Afterword: ‘The Status and Protection of Warship Wrecks in International Law’

The publication of the article above about damage to the wrecks of HM Ships Prince of Wales and Repulse presents an opportunity to provide comment on the international law that applies in such circumstances. The article is a thorough treatment of the issues raised by the recent increase in unauthorised interference with the wrecks and, in particular, of the desecration of what amounts to the final resting place of those who died and went down with their ships when the vessels were sunk by enemy action in 1941. While naval opinion may understandably regard such wrecks as ‘war graves’ and member…