transcript
show notes
| Core | 1997 | No |
The thought of over a thousand tons of unexploded American bombs rusting in the Thames Estuary is at once absurd and terrifying - the masts of the SS Richard Montgomery still break the surface at low tide while its cargo sits in salt water in 2026; who is legally responsible for that ticking wreck? Could one medieval office, created under Edward II, really be in charge of every ounce of it?
In this episode, we follow the line of authority from a fourteenth-century office to a modern civil servant as the story explains what the Receiver of Wreck does, why royal fish matter to the same desk, and how centuries of law shape one unresolved hazard in British waters; how did those legal categories and a single national post end up guarding a ship loaded with explosives?
Person: Stephen White
Event: Sinking of SS Richard Montgomery
Date: 20 August 1944
Law: Merchant Shipping Act 1995
Category: flotsam, jetsam, lagan, derelict
- The SS Richard Montgomery sank in the Thames Estuary on 20 August 1944 carrying thousands of tons of ammunition.
- More than one thousand tons of unexploded ordnance remain in the ship's hold as of 2026.
- The Receiver of Wreck office dates to the reign of Edward II in the early fourteenth century.
- The Merchant Shipping Act of 1894 consolidated maritime law; the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 is currently operative.
- In 1993 wreck reporting duties were unified into a single national post based in Southampton.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
The thought of over a thousand tons of unexploded American bombs rusting in the Thames Estuary is at once absurd and terrifying - the masts of the SS Richard Montgomery still break the surface at low tide while its cargo sits in salt water in 2026; who is legally responsible for that ticking wreck? Could one medieval office, created under Edward II, really be in charge of every ounce of it?
In this episode, we follow the line of authority from a fourteenth-century office to a modern civil servant as the story explains what the Receiver of Wreck does, why royal fish matter to the same desk, and how centuries of law shape one unresolved hazard in British waters; how did those legal categories and a single national post end up guarding a ship loaded with explosives?
Person: Stephen White
Event: Sinking of SS Richard Montgomery
Date: 20 August 1944
Law: Merchant Shipping Act 1995
Category: flotsam, jetsam, lagan, derelict
- The SS Richard Montgomery sank in the Thames Estuary on 20 August 1944 carrying thousands of tons of ammunition.
- More than one thousand tons of unexploded ordnance remain in the ship's hold as of 2026.
- The Receiver of Wreck office dates to the reign of Edward II in the early fourteenth century.
- The Merchant Shipping Act of 1894 consolidated maritime law; the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 is currently operative.
- In 1993 wreck reporting duties were unified into a single national post based in Southampton.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
