Whilst holidaying on the Isle of Coll, Hyndburn Sub Aqua Club has dived the shipwrecks around it's shores during the past four years. These wrecks vary from small fishing boats to the 6609 ton motor vessel the Tapti which sank in 1951, close to the East coast of Soa Island. Some of the wrecks are nearly 100 years old, some are much younger. The Nessmore, a cargo vessel of 3377 tons, ran aground in 1895, three miles south of the Tapti, and is now almost covered in sand. The M V. Angela was lost in 1953 and is smashed to pieces amongst the rocks.
However, most of the wrecks were lost during the Second World War. One such wreck being the Nevada 11, 5693 tons, 126 metres long, a steamship which ran aground at Rubha Mor, N.W. Coll, in 1942. She was a convoy ship carrying government stores and was armed with a 90mm (4") gun which was mounted on the stern. Some say the Captain ran the vessel ashore as he did with his first command, (the Nevada was his second). He also reputedly ran his third vessel aground. He was subsequently tried for treason and shot. The other story is that it was very foggy. Whatever the reason, the ship now lies well broken-up on a shingly bottom. The stern in 17 metres (56ft.) and the bows in 8 metres (26ft.). The gun was partially covered by the seabed in an upsidedown position. The ship has been salvaged up to the waterline and is broken up but there is still evidence of her cargo in the shape of lorries, asbestos sheets and pipes.
On Monday 25th. May 1992, we decided to lift the gun and wondered if the people of Coll would like it. On asking around there seemed to be genuine interest in the project, because it was part of the history of the island. So all ready to go, we asked 'Old Hughie', the Receiver of Wrecks, now retired, what the procedure was. We were given the all clear the following day, 26th. May, and set out from Arinagour, loaded up with two huge air cylinders charged with 3500psi of compressed air to fill the two 5 ton lifting bags. By noon we were anchored over the wreck with two inflatable boats and eight divers. A rope had been previously tied to the stern of the wreck near to the gun. The rope was then pulled tight and the chains and bags sent down to the divers. The gun was lying upsidedown embedded in the seabed with a huge part of the deck still attached to it, the whole thing probably weighing 5 or 6 tons. The first bag was sent down and chained to the gun. The bag was then filled from the surface via an airline and signals were sent down to the diver by pulls on the line. The first bag was filled but no movement was detected from the gun; it was stuck solid. On diving down we decided to chain the other bag to the decking. The second bag was soon rigged and half full of air, I decided to stay and see if there was any movement. The decking started creaking and groaning and then gave a shudder. I knew then that the combined lift of the two bags (10tons) would do the trick. I returned to the surface and reported that we were winning. We continued filling the bags and after a few minutes 'WHOOSH' - both bags came up. One of the divers went down to check and returned with the 'vacant-engaged' sign off the toilet door. He said it had been under the gun 'engaged for 50 years'! Imagine the comments!
We towed the gun into a shallow sandy bay until it grounded in 5m. Our next job was to undo the eight huge nuts which held the gun to the deck.
On Wednesday morning I asked local fisherman Innes Henderson to tow the gun around the top of the island to Arinagour. He was very severely hungover after spending twelve hours in the Mishnish pub in Tobermory and told me that he was going to go home and stick his head in the sink and then go to bed and that he would see me later. I then sought out Lilleys site agent, Bill. He agreed to lift the gun with the crane, whatever the time and he fixed me up with spanners and a huge socket to undo the nuts. With everything arranged we worked in shifts to split the gun from the decking, Every bolt had two nuts on it and most came undone but we had to saw through three of the bolts with a hacksaw - hard work under water!
Innes anived about eight o'clock - having retrieved his head from the sink - and took the gun, still supported by one bag, in tow. Both inflatables followed just in case it sank.
We warned Johnie at Sorrisdale to be at his door as it went past - he was!
The rest of us set off overland to find Bill. We met him on the road and explained what was going on and he said he would be down on the pier shortly. It took Innes about 11 hours to reach the pier and the light was fading fast. Quite a few people had gathered by then. The hook was lowered and fixed and, after 50 years at the bottom of the sea, the gun broke surface.
After chipping off all the encrustation we found that it was made in Brest on the 12th. of June 1917 which makes it 75 years old.
On leaving the island we discovered that the gun was to be mounted outside the Coll Hotel and when we return next year for our annual diving holiday, we shall look forward to seeing it restored as near as possible to its original state.
Many thanks are due to all the divers of Hyndburn B.S.A.C., to Innes Henderson and his crew, and to Bill - Lilley's site agent, without whose efforts the gun would still be lying rusting on the seabed.
