Throughout the second half of the nineteenth and into the early years of the twentieth centuries, the pace in successful deep diving had been set by civilian divers such as Lambert and his contemporaries. Relying more on guts than on… Read More ›
Royal Navy
Submarine escape
Building on the lessons learned from the past, submarine disasters are now a rarity, but when they do occur the problem arises of what can be done to assist the crew. Because of possible damage to life support systems, time… Read More ›
“SUBSUNK”: The ‘AFFRAY’ tragedy
The following article – by George Wookey and David Strike – was first published in Professional Diver Journal in 1997. ______________________ On the 16th April, 1951, a British submarine – HMS/M Affray, one of several of her class built during… Read More ›
Bruce Thompson – Diving adventurer
A person who has had a profound influence on the development of occupational diving standards in Australia, Bruce Thompson’s entire life has been dedicated to diving and diving safety. The following article is based on an interview that first appeared… Read More ›
The men from Snowy River
Australia’s most ambitious civil engineering project teetered on the brink of disaster when, in 1961, sluice gates governing the flow of water from Lake Eucumbene – a key element in the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric scheme to divert the course of… Read More ›
One hundred fathoms down
(An interview with George Wookey,) The histories of deep, mixed gas diving consistently overlook the achievement of Royal Navy Diver, George Wookey. In 1956 he descended to 600 feet [183msw] wearing standard flexible dress. A record depth for a ‘hard-hat… Read More ›