin.

The status of most of these wrecks in the international waters is not protected.

In the UK, maritime wrecks and underwater war graves are under the jurisdiction of the UK Government. The UK Maritime Division seeks to preserve and protect our undersea "memorials" to those who died. It now has many diving and non-diving supporters up and down the country, some who still mourn those lost in these war graves. It also produces a Register of War Graves at Risk. One Royal Navy aircraft carrier is listed HMS Dasher in the Firth of Clyde (see list).