General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
RE: Then there is...another question
Posted by:
MPC
()
Date: May 28, 2001 07:28PM
<HTML>Hi Johannes,
A war grave in relation to ships is where the ship has been sunk and the body(s) of at least one of the crew are still inside...... That vessel is then his/their grave.
In the case of a vessel like U 534 where about 3 (I believe) crew members died in the action, their bodies were not still on that U-boat so she was able to be raised without disturbing and last human remains.
As far as I am aware all warships, whatever nationality belong to their country of origin regardless of the waters in which they lie.
There was a case recently where the Japanese Government allowed one of their submarines to be entered by divers with the view to retreiving some remains of the crew and these were buried on land with all due ceremony.
Any diver who enters and disturbes a ship that is a war grave is no better than people on land, in Flanders and elsewhere, who dig down into the grave of a casualty of war and take artifacts from that grave. Those brave men were buried, often where they fell and ALL, without exception, whether on land or at sea should be allowed to Rest in Peace.
MPC
I am not sure how such rules apply to merchant ships whether lost on war or peace. But Naval War Graves are recognised by all civilised countries
</HTML>
A war grave in relation to ships is where the ship has been sunk and the body(s) of at least one of the crew are still inside...... That vessel is then his/their grave.
In the case of a vessel like U 534 where about 3 (I believe) crew members died in the action, their bodies were not still on that U-boat so she was able to be raised without disturbing and last human remains.
As far as I am aware all warships, whatever nationality belong to their country of origin regardless of the waters in which they lie.
There was a case recently where the Japanese Government allowed one of their submarines to be entered by divers with the view to retreiving some remains of the crew and these were buried on land with all due ceremony.
Any diver who enters and disturbes a ship that is a war grave is no better than people on land, in Flanders and elsewhere, who dig down into the grave of a casualty of war and take artifacts from that grave. Those brave men were buried, often where they fell and ALL, without exception, whether on land or at sea should be allowed to Rest in Peace.
MPC
I am not sure how such rules apply to merchant ships whether lost on war or peace. But Naval War Graves are recognised by all civilised countries
</HTML>
