Get Involved
Thank you for your interest in the Liberty 70 Project and the James Eagan Layne.
To find out how you can help please send an email to: pete@promare.org
There are many opportunities for helping the Liberty 70 Project, from diving work through to helping with research:
Getting involved with Finds
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Do you have any objects recovered from the James Eagan Layne?
We are interested in recording and photographing any finds recovered from the ship to add to our knowledge about the ship and her cargo. The finds can be recorded by our volunteers or alternatively we can send you instructions on how you can record and photograph them yourself. Information about the finds will be included in the project records and may be made available online, however the location and ownership of the finds will not be published.
Finds recorded for the Liberty 70 Project can be found on the Recovered Finds page.
This part of the Liberty 70 Project is being run in conjunction with the SHIPS 'Stray Finds' project.
Getting involved with Photos and Video
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Do you have any photos or video of the James Eagan Layne?
The ship has been visited by sports divers since the early days of sports diving so there should be thousands of photographs along with miles of film and video of the site. We would like to obtain copies of photographs, film or video you have of the ship so we can use it to show how the site has decayed over the years.
Getting involved with Stories
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Was the James Eagan Layne your first wreck dive?
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Did you have a particularly great dive on this wreck?
We would like to hear about your memorable or funny stories of visits to this wreck, or tales of diving her in the early days.
Do you remember seeing the mast of the James Eagan Layne when it could be seen in Whitsand Bay? Were you or someone you know involved in the events of 21st March 1945 when the ship was torpedoed then beached? Do you know anyone involved in the salvage of the cargo of the ship? We would also like to hear any stories about the ship or the sinking.
Stories about the James Eagan Layne can be seen on the Stories and Notes page.
Getting involved with Survey work
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Can you help with a geophysical survey of the wreck and the seabed around it?
One objective of this project is to complete a detailed map and 3D computer model of the remains of the James Eagan Layne and the seabed that surrounds it. This work will be done using a combination of high-tech geophysical surveys backed up with identification and detailed recording by divers. Assistance is needed in the creation of the main site plan and in the production of the 3D digital model. We also hope to provide opportunities for volunteers to join in with some of the geophysical surveys that happen throughout the project.
Getting involved with Research
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Can you help with researching the history of the James Eagan Layne?
Diving and fieldwork are only a very small part of this project as a large part is concerned with researching the history of this famous ship. Research work is being undertaken in archives and libraries by our volunteers with the assistance of the project team. Some of the research work includes:
Research in archives will provide more information about the ship, her crew, her movements and the events of her loss in 1945.
Each of the finds recovered from the ship that are offered to the project need to be recorded, photographed, researched and documented.
Getting involved with Diving
Later in the project we will need divers to help record the remains of the wreck of the James Eagan Layne and to help identify the debris that lies around the site. Training will be provided in the methods and techniques used to do the recording work. The minimum dive qualification to be involved is BSAC Sports Diver, PADI Advanced Open Water or the equivalent from another organisation.
Get in touch
To find out how you can help please send an email to: pete@promare.org
The Liberty 70 Project is a joint project organised by ProMare UK and the Nautical Archaeology Society. The Liberty 70 Project is part of the SHIPS Project (Shipwrecks and History in Plymouth Sound).
