Page 13 - C:\Users\rober\Documents\Flip PDF\Dog Watch2102 (1)\

13 Volume 73 Number 1
15 February 2021
term if he could go into the Special Boat Squadron book written by a Russian Admiral in which he
(Naval Special Forces) and was told it was possi- learned of HMS Edinburgh’s demise and the loss of
ble but there were no guarantees, so he quit and 10 tons of gold. Keith made his mind up there and
went back to Keighley. then that one day he would go after it, but not for
a while. Diving technology did not then allow for
Diving was now in his blood and he sought out such deep dives and he had nowhere near the
every book he could find on the subject. He equipment, or the money needed for such an op-
learned techniques and the dangers of nitrogen eration. So, he kept on with what he had been do-
narcosis, “the bends”, and how to prevent it. He ing for the time being. Keith was now purchasing
purchased an old Ministry of Defence diving suit wrecks from the owners via the Salvage Associa-
for £5.00 Diving local rivers and lakes he became tion and established a reputation with the powers
accomplished but really wanted to go after salvag- that he was an
ing ship- honest hard-
wrecks. He working salvor
sought out who was able
many such to have a go at
wrecks and anything. He
found them on engaged in re-
the Scottish covering some
coast. He went of the most
after shallow hazardous
water wrecks wrecks around
in places like Scotland and
the Solway northern wa-
and Pentland ters. When
Firths that wrecks were
were close to a hard to find
beach. This and recover
enabled him to Keith would go
swim or walk and work on
out to the North Sea oil
wrecks and rigs diving for
physically drag American oil-
components to men. He was
the beach. Ig- Search Area for HMS Edinburgh learning about
norant of sal- all the new
vage laws at techniques of saturation diving allowing divers to
first, he would just swim out with other divers and descend to great depths, remain there for long
pick-up valves and ships fittings made of brass, periods and then resurface safely. HMS Edinburgh
copper bronze and gunmetal. His first foray into was getting closer and closer. As the 1970s drew
this weighed in at a scrap yard earned him and his on he had many contacts in the salvage business
diving partner £150 each, a huge sum in the early and he approached a company named Seaway
1960’s. Eventually after a brief brush with the law from Norway to help look for the Edinburgh. The
he learned that there were legal ways to recover rules of the salvage business were simple. The
valuables from wrecks and he became very con- rewards might be divided equally once the booty
versant in them.
had been found but until then it was “no cure no
Eventually he built a small team and purchased an pay” so large marine companies were persuaded
old Fleetwood fishing trawler (The Black Pig! so to join Keith on the hunt but always on no cure
called as it was covered in black oil and grime) so basis.
they could salvage further afield. He also became Keith had put years of research into locating the
proficient in the use of explosives which allowed Edinburgh. The way he mostly found reliable in
him to blast propellers and other heavy metal ob- locating any wreck was by talking to local fisher-
jects to break them down so they could easily be man and Edinburgh was no exception. He had in-
moved. Always on the look out for new wrecks he formation from charts and reports from the public
would spend days in local libraries. He found a

http://www.noabc.com/