Divers from the Royal Navy unit, Northern Diving Group (NDG), based at swapped their base at HMNB Clyde for the South Atlantic Ocean recently to help clear bombs from a Second World War wreck in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Specialists from the Fleet Diving Squadron (FDS), including several from the NDG deployed to St Helena, Ascencion Island, to conduct explosive ordnance clearance on the wreck of the Darkdale, a freighting tankers that refuelled warships during the War.

She was torpedoed by U-boat on October 22, 1941, split in two, caught fire and sank within five minutes, leading to the death of 41 crew members – there were two survivors.

During a storm in 2010, the wreck released some of the oil that she had been carrying as cargo, leading to calls from the islanders who live in the British Overseas Territory for the MOD to take action, in order to prevent an environmental hazard.

From Cape Town, the FDS team embarked on the RMS Saint Helena, the last operating Royal Mail Ship in the world and the only way to access the remote archipelago, which is 1200 miles from the nearest land.

Using specialist equipment, divers were able to remain at depth for prolonged periods and cleared 38 bombs containing 80 kg of high explosives.

Lieutenant Olly Shepherd, who led the FDS team, said: “It was an extremely challenging and remote location to work in, but the team performed exceptionally and we have successfully cleared the wreck of a significant explosive hazard. It certainly made a change from removing old ordnance around the freezing waters of the UK.” The clearance of the wreck allowed MOD salvage teams to safely start removing the trapped oil within the holding tanks of the wreck. The operation is due to be complete by mid-August, allowing the wreck to remain safely in place as a haven for a multitude of aquatic marine life and provide an attraction to the growing tourist industry within St Helena.