The Lost Gold from HMS Edinburgh

Overview:

This is a fascinating and hair-raising story about the search and recovery of more than five tons of Russian gold bullion, which sank in the bomb hold of HMS Edinburgh in 244m of ice-cold sea off Murmansk in 1942

Hear what happened during the action leading to the ship’s sinking and about the groundbreaking 1981 salvage that when bad weather finally forced the cessation of the diving operation, 431 of 465 ingots had been recovered. At the time the haul was worth more than £40,000,000 (in 2020 worth around £140,000,000). This bullion recovery project created a world record in deep diving which stands to this day. A further 29 bars were brought up in 1986 bringing the total to 460.

Image of ship acknowledgment:  IWM (A 6160)

Image of gold bar acknowledgment – https://news.nestia.com/detail/-/4645349

Presenter: Gillian Lewis

Gillian joined the Australian National Maritime Museum as a volunteer guide in 2008 after retiring from a successful sales career at CSR Building Products. She has been an ANMM Speaker for six years, developing presentations and speaking to community groups.

With a family history in the merchant and Royal Australian Navies, Gillian has a special interest in the loss of HMAS Sydney (II) in 1941. She has volunteered to search genealogical databases for living relatives of the Sydney crew to assist with DNA identification. She also has an interest in WWI history, particularly the Western Front, and is a passionate traveller who has visited over 120 countries.

Detail:

Date and Time:1100, Wednesday 12^th. March 2025 (Sydney time)

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