Protection of Military Remains Act 1986
The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (1986 c. 35) is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that provides protection for the wreckage of military aircraft and designated military vessels. The Act provides for two types of protection: protected places and controlled sites. Military aircraft are automatically protected, but vessels have to be specifically designated. The primary reason for designation is to protect as a 'war grave' the last resting place of British servicemen (or other nationals); however, the Act does not require the loss of the vessel to have occurred during war.
| Long title | An Act to secure the protection from unauthorised interference of the remains of military aircraft and vessels that have crashed, sunk or been stranded and of associated human remains; and for connected purposes. |
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| Citation | 1986 c.35 |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
There have been seven statutory instruments designating wrecks under the Act, in 2002 (amended 2003), 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2017 and 2019. Thirteen wrecks are designated as controlled sites, on which diving is banned. These vessels (including one German submarine), all lost on military service, provide a small representative sample of all such vessels. All other vessels that meet the criteria of the act are subject to a rolling programme of assessment and those that meet the criteria will be designated as protected places. The order that is currently in force, since September 2019, designates 93 wrecks as protected places. This means that diving is allowed, but divers must follow the rule of look, don't touch.