James Bell Photography
(fotobell.uk)

A £9.5 million operation to remove the 3 masts from Britain's most dangerous shipwreck 1.5 miles off Sheerness, Kent took place in September 2026.

WWII American liberty ship SS Richard Montgomery sank in 1944 at the mouth of the River Thames, in between two of the UK's major shipping channels.

Photos of the operation are available to license from the Alamy photo agency and videos from the Newsflare video agency below.

Photos:

Alamy lightbox - SS Richard Montgomery mast removal operation

Video footage available to license from Newsflare:

Date	Description
30/09/26	Historic moment final mast was removed
25/09/26	Workers suspended in cage remove Danger warning sign from front mast & barge collects two of the masts to transport to Chatham Historic Dockyard.
24/09/26	Footage of the middle mast being removed
22/09/26	Engineers seen hitting the middle mast with a hammer
20/09/26	Historic moment first mast is removed from rear of ship
19/09/26	Engineers test fit of custom lifting frame against rear mast
18/09/26	Rigging boom is recovered from seabed
16/09/26	Engineers hoisted in cage to inspect the wreck
15/09/26	Crane barge inched into position next to wreck
14/09/26	Crane barge arrives near the wreck site