Location of the bell of HMS Hood by Vulcan Inc. and Blue Water Recoveries!

I'm so pleased to report that a second expedition to recover the bell of the HMS Hood has been completed!  Three years ago the team from Vulcan Inc., a company run by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, attempted to retrieve the bell for the British Museum, and the weather gods just weren't cooperating. The Hood was the pride of the British Royal Navy when she was sunk by the Bismarck on May 24th, 1941. Three days later, the Bismarck was sunk after an onslaught by the BRN. Why is this consequential to us or to the families who follow the Strong project?  For 10 months between 1940 and 1941, Captain Joseph H. Wellings was assigned to the BRN in an advisory capacity. During this time he spent 5 weeks on board the Hood from the middle of December 1940 to the end of January 1941 and became close to many of her men. When Hood was sunk, Wellings was on his way back across the Atlantic toward home. The ship transporting him turned around and headed back toward danger and after Bismarck. When they finally encountered the German battleship, Wellings was on board the HMS Rodney and was there when the British fleet took her down. This effort to retrieve the bell for the British Museum and the families of the men lost on Hood, I think this is something Captain Wellings would support fully. The bell will now have a place of honor and people will not forget Hood, or the events surrounding her demise. To see the story and watch the videos of the retrieval, here is the link: http://www.paulallen.com/News/News-Articles/Hood-Bell-Recovery

The man behind the retrieval was again, David Mearns of Blue Water Recoveries, LTD. Some day I hope to put David to work on locating Strong. He's on the job and working to help see it's done, and I can't imagine working with anyone else on this. Keep your fingers crossed that some day we may finally locate her and be able to lay some of our own memories to rest.  

Tammi