Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

Dear Mac,
 
I am contacting you regarding comments made by contributors to your weblog. Of course I can see how passing remarks made in all innocence can be the cause of contention and possibly upset. I also realise one could not in fairness assume you to be responsible for such remarks.

I have been very closely involved in researching how HMS/m Vandal sank. I was one of the expedition leaders and am one of only 9 people ever to have dived this wreck. It took my partner and I about one year to research and organise the dives, as well as working in close liaison with family members their friends, and members of the Submariners' Association.

None of us ever imagined these consequences, and I find it all a little embarrassing that our work/ interest in Vandal may have led to this.

We took great pains to avoid distress and upset to anyone, so I am alarmed to hear from Sandy Young that a few presumptious/thoughtless, and frankly incorrect statements have been put into public domain (vis your web-site).

I'd be delighted to supply any of our original findings to you and your friends, but please can you reassure me that something will be done to correct the historically incorrect detail, to prevent any further misunderstanding; as well as perhaps go some way to appeasing the offence that has been caused to others.

My thanks to you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards, 
Adina Ochert

TK,
 
In view of this message and past comments by Sandy Young about our article on the loss of HM Submarine Vandal
 
at our URL: http://www.ahoy.tk-jk.net/macslog/HMSubmarineVandalgoesmiss.html
 
Will you as a matter of urgency please remove the total article from Ahoy, and all the comments about her on our AHOY Forum?
 
When I get the original findings from Adina I will rewrite the whole piece.
 
Sorry to ask you to do this extra work, but I cannot see any other way of resolving this issue, and stop any problems with those who dived on the wreck or more importantly not upsetting relatives of those who perished in this tragic accident.
 
Sincere thanks Terry.

Apologies to everyone for not getting right on this.

TK

Dear Adina,

Thank you for your message, as a retired Executive Naval Officer after 20 years service in the Royal Australian Navy, I had no intention to give offence to anyone who dived on the wreck of HM Submarine Vandal, and even more importantly to the relatives of those who perished in that tragic accident.

I have asked my web master, Terry Kearns in Atlanta Georgia, to remove the total article about Vandal, plus all the comments on the Forum from our AHOY site. I would appreciate your offer to share your findings with me, I will then rewrite the piece on the loss of Vandal, her discovery, and the subsequent dives on the wreck. Before publishing that on AHOY, I will send it to you for your comments.

I apologise for any offence to anyone.

Best regards,
Mac. Gregory.

Mac,

Adina copied your reply on to me. Thanks for sorting this out so quickly. I have been involved with the Vandal search for many years and worked with Nick and Adina prior to their highly professional dive.

Adina was responsible for organising the dive and she did this in an entirely ethical manner, liaising with the relatives of the crew and the Royal Navy. She knows most of the story and I am sure will help you to get it right. If there are any gaps which I may help with please let me know.

Kind regards,
Sandy.

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