The seabed off the coast of Normandy was the destination for the annual expedition by enthusiasts of the RN’s Naval Air Command.

A team of 12 sub-aqua divers from RN air stations Culdrose, in Cornwall, and Yeovilton, in Somerset, travelled across the Channel to study wrecks in the Seine Bay.

The airmen notched up a total of 120 dives – more than 4,000 minutes – allowing them to inspect eight wrecks which were in various states of decay, according to Lt Cdr Geoff Bowker.

“All of the wrecks were fascinating in their own right – and being war graves, were afforded the appropriate respect at all times,” he added.

“The wrecks, which varied from almost complete ships to piles of metal plates and girders, now provide natural havens. At times the wreckage could not be seen for the shoals of fish.”

The two most poignant sites visited by the divers were the last resting places of LST 523, complete with Sherman tanks which were destined for Omaha Beach, but never got there, and that of the SS Leopoldville.

The 11,500-tonne troopship was sunk by Gerhard Meyer in U486 on Christmas Eve in 1944, taking more than 800 American soldiers with her.

Her wreck lies in around 50m of water, at the diving limits allowed by the Joint Service Sub Aqua Diving Regulations, and also requires a special permit from the French authorities.

The expedition ended with the laying of a wreath over the Leopoldville wreck and a memorial service to Allied servicemen lost in this part of the Channel.

The findings of the Air Command divers on the wrecks has been passed on to the UK Hydrographic Office to allow the updating of its records.