It is with sadness that I am writing to let you know that Ron Young crossed the Bar on July 14.

Because of his experience as a diver, Ron was uniquely placed to combine his knowledge of wreck sites with primary source material in British and continental archives. Ron wrote the successful series 'Shipwrecks of the East Coast' which ran to several editions. He later joined forces with Dr P Armstrong to write the 'Silent Warriors' series on submarines lost around the British coast.

A wealth of information from hitherto obscure sources was placed in the public domain. Ron was the man to go to for anyone seeking information and sources on East coast and Scandinavian convoys, in particular lost ships and nominal lists.He was responsible for identifying a plethora of shipwrecks but he never lost sight of the fact that all too often he was establishing the last resting place of ordinary men. This dimension both structured and coloured his approach. Latterly illness rendered him fragile but he found solace answering queries. A nicer gentleman you could not hope to meet. Many will remember him for the unstinting help he offered to anyone who needed it, be they lazy academic or schoolchild researching a project.

Ron went on to write a couple of monographs including one on his beloved Farne Islands. Until his death last week, Ron Young remained the foremost authority on East coast shipwrecks, his opinions sought by academics all over the world. So here's to you Ron,

May the evening star guide you safely back to port