Orkney man dives to record depth on
HMS Dasher wreck
By Neil Burns
(from The Orcadian dated July 6, 2000)

Orkney diver Mark Reeves dived to a record-breaking depth last week to lay a memorial plaque on the sunken aircraft carrier, HMS Dasher, which sank almost 60 years ago killing 379 men.

In a highly emotional ceremony, Mark went down to a depth of 131 metres (428 feet) onto the flight deck of the vessel which lies in the lower Clyde – and until now had been considered out of reach for untethered diving.

The dive team included Mark Reeves, Gary Allison, Alex Deas and Tim Claridge, and the wreck is believed to be the deepest cold water wreck ever dived on open circuit SCUBA equipment.

Mark, from the Burray-based European Technical Dive Centre made the deepest open circuit dive in the UK, but for him this was not the inspiration for the daring dive.

“There were really two reasons for the dive,” he said this week. “My first interest was basically that it was one of the most technically challenging dives that I know of.”

Mark was underwater for over three hours, but it only took about four minutes to get down to where the HMS Dasher lay on the sea bed. He placed the plaque on to the flight deck and spent the rest of the time slowly coming back to the surface.

And although he was delighted with achieving the dive, he said he was more pleased that he had done something for the memory of the crew of the HMS Dasher. The tragedy of the British aircraft carrier is well documented in John Steele and Noreen Steele’s book, They Were Never Told, the Tragedy of the HMS Dasher. The story of an Egilsay man, James Mainland, who was lost on the Dasher was told recently in The Orcadian.

The tragedy was compounded by secrecy, including the failure to this day of HM Government to advise any of the relatives where their sons, husbands and brothers lay.

The casualty list ranks along with HMS Royal Oak and HMS Hampshire in the three greatest tragedies in British home waters. After reading the book, Mark said he was extremely moved and it gave him the inspiration he needed to make the dive a success.

“If you have ever read the book then you would understand how we felt putting this plaque on the boat,” he said. “It’s like you read the book, then you live the adventure.

“A lot of people were absolutely thrilled with the fact that we were doing this. And as time went on putting the plaque on the boat became the most important thing to me.”

He continued: “At first it was just about getting this dive done, and achieving the depth, but that was just a bonus in the end. When you talk to the relatives of these people and read John’s book, it’s absolutely heart-wrenching. Those boys gave their lives for their country and were completely hidden by the Ministry of Defence.

“That was my personal reason for doing it and I was extremely proud to lay this memorial for the 379 men who died.”

In addition to the memorial plate dedicated in a service in Ardrossan, John and Noreen Steele of the Dasher relatives’ association each laid a rose at the site.

This week, John who, along with his wife Noreen, has been involved with this terrible tragedy for 11 years now, said he was extremely proud of the dive team.

“Normally they work in pairs but these technical divers work individually,” he said. “It was a massive operation – a mammoth task. Noreen and I were really very, very touched at the way this was carried out. Before the operation we spoke to some of the bereaved and they were all extremely touched and thought it was a wonderful tribute.”

Commenting on Mark and his partner Gary Allison, he said: “The two technical divers were very much emotionally involved. It really was a remarkable achievement and all I can say is well done to the team. It was a very emotional tribute to the Dasher people.”

He continued: “To go down to that depth was really incredible – it’s the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest. These people will always be remembered for what they have done, as will the people of the Dasher as the plaque will rest there peacefully, forever.”

The plaque reads: ”Dedicated to the memories of the 379 men who died when HMS Dasher sank on 27 March, 1943. R.I.P.”