Welcome to Lost at Sea Memorials.

For ten years of my professional life I was an air traffic controller. One question always asked of a pilot when filing a flight plan is “How many souls on board?” It is a somewhat morbid question. I suspect that ‘souls’ was substituted for ‘bodies’ decades ago, to make it softer in some way. Fortunately that information is seldom needed – and quickly deleted with the flight plan when the flight lands safely.

Lost at Sea Memorials are always dedicated to ‘souls on board’ – souls lost at sea while sailing on naval & merchant marine vessels at war, while flying on aircraft that crash at sea, while manning fishing vessels and research ships and oil derricks lost to accidents and weather. Lives are suddenly and violently lost. Mortal remains are never found. Grateful nations, local associations, labor unions, or families and friends eventually create monuments to these souls.

This blog is devoted to those memorials – and to the lives and the stories they represent. It is my hope that others around the world will add to the site as time passes. Many of these memorials are local in nature – and local residents can best tell their history.

Please send me an email via the ‘Contact’ form if you wish to make a contribution to the site content.