Castlereagh ’ s D-Day
CASTLEREAGH SUB AQUA CLUB organised an anniversary on 6 June to mark the D-Day landings . The Empire Tana was a Second World War Liberty ship , part of the Mulberry harbours at the Normandy landing beaches , so has a real connection to the anniversary . Captured by the Allies during the war and renamed the Empire Tana in 1943 , she was towed to the D-Day beachhead at Normandy and used as a block ship , ‘ Gooseberry No . 5 ’ at Ouistreham .
She was subsequently floated and towed to Lee ’ s Yard in Strangford Lough to be scrapped when she ran aground and could not be refloated . She remained there from 1947 to 1996 , when during a salvage operation a depth-charge exploded . The wreck is split into two sections , which lie around 100m apart . This is one of the most dived sites in Northern Ireland , with depths of around 10m-14m .
Members of our club , joined by other divers , attached a wreath to the wreck to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings , in memory of those of all faiths , skin colours and nationalities , who came together and pushed back against the darkness spreading across Europe at that time . Freedom always comes at a terrible cost . There was a great turnout . The idea came to the club from our Training Officer , Craig Cameron , who quite rightly pointed out the important history of the Empire Tana . DALE AIKEN , Chair , Castlereagh Sub Aqua Club
Meet the relatives
PAUL NAYLOR [ CRITTER CONFIDENTIAL , SCUBA JUNE 2024 ] POINTS OUT THAT echinoderms have no terrestrial equivalent . Something else makes them special too : unlike most other invertebrates we encounter underwater , they are deuterostomes .
“ Deuterowhat ?” I hear you cry ! Like other animals , they start off as a fertilised egg which divides to form a ball of cells , and the ball develops a tube that makes the gut . In deuterostomes , the first end of the tube becomes the anus and the other the mouth ( if there is one – there isn ’ t in echinoderms ). In other animals , called protostomes , including molluscs and crustaceans , it ’ s the other way round – the first end of the tube becomes the mouth .
Vertebrates , including us , are deuterostomes . So , as you contemplate the beauty of a sunstar , you might reflect that you are more closely related to it ( in that we share a common ancestor more recently in evolution ) than to the squatties and nudibranchs nearby . You ’ re even more closely related to the sea squirts clustered on that rock over there , but that ’ s another story . MARTIN LUCK , Charnwood Saltz SAC and University of Nottingham SAC
Remembering John Bird
JOHN BIRD PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY on 29 May at the ripe old age of 88 . Born on 12 February 1936 , John spent much of his brief Army career playing football for his unit in Hong Kong ! A keen runner and fitness guru , he joined Coventry BSAC in the early 80s . Equipped with a Fenzy buoyancy aid and a twin-hose regulator , he sailed through BSAC ’ s demanding ‘ A ’ test to confirm his swimming and fitness levels .
John was among the few to dive the Northern sites of the Red Sea back in 1981 when it was still part of Israel . He did a few more visits , one in 1983 when Hurghada hardly existed . In the UK , he went on club trips to Scapa Flow , Scilly Isles , Lundy and Ireland and was always happy to pass on his knowledge and experience as a Dive Leader to others .
I got to know John in 2001 , and dived with him most weeks at Stoney Cove until 2005 when he hung up his fins . No matter the weather he only had an apple and a bottle of water , even in the depths of winter . Back at his house , his wife Jean always had something a bit warmer and nourishing for both of us .
He was awarded Honorary Membership of the branch when he eventually retired from diving , in recognition of his years of commitment .
A respected diver , John will be missed by all who knew him . Our thoughts go out to Jean , his wife , Paul and Jacqueline their two grown-up children . DAVE PLUMB , Coventry BSAC Branch 58
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