A naval officer is believed to have solved a 90 year mystery about a submarine buried beneath a public park.

Since the 1930’s, residents of Dartmouth, Devon, have been convinced that there is a wreck of a submarine buried underneath the town’s park.

Now, Tom Kemp, an officer from Britannia Royal Naval College which is based in Dartmouth, thinks he has finally unearthed the truth.

By investigating old documents and photographs, he believes he has identified the submarine submerged underneath Coronation Park.

E52, the identified sumbarine in service. See SWNS story SWMRsubmarine. A naval officer is believed to have solved a 90 year mystery about a submarine buried beneath a public park.Since the 1930's, residents of Dartmouth, Devon, have been convinced that there is a wreck of a submarine buried underneath the town's park. Now, Tom Kemp, an officer from Britannia Royal Naval College which is based in Dartmouth, thinks he has finally unearthed the truth. By investigating old documents and photographs, he believes he has identified the submarine submerged underneath Coronation Park.
(National Museum of the Royal Nav SWNS)

The five-acre park was opened in 1937, but was once mud flats used as a breaker’s yard for unwanted WWI warships.

The site was later filled to create the park. Ever since, locals have commonly referred to the submarine under the park.

Tom said: “The story of ‘the submarine under the park’ has fascinated and intrigued visitors to Dartmouth for years – and I count myself among them,

“This has been a case of following a very cold trail of breadcrumbs.

“I had been desperately hoping to find a bill of sale or something along those lines with a name on it, but I had to go a little further off-piste to find my answers.”

He instead went though many documents and photo’s to identify what the vessel was.

Lt Tom Kemp. See SWNS story SWMRsubmarine. A naval officer is believed to have solved a 90 year mystery about a submarine buried beneath a public park.Since the 1930's, residents of Dartmouth, Devon, have been convinced that there is a wreck of a submarine buried underneath the town's park. Now, Tom Kemp, an officer from Britannia Royal Naval College which is based in Dartmouth, thinks he has finally unearthed the truth. By investigating old documents and photographs, he believes he has identified the submarine submerged underneath Coronation Park.
(Royal Navy / SWNS)

Lieutenant Kemp has narrowed it down to two submarines it could be: HMS A8 and HMS E52.

Without excavating the park and formally identifying the boat, Tom believes this is as far as we can go with contemporary records.

Coronation Park, where the submarine is buried beneath, today. See SWNS story SWMRsubmarine. A naval officer is believed to have solved a 90 year mystery about a submarine buried beneath a public park.Since the 1930's, residents of Dartmouth, Devon, have been convinced that there is a wreck of a submarine buried underneath the town's park. Now, Tom Kemp, an officer from Britannia Royal Naval College which is based in Dartmouth, thinks he has finally unearthed the truth. By investigating old documents and photographs, he believes he has identified the submarine submerged underneath Coronation Park.
(Royal Navy / SWNS)

He said: “The ‘submarine under the park’ has a name and a story worth telling,

“It’s another unseen-but-enduring bond between BRNC, Dartmouth and the Royal Navy’s Submarine Service.”