Restoring The Thistlegorm Shipwreck- One Artefact at a Time

Digital preservation can only create a snapshot in time, but that snapshot is helpful in the efforts of restoring The Thistlegorm Shipwreck. What is there is recorded, creating compelling evidence of anything from a historic building to civil infrastructure or a crime scene.

But what if we could turn photogrammetry into a time machine? Could we digitally reassemble the wreck and put back missing artefacts like portholes?

From Simon’s involvement authoring the Dived Up guide to the Thistlegorm, the publication in the Journal of Marine Science and the RPS Science Photographer of the Year 2020 win its clear the wreck is of extreme interest, and adding new knowledge to the site is part of what we do.

Artefacts Located and Restoring The Thistlegorm Shipwreck

Last year (2023) fellow underwater photographer Andy Deitsch got in touch and said he knew where the helm of the SS Thistlegorm was residing. This piqued our interest and set our thoughts wandering. If the owner was agreeable could we get enough images to create a 3D model? Could we get scaling information too?

And then could we drop the helm back into the digital model of the entire ship and see the object in context? A step forward in restoring The Thistlegorm Shipwreck?

It turns out the owner was more than willing to share their story and help.

Back in Time: Restoring The Thistlegorm Shipwreck and its History

In the 1990s Ronan Levy was Captain of the dive vessel SY Poolster in the Red Sea. Many knew the story of the Thistlegorm and how Cousteau filmed it in the 1950s. However, its exact position was unknown and groups were looking for it. Ronan decided finding the ship was going to boost diver numbers from the UK, his main market. Thus, the hunt was on. One day he stopped to ask some local fishermen if they knew of a ship underwater? “Yes,” they said, it’s right here.

Ronen dived the wreck and everything fitted the description of the Thistlegorm. It didn’t take too long for news to travel. Shortly after, DIVER magazine ran a story featuring the wreck and Ronen’s boat. It seems, restoring The Thistlegorm Shipwreck is a popular topic of discussion.

In 1993 Ronen raised the helm, and at the same time another diver, working as a divemaster on another boat, lifted the telegraph. The helm is now restored and sits in Ronen’s hallway. The location of the telegraph remains unknown. Please use the Contact Us page if you happen to know where it is.

3D Reconstruction Time: Restoring The Thistlegorm Shipwreck

With Andy’s help we managed to get enough overlapping images to reconstruct and scale the helm. The 3D model digitally restoring the Thistlegorm Shipwreck isn’t perfect. But, we always believe in working with the best thats available. We can update in future if and when better data is available. The wooden parts have long gone but the non-ferrous parts remain.

So we built the model and added it to the main model of the Thistlegorm. For the first time in 30 years we can see the helm back in context. We are not 100% certain of the exact location. From Ronen’s description we know the floor of concrete slabs was intact in the 1990s, but at some point it has collapsed into the room below, so we have made a best estimate.

The rudder indicator is showing the helm was a few degrees to starboard, freezing a moment in time. This new discovery is an advancement in restoring The Thistlegorm Shipwreck.

And this is matched by the angle of the rudder. There is the remains of a Universal Carrier, once cargo carried in hold No 4, pinned under the stern here and stands as testament to the explosion that sank the ship.

The Limits of Digital Reconstruction

This kind of reconstruction cannot bring back what has changed. But it can offer insight into what was and whilst we know the Thistlegorm was at anchor and the helm position not so relevant, in other losses details like this might be crucial evidence into what happened.

We are extremely grateful to Andy for his assistance, and to Ronen for sharing his knowledge and memories of diving the Thistlegorm in the early 90s. Digitally restoring The Thistlegorm Shipwreck is a cooperative endeavor. Possible only through the efforts of AccuPixel, recreational divers, archaeologists, and other shipwreck enthusiasts.