The SS 'Richard Montgomery'

A copy free feature

Before continuing Download a brief history of the SS 'Richard Montgomery' pdf

Issue: 9 Updated: 1st June 2022

Wreck Montgomery Masts Doomsday wreck heading Wreck Montgomery Masts

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' the 'Doomsday Wreck'

Much has been written on the WWII liberty ship, this compilation brings together, newspaper pictures, a contemporary report along with our archive pictures

SS Richard Montgomery 1943

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' at anchor (1943)

Just a year old she'd anchored off Southend ready to join a convoy to Cherbourg, France

Liberty Ship Line Drawing

Line Drawing of a Liberty Ship

Large Image

SS Richard Montgomery Steaming

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' steaming (1943)

SS Richard Montomery

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' at speed (1944)

SS Richard Montgomery

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' underway (1944)

Sketch SS Richard Montgomery

Sketch of The SS 'Richard Montgomery' after going aground (1944)

Instructed by Thames Naval Control and the Kings Harbour Master to moor off the Northern edge of Sheerness Middle Sands

Generally trimmed to 28' but laden with 6,127 tons of munitions she drew 31', the Assistant Harbour Master recognising a serious error of judgment argued that at low tide of 30' therefore insufficient depth of water and refused the order unless in writing

Sketch SS Richard Montgomery 1944

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' (1944)

Early on Sunday the 20th August as the tide ebbed the 'SS Richard Montgomery' swung towards the shoal with a neap tide she settled on silty sand

With the noise of bucking plates the ship was abandoned, the next morning having offloaded some of the volatile cargo, plans to re float the ship failed when the ships holds flooded she broke her back

Holds 4 & 5 above water were cleared but the forward holds left with 1.500 tons of bombs

Previously published documentation click to view large images

Cargo Log Page 1 : Page 2 dated 8th August 1943 : Report dated 21st August 1944 : Rescue dated 21st August 1944 : Memorandum dated 1st September 1944 : Dry Dock dated 2nd September 1944

Wreck site

Wreck site

Easy read the wreck of the 'SS Richard Montgomery'

US Treasury

US Treasury Report

Salvage dated January 1945 : Lost Report dated 12th March 1945 : US Treasury : American Consul dated 10 June 1948

SS Richard Montgomery Stern Naval personel survey wreck

SS 'Richard Montgomery' Stern (1944)
Naval personnel wreck survey (1944)

A personal account Page 1 : 2 : 3 : 4

SS Richard Montgomery cargo hold plans

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' cargo hold plan

SS Richard Montgomery by Colin Harvey 1950's

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' by Colin Harvey (1950's)

SS Richard Montgomery Kent History Forum 1956

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' thanks to Kent History Forum (1956)

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery mast detail 1960's

The SS 'Richard Montgomery'in the 1960's

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery 1960's 1

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' preparation to survey (1960's)

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery dive 1970's

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' dive survey (1970's)

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery mast detail 1970's

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' mast detail (1970's)

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery survey 1970's

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' survey (1970's)

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery undated

Wreck (1970's)

Wreck Undated

Wreck (1970's)

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery 1970's

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' (1970's)

Diver at SS Montgomery wreck

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' Dive Survey (1970's)

Survey Work 1970's
The SS 'Richard Montgomery' Survey Work (1970's)

Social Media: "I was one of the Admiralty Salvage Divers who cut the booms from her during a survey on the 70's, Portsmouth Bomb Disposal were with us taking samples for analysis" - David Worsfold

Survey 1981 Survey Divers 1981

SS 'Richard Montgomery' Diver Survey (1981)

Previously published by Len King - Sheppey History and on Social Media, click on Photographs for large images

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery late 1980's 1

Wreck (1989)

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery late 1980's 2

Wreck (1989)

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery late 1980's 3

Wreck (1989)

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery late 1980's 4

Wreck (1989)

Marvellous Murals

Contemporary Poster by Marvelous Murals

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery sonar image 2002

Sonar images (2002)

Archaeological Diving Unit, St Andrews University

New Scientist report 1

New Scientist report 2 New Scientist report 3

New Scientist Report (21st August 2004)

Download Large Image of full article Page 36 : Page 37

Wreck Montgomery Masts

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' mast detail (2004)

SS Richard Montgomory masts close up

The SS 'Richard Montgomery' masts (2004)

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery 2005

Passing the wreck on a service visit to Red Sands (September 2005)

Wreck SS Richard Montgomery sonar 2006

Sonar image by MCA (2006)

Wreck 7th August 2007

Wreck (7th August 2007)

Wreck 15th September 2007

Wreck (15th September 2007)

Taken on the way to the Red Sands Fort for the Whitstable Yacht Club Round Forts Race 2007

Monty Buoy

Wreck Buoy compliments of BBC.com (2015)

Mail on Sunday 3rd January 2016

Mail on Sunday (3rd January 2016)

Sonar of wreck

Sonar of wreck

SS Montgomery September 2017

SS 'Richard Montgomery' wreck September by Amanda Marie Gray (2017)

SS Montgomery The Guardian

SS 'Richard Montgomery' with thanks The Guardian

SS 'Richard Montgomery' wreck (8th May 2022)

The masts are being reduced in height in June 2022 to see the full series of the wreck photographs and a recorded piece on the wreck 8th May 2022

Sons of Alpha Centauri CD 1 Sons of Alpha Centauri CD 2

Sons of Alpha Centauri CD case front
Sons of Alpha Centauri CD case 3rd gatefold insert

Audio

Sons of Alpha Centauri - SS Montgomery

Sons of Alpha Centauri CD 3

Sons of Alpha Centauri CD case 1st gatefold insert

Sons of Alpha Centauri are an Instrumental Riff/Progressive/Alternative Rock Band from Swale (Kent)

The track SS 'Richard Montgomery' was recorded live at Sheerness Yacht Club

Their Album also called Sons of Centauri - SD006CD on Sound Devastation Records was released in the winter of 2007 and featured on Red Sands Radio in 2008

Further tracks from Sons of Centauri can be heard in Sealand Fire - Part 2 : Red Sands Radio - Part 15

SS John W Brown by Will Robinson

Sister Liberty Ship to 'Montgomery' SS 'John W Brown' (Undated)

Picture by Will Robinson (Maryland Launch Pilot) shows the ship moored off the US Naval Academy, in the Annapolis Anchorage, Maryland

SS John W Brown by Jim Hoffman

Sister Liberty Ship to 'Montgomery' SS 'John W Brown' by Jim Hoffman (2000)

The SS 'John W Brown' was built in Baltimore, launched on 7th September 1942 is moored at Pier C, 2220 S Clinton Street, Baltimore, Maryland being preserved and maintained by Project Liberty Ship

The other surviving vessels are SS 'Jeremiah' O'Brien' operational and a museum at Pier 45, San Francisco

SS 'Arthur M Huddell' transferred and renamed 'Hellas Liberty' a museum ship in Piraeus, Greece

SS 'Albert M Boe' the last Liberty ship built in private hands renamed 'Star of Kodiak' used for fish cannery ship and HQ of Trident Seafoods, Kodiak, Alaska

Many thanks to the contributions to this feature, we have where traceable credited photographs and finds

01/01/2011 - Particular interest in the 'Richard Montgomery' piece as I was Sheppey born and bred. I remember that the ship was always talked about and probably how dangerous it was with the cargo it had aboard. There used to be trips around the wreck, for what seemed a lot out of my pocket money, but by today's standard probably sounds a pittance - Mel Bayes

Social Media: "I've been past the wreck many time on my sand barge" - Ben Worsfold

Social Media: "We've anchored nearby many times" - Ian Blair

With grateful thanks to The New Scientist : The Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) : Mail on Sunday, Archaeological Diving Unit, St Andrews University, Nick Hannon and the Sons of Alpha Centauri, Len King of Sheppey History Archaeological Diving Unit, St Andrews University, Amanda Marie Gray, Will Robinson, Dave Wilky, Marvelous Murals and the Crews of 'Calaboose' and the 'X-Pilot'

More pictures of 'Montgomery'