World War I shipwreck project launched

Approximately 250 World War I wrecks lie in southern England's waters

A project to raise the profile of forgotten World War I shipwrecks is in line for an award of £44,800 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The Hampshire & Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology aims to discover and explore the wreck remains hidden off the county's shores.

Approximately 250 wrecks dating to the conflict lie off the southern coast.

Julie Satchell, from the trust, said it wished to promote the war's "overlooked" maritime contributions.

She added: "This project will enable us to address this through a volunteer-focused project that will collect and disseminate information about this fragile and unique aspect of our heritage".

Stuart McLeod, head of HLF South East, said: "A significant proportion of The Great War's maritime legacy currently lies hidden beneath the waters of South East England - undisturbed and relatively unknown."

Following the HLF endorsement, the project still has two years to submit its full proposal.