UKDIVING
Early rebreathers in 1950s Wookey Hole
Wookey to the World
Exploration records and daring rescues have cemented the legendary status of the Cave Diving Group . To mark the Group ’ s 75th anniversary , Chris Jewell traces its history and landmark achievements through the decades
Graham Balcome with home-made oxygen rebreather in 1946
PHOTO : FRANK FROST
The first organised cave diving in Britain took place in 1934 , when Jack Sheppard and Graham Balcombe attempted to pass the accepted end of Swildon ’ s Hole in Somerset . Using a respirator made from an old bicycle frame and coupled to a 12m length of garden hose , Sheppard and Balcombe were , on this occasion , unsuccessful in their attempts to pass the sump . The diving team later turned their attention to nearby Wookey Hole , where with the use of standard dress , the team made a series of successful exploration dives .
The Second World War curtailed the diving activities , as attention was drawn to more pressing matters . Shortly after the end of the war , during the Easter holidays of 1946 , Graham Balcombe , Jack Sheppard and a host of cavers from across the country gathered
50