Colin,
Your letter was very well written but I think we might narrow the issue
somewhat.
Disturbing "war graves" is without a doubt an act looked upon with great
disdain by most of us (hopefully). If the "grave" happens to be an HMV (or
even something other than an HMV) and its recovery serves not the personal
edification of an individual or small group of individuals but to honor
those persons who died or their fellows, then my feelings are that the
effort is worthwhile. After all, most normal graves serve not only as a
resting place but as a monument (however small) to the person who lies
there. My feeling is that a sunken tank is no monument as it cannot be
appreciated by the casual passerby.
(Where the conflict actually lies is that individual or small groups of
individuals are the only persons willing to undertake these projects,
leaving them with financial obligations. As a result, they call the shots
and answer, generally, to no one.) I have a problem with the fact that
there is no group of individuals or board to examine these issues before
action is taken to effect recovery. Do we not recover and restore things of
historical value every day and make them accessible to the public (or at
lease to persons who will appreciate them?)
As for the veracity of the claim that every sunken DD tank is a war "grave"
we must admit that certainly in some cases, the mortal remains of the
occupants are no longer even there, though we have been assured they are.
But I do not attempt to soften the meaning of "war grave" by this comment.
It is simply a statement of fact. In reality, how can we know for fact that
a sunken DD Sherman held the bodies of the dead at the time of it's sinking?
Reality may be somewhat different (i.e. perhaps the occupants drowned
outside of the tank). But if they are still there, or were left there, I've
always felt we were (and are) obliged to recover those bodies or what
remains of them and provide them with a more "decent," honorable burial
rather than leaving them, mostly forgotten, in the murky depths. (Sidebar
comment: If I died fighting in the bowels of a tank or fighter I don't
think I would choose that as MY final resting place! I'd want to come home,
away from the place of such violence for a little peace!) Seems to me that
some of these "graves" are less a place of actual Christian burial and more
a place of repose because recovery of the bodies was impractical or at the
time impossible and was not carried out.
Essentially I am saying that our primary task should be to honor the dead
and it should be done with great care and concern. And if, in the course of
doing so, it becomes practical to further honor them by making their "war
grave" more accessible to those of us who wish to honor them further, then
this effort has merit.
TJ
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