On 20 August 1944, an American cargo ship named SS Richard Montgomery carrying huge amount of explosives, meant for use in the ongoing Second World War, ran aground on a sandbank in the Thames Estuary, near the town of Sheerness, in England. A salvage operation was launched, but before the ship’s cargo could be recovered in its entirety, the ship broke in half and sank.

To this day, the wreck of SS Richard Montgomery remain in place, lying in the shallow waters of the estuary about 2.5 km from Sheerness. The masts of the ship can still be seen above water. Buoys float near her carrying warning signs that state: “Danger – Unexploded ammunition. Do not approach or board this wreck.”

The wreck of SS Richard Montgomery poking out of the water near Sheerness, in England.