SS Richard Montgomery Mast Removal
On the 30th September, the third and final mast was safely cut and removed from the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery, the WW2 Liberty Ship still lying in the Thames Estuary with unexploded munitions on board. This milestone event completed a technically demanding, year-long programme, to mitigate the risk posed by the wreck.
Waves Group is proud to have supported the Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom as Technical Advisor for this project, from early planning and procurement, through to oversight of the operations.
The wreck still holds approximately 1,400 tonnes of explosive ordnance in its forward holds. Reducing the masts addressed the risk of their possible future collapse onto the wreck’s decks, a task requiring rigorous assessment, careful planning, and close coordination.
Over the past year, our role has included:
🔸 Advising on project planning, risk assessment, and risk mitigation.
🔸 Supporting procurement, contract documentation, and tendering.
🔸 Commissioning the final geophysical survey to identify and confirm the locations of potential unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the seabed around the wreck and its exclusion zone.
🔸 Providing full-time, on-site coverage as Client Representative; overseeing all stages of the mast reduction operations undertaken by Resolve Marine Group.
The works were completed safely, on schedule, and without disrupting traffic on the Medway or the Thames Estuary. All recovered masts and other artefacts have now been delivered to Chatham Historic Dockyard for conservation.
The successful outcome of the project reflects the expertise and collaboration of everyone involved. Our sincere thanks go to the Department for Transport and its dedicated SS Richard Montgomery team; Resolve Marine Group for its highly professional delivery of the works; and our specialist subcontractors and consultants, Exord Ltd. and SAND Geophysics Limited.
