BTW-ish
From today's Telegraph...
"
Respect for Victory
SIR - A year ago, the Ministry of Defence "gifted" the wreck of HMS Victory, lost with Admiral Sir John Balchen and her crew of over 1,000 in the western English Channel in 1744, to a new charity, the Maritime Heritage Foundation. Founded and chaired by Lord Lingfield, the charity had no experience in maritime archaeology and no discernible resources, apart from those supplied by Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc, the American commercial salvage company, which found the ship in 2008.
As soon as the gifting was made public, Odyssey announced it had entered into a commercial salvage contract with the foundation, which would allow Odyssey not only to be reimbursed all its recovery costs, but would also give it a commission of 50 to 80 per cent of the value of all artefacts recovered from the wreck. Under the contract, the Maritime Heritage Foundation can choose to pay Odyssey in finds from the wreck rather than cash, which Odyssey could auction to the highest bidder. This is in contravention both of British policy for historic shipwrecks and international codes and conventions for ethical archaeology and museum practice.
The Spanish government has already proven in US Courts that Odyssey illegally disturbed a military grave for profit (the Spanish frigate Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, lost in 1804).
The effect of the Victory deal, if it stands, will be to see the British Government allow the deliberate disturbance of another military grave for the private profit of the banks and hedge funds which invest in Odyssey. The wreck site is the last known resting place of over 1,000 Royal Navy sailors who died on active duty. However, under the deed of gift, the Government has the right to veto work on HMS Victory.
David Cameron must veto all further work by the Maritime Heritage Foundation and Odyssey, and assert the Government's right to protect our national maritime heritage and the remains of British sailors from distasteful commercial exploitation.
Richard West
Descendant of Admiral Sir John Balchen
Riccardo Tomacelli. 9th Prince of Boiano
Descendant of Admiral Sir John Balchen
Robert Yorke
Chairman, Joint Nautical Archaeology Policy Committee "
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/9781489/Falkland-Islanders-are-no-more-colonial-occupiers-than-Argentines-are.html