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[h3]The disappearance of Royal Navy diver Commander Lionel ‘Buster’ Crabb in 1956 is still shrouded in mystery - thanks to the reluctance of the Government to release cabinet papers on the matter under the normal 30 year rule.[/h3]
Buster came to prominence during World War II, thanks to his mine and bomb disposal skills in Gibraltar. He pioneered the use of specialised underwater equipment to combat Italian divers, who were attacking British ships in harbour. His heroic efforts were even made into a film in 1958 - ‘The Silent Enemy’
Having been awarded the George Cross ‘for gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty’, he moved to Italy following the war, and used his diving skills to once again protect British ships abroad. He was to be later awarded an OBE for his services.
Buster came to prominence again in April 1956 when he ‘vanished’ during a dive near Portsmouth. Officials and the Admiralty at the time maintained that he been testing new underwater apparatus.
However, there is widespread speculation that Buster was on a special mission in some way connected to a Russian ship, carrying Premier Kruschev to Britain on a goodwill visit, docked at Portsmouth at the time.
Various theories have emerged over the years including:
- Crabb had been captured while he was making a secret study of the ship
- He had deliberately been caught in order to infiltrate the Russian Navy and act as a spy for the West.
- He had been betrayed by his own country
- He had gotten into difficulties during the dive and died
A body with both hands and the head missing was washed up in Chichester harbour in June 1957 and officials took this to be Crabb's. A death certificate was issued and the body was buried in Milton Cemetary, Portsmouth.
However, doubts about what actually happened still persist today, and official papers are unlikely to surface for many years to come.
Lionel 'Buster' Crabb biography
Lionel 'Buster' Crabb biography
Lionel 'Buster' Crabb biography