Cavan Reflections

By: Anne Corke

Aug 10 2015

Tags: Corsica, HMS Saracen, submarine, underwater archaelogy

Category: Genealogy, Submarines

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June 22nd, in my morning emails, a message from Terry, Guido Gay has found Saracen! I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry so I did a bit of both. Finally, after almost three years of searching, after seventy two years on the bottom of the Mediterranean, we’ve got the photos that we, her Saracen family, have been waiting so long to see. The evidence has been vetted by George the archivist at the Submarine Museum and he concurs, this is indeed Saracen.

Guido from Azionemare aboard his catamaran Daedalus took up the search this year. Starting with the recorded position of her scuttling obtained from Italian Naval Archives, he began a detailed sonar search. Saracen was finally located miles beyond her expected position at a depth of 422 meters. The old girl must have travelled some distance under water after she was scuttled. She was initially hidden in overlapping sonar passes but Guido discovered her resting place as he investigated small areas of uncertainty on the sonar scans. He messaged “Saracen found! This morning I inspected a sonar contact found yesterday and… there she is beautifully adorned by white corals.”

Later this month, Guido will place a bronze plaque on the wreck. The front of the plaque is Saracen’s crest, and on the back are inscribed these words: “In memory of HMS Saracen and her crew who played a vital role in the liberation of Corsica. Sank 14th August 1943.”  Saracen, now a war grave, will remain on the seabed. Two of her crew were drowned when she was scuttled. Hopefully, in the near future, family members may be able to visit her final resting place and honour her and her crew personally but in the meantime we will continue to honour her in our hearts as we have for so many years. The search is over but her story lives on. Three cheers for the gallant Saracen.

Copyright 2015 Anne Corke