A sunken Australian warship from the Second World War, which is the final resting for more than 300 sailors, has been illegally salvaged for metal, maritime archaeologists say. The HMAS Perth sank in 1942 after a battle against the Japanese navy off the northwest tip of Java, Indonesia. In November 2016, five wrecks in the Java Sea that were intact in 2002 had completely vanished, and were likely salvaged, news.com.au reported. The commercial salvaging of war wrecks, often using explosives, has upset veterans like 97-year-old Frank McGovern, a gunner who escaped the battle that sank the HMAS Perth. “It comes at some sort of a shock to know it’s not a war grave,” McGovern told The Guardian.

Source: National Post June 05, 2017 20:48 UTC