This video was made by Peter Rowlands, who is the only civilian diver that has been allowed to film on this tragic war grave.
On the night of Friday 13th Oct 1939 the German U boat Commander Gunter Prien penetrated the British Navy’s main anchorage at Scapa Flow and sank H.M.S. Royal Oak. 833 men lost their lives in one of the worst tragedies in British Naval History.
The wreck of the Royal Oak is a designated war grave and all diving is prohibited. But a special permission was granted by the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy for the wreck to be filmed as a moving tribute to all those who lost their lives.
The video includes underwater images of the wreck which have never been seen before and there are interviews with survivors, and Orcadian Sandy Robertson, who was the first diver to go on the wreck the day after she sank.
Also included is coverage of another unique event when the ashes of Dorothy Golding ,wife of Bandsman Arthur Golding, who went down with the ship, were taken by her grandson and placed in the wreck to at last reunite the couple.
The finale is the unfurling of a battle ensign by a Royal navy diver on the upturned hull on the anniversary of her sinking.
You can buy this DVD online at the official HMS Royal Oak website
This is an extract from The Silent Menace DVD
Ricky Bixler says
Hello did any one went and looked at the wreck site of this ship do you photo of the wrecksite.
Claes Lundqvist says
I read a very good Pdf-document about Royal Oak, written by Peter Rowlands. Just one little detail that disturbed me somewhat. Peter Rowlands writes this about Roayal Oak:
“She was fitted with an awesome array of firepower starting
with eight 15″ guns – the largest guns ever fitted on a British Naval vessel.”
Well that is not exactly the truth. The Nelson class battleships mounted 16″ and the Furious 18″.
pete price says
a sad but true story when i was ayoung boy we had two young
sailers staying with us that were on board HMS ROYAL OAK
my poor mother was verry upset at the news of the sinking
but the strange thing was on the monday morning she
receved a letter from the ship with acouple of hat bands
a photo of the lads and a letter saying what a wonderfull
time they were haveing sad/
Steve Britt says
Able Seaman ‘ Edward Ralf Britt ‘
Passed away 23rd December 1985 .
He was the youngest survivor of the Royal Oak disaster and my father .
Michael says
@Claes Lundqvist
Ummm Excuse me but 18″ guns on the Furious?
I thought HMS Furious was an aircraft carrier and the only 18″ guns I had heard of were on those Japanese battleships Yamato and Musashi (sp?).
Might you be thinking of a ship that was planned but never built? I would very much like to read up on that ship.
Thank you, Michael
ian watts says
my grandad served on the royal oak when she went down he did sevive but 835 of his mates did not i wounderd if any one remembers there relatives mention his name he was able seaman joseph figg
sean fredrick connor says
i was named after fredd connor my dads brother who died on the royal oak he was a petty officer / stoker RIP FREDD
Jean Taylor says
My father was serving on the Royal Oak as a young 31 year old Petty Officer, the effect of his death affected my mother for the rest of her life, and I grew up never knowing a brave young man, who went to his death at so young an age. I ask myself what did his death achieve when you think of the world we live in now…..
Brian Roberts says
My grandfather, Chief Stoker Arthur Roberts was one of the dead.
My grandmother Ellen raised their two sons Donald (11) and Brian (3) by herself and never re-married.
It seems that the stokers, boys and marines messes were completely destroyed so hopefully they did not suffer.
I can`t believe the grief I feel even though I never knew him.
RIP gramps.