2019 brought in the Centenary of the scuttling of the German Grand Fleet in Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919.
As part of the commemorations of this event several teams of divers surveyed the wreck of the BSAC (British Sub Aqua Club) adopted SMS Cöln, a SMS German light cruiser of the Cöln class and sister ship SMS Dresden. Today the Cöln lies in 36 metres of water un her starboard side but extends up to 22 metres at the shallowest point. Co-ordinated by Myself, Andy Hunt and Bob Anderson (skipper of the Halton) the survey method involved direct observation by diver pairs who were each given a section to study. During the dive photographs and video were taken and post-dive sketches created. I then took all this information and studied it meticulously and that, based on my own observations from diving this wreck many times and constructed a sketch. This sketch was used as the basis of a special oil painting created to honour the event and was completed and signed by me on the day of the Centenary.
The finished painting was displayed in the Scapa 100 commemorative window in Stromness, Orkney during the centenary and sold to a private buyer. However, a limited edition Giclée print of just 100 is available here.
