The RFA Historical Society is very pleased to report that in the latest Order under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 one RFA and one NAV have been designated under the First Schedule. The two vessels are RFA Creosol and NAV Isleford

The Society is pleased that its support for these two vessels to be designated has been recognized by the Ministry of Defence. Both are war graves and both had, up and until now, been the subject of unrestricted recreational diving.

RFA Creosol which was under the command of Lieutenant W Jones – Williams RNR when she was torpedoed and sunk on the 7 February 1918, in the North Sea off Seaford, Co. Durham by the German Submarine UC17 (Oberleutnant zur See Erich Stephan). Scullion William Brocklehurst and Leading Fireman Michael Walsh were both drowned when their ship sank and it remains their grave to this day. The rest of the crew was saved.

NAV Isleford which was under the command of Captain David A K Foalle when, on the 25 January 1942 and in a snow storm, the ship foundered off the entrance to Wick Harbour while on passage from Scapa Flow to Invergordon with a cargo of Naval munitions. The Captain, his entire crew of ten merchant seamen, and a DEMS gunner were drowned. The ship remains their grave to this day.

‘Designation’ under the Act means that divers may still dive on the wrecks but they must follow the rule – “Look but don’t touch”. Hopefully this will stop the desecration of the wrecks which are and still remain war graves. Only time will tell.