Wellington

Wellington Found in Thames

An RAF recovery team are in the process of a major recovery operation in the River Thames today a news black out has been placed on the operation only a few know of Project Wellington this was prompted by a chance find by a fisherman in September 2004 and lead to the discovery of a rare WW2 Wellington lying on the bed of the Thames Estuary.

The vintage Wellington was found by MR F Reel whilst out on his small fishing boat “Emma” fishing for White-bait. MR Reel said “Whilst I was towing the nets behind the boat, they snagged on something big, I knew it was big because the boat stopped dead in the water whilst still on half power”

He continued “I killed the engine and slowly and very carefully bringing the nets in, because there are a lot of war time mines that still litter the sea bed around here, we normally call bomb disposal if we snag one, I found one last year”. MR Reel then went on to say what he had found “When the nets freed up the winch on the boat was struggling the lift the nets so I called the RNLI Lifeboat on the radio who immediately came out to assist a Southend Council launch on patrol also came over but soon moved back when they released it could be a bomb!”

With the winch straining and the rear of the boat getting lower and lower in the water MR Reel finally had to cut the fishing nets valued at $15,000

It is believed the Wellington was lost during the Second World War, the wreck is laying approximately 1.5 miles East of Southend Pier. Amazingly at low tide the wreck only has 10-12ft of water covering it, the reason it has not been found before is because the wreck lays on the edge of busy shipping lanes and the risk of being cut off by the fast moving incoming tide is very high.

The discovery of the wreck was kept quite to stop souvenir hunters plundering the site with grapple hooks and destroying what remains on the bed of the Thames.

Sonar pictures seem to show the Wellington is up to 90per cent complete, which would make it the most complete war-service Wellington to survive.

Hopes are high that, once salvaged it can be fully restored back to its full service condition.

The task to raise the wreck will take place at high-tide, this is because the insufficient depth at low tide would render the lifting barges useless as they would run-aground and sink into the soft mud of the Thames Estuary, if the lift can not be preformed one the first attempt the wreck will be lowered back down with the barges moved a safe distance to avoid the crushing the wreck.

Once lifted from its watery resting place a team of specialists will work on preserving the remains in a fresh water tank to be built in Southend Sea-front. The wreck will have to stay in the tank for a year with the water being changed every-day.

Once this is complete the task of the restoration will begin, it is expected to take a up to a further 5 years before the Wellington will be ready to go on show to the public no location has yet been chosen but a number of sites have been short listed including a piece of land near Southend Pier, actually on the pier which is due to begin a multi-million pound restoration, New Zealand, Australia or the favorite The National Air & Space Museum in America.

PUBLIC VIEWING
The first official public viewing of the Wellington will take place at this year’s Southend Airshow held over May Bank-Holiday on the Sunday 29th & Monday 30th May, a small charge will be made to access a specially constructed viewing platform running round the top of the tank a large viewing window in the side and front of the tank will give spectators a unique view of the wreck, a special pre-view of the wreck will take place on the May Day Bank Holiday on the 2nd May, this event will be for residents of the town only.