September saw the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Maritime Archaeology Society (CISMAS) team head off for their annual trip to the Isles of Scilly, once again with a long ‘to do’ list for HMS Colossus.  Some of the tasks resulted from the geophysical survey of the site and surrounding debris field earlier in 2024.  5 of 6 days diving were possible, the sixth being lost to the weather.  The team were based on St Martins, diving with Izzy and Tim Allsop on Morvoren.  The project was funded by CISMAS and the 6 volunteer divers.

2 long serving members of the team, Sharon Austin and Nick Sodergren have both sadly hung up their fins after many years sterling contribution to the HMS Colossus and other local projects.  Our new photographer Emlyn Morris was thrown in at the deep end and it was good to see Hefin Meera from Historic England join us for a couple of days.

The 5 days diving included:-

• Monitoring the sediment levels across the site (now a regular feature each year)
• The first steps in the investigation of the newly discovered eastern debris field
• A number of small investigations (circular searches) of the site with several exciting new discoveries made
• A rapid audit of the site and dive trail which has posed some difficult questions concerning the future management of the site
• Safeguarding the reburial trials – due to falling sediment levels, the remaining reburial crates risked exposure; mitigated by the placement of geotextile (Terram 4000) and sandbags.
• Probable identification of HMS Colossus’s broken stream anchor adjacent to Gun 1.
• Assessment of the empty gun port, again revealing the effects of falling sediment levels and that significant parts of the hull timbers have decayed and no longer exist.

Many thanks to our leader Kevin Camidge and to team members Brendon Rowe, Nick Sodergren, Andrew Earle and Emlyn Morris.

For further information, visit www.cismas.org.uk

Jezz Davies

November 2024