USS Richard Montgomery
The S.S. Richard Montgomery was an American ship built during World War 2 - one of the Liberty ships used to ferry cargo. The ship was built in 1943 by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company. It was named after Richard Montgomery, a celebrated Irish-American soldier of the 18th Century.In August 1944, on what was to be its final voyage, the ship left Hog Island, Philadelphia, carrying about 6000 tons of explosives. It made its way to the Thames estuary where it anchored while awaiting the formation of a convoy to travel to Cherbourg, France, which had already fallen to the Allies (on July 27, 1944) during the Battle of Normandy.
On August 20, 1944, the ship ran aground on sand banks near the British Isle of Sheppey off the northern coast of Kent. Between then and September 25, about half of the explosives were successfully removed from the wreck, after which time the ship was abandoned.
Due to the presence of unexploded ordinance, the ship is still monitored by the Port of London Authority.
