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Greg Buxton (UK) - Project Leader, Director Nessia Limited
Mixed gas diver

Qualified BSAC Advanced Diver, BSAC Instructor and IANTD Trimix Diver.
Aside from his own personal interest as the grandson of two of the Struma victims, Greg is a highly accomplished wreck diver. He was a member of the Britannic 98 team and it was on his return from this expedition that he started to realise his desire to visit his grandparent's last resting place.
Greg regularly dives the English Channel's deep wrecks as a member of the Starfish Enterprise team, a number of whom are part of the Struma expedition.

BSAC Advanced Instructor and IANTD Trimix, Cave and Rebreather Diver.
Geraint started diving in 1985, moving to Trimix in 1995 to further his deep wreck exploration interests as a member of the Starfish Enterprise team. Since October 99 he has been diving with the Inspiration CCR. Previous expeditions of note include the HMS Affray 98 (86m), Britannic 98 (120m), HMS M1 99 (75m), Lusitania 99 (93m) and Jutland 2000 (45-60m).

'As a long term friend of Greg's he first spoke to me about this wreck his grandparents died on in the early 90's and how he wanted to find and dive it. In these early days we realised it was beyond our reach both in terms of depth and logistics, and the subject only came up infrequently. When, on returning from the Britannic 98 expedition, he stated that he now realised it was possible, and that he was going to find the Struma, I instantly become the first signed up member of his team.'

Qualifications: IANTD Trimix Diver, NACD Full Cave Diver and BSAC Instructor. Mark's main interest is in deep wreck exploration and can be found most weekends somewhere in the English Channel trying to satisfy this urge.

'This expedition is very important to me. Although there have been so many attrocities during and since WW2, its often the personal stories, like that of Greg's family, that bring home a real understanding of what it means to suffer from persecution and dispossetion. As someone who is Jewish I feel it is important to remind the world of what can happen when there is intollerence in society. There were three people by the name of Brill on the Struma and although they are not immediate relatives of mine, I feel an affinity as if they were part of my own family.'

John Chatterton is an American commercial hardhat diver, and a US Merchant Marine Officer. John has 12 years experience in producing underwater video for television and industry. He was a member of the first technical diving expedition to the RMS Lusitania in 1994, and was the first diver to use rebreather technology on the HMHS Britannic in 1998. His discovery of the German submarine U-869, off the coast of New Jersey in 1991, has been the subject of several television documentaries. In 1995, he discovered and identified the World War I passenger freighter SS Carolina, and recently recovered the Purser's safe from the wreck. In addition, he has logged over 130 dives on the Andrea Doria.

A freelance marine archaeologist, marine survival consultant and a HSE Part III archaeological diver and ROV pilot. A multi-skilled, qualified and enquiring individual with over 25 years in the marine and offshore oil industry.
Neil has spent most of his time working for the Scottish Institute of Maritime Studies, based at St Andrews University. Recently along with three other colleagues has set up a commercial archaeological service company called Connect Archaeology Ltd. After a five year spell as a Merchant Navy Deck Officer, Neil worked on oil rigs as a control room operator and barge engineer. He then became a marine survival instructor/examiner and was the UK's first freefall lifeboat instructor. Following this he attained a masters degree in maritime archaeology and worked on the Duart Point Cromwellian Shipwreck Site for five years.
Neil brings to the project a considerable experience in underwater excavation, surveying and videography,and has worked with TV crews. In his spare time he is a diving officer and instructor of his Sub Aqua Association branch and is their National Boathandling/Chartwork and Navigation Co-ordinator. He is also an RNLI Sea Check Advisor, an RYA powerboat instructor/examiner, VHF and GMDSS instructor/examiner and is the deputy station officer of a local coastguard rescue team.

'I am involved with the project as it is a good story and a challenge to do deep water archaeology. Also an opportunity to develop techniques and skills that will allow other technical divers to carry out archaeology at depth.'

Qualified BSAC Advanced Diver and IANTD Trimix Diver.
Gary started diving in October 1987 as part of his degree in Oceanography at Plymouth. He is currently a researcher in Oceanography at Lancaster University and spends virtually all his time either working or diving in the sea (and Dorothea and Capernwray). His main diving interests are in deep wrecks and trimix diving. He spent the winter training with Jerome Meynie in Dorothea Quarry, helping to map the deep bits of what is the deepest man made hole in the Northern Hemisphere and getting towed around by his Aquazep.
As the expedition oceanographer, Gary has provided invaluable information on the conditions in this area of the Black Sea.

Nick has been diving since 1986 and is a BSAC Advanced Diver and IANTD Trimix Diver.
He achieved UK's first 100m dive in Dorothea quarry in 1994 with Simon Tapson and Rob Royle.
His Expeditions inlcude: Lusitania (93m) in 1994 with specific responsibility for gas mixing and King Edward expedition (115m) in 1997. Nick organised and led Britannic 98 expedition (119m), the most extensive survey yet undertaken of the Titanic's sister.

'I am invloved with the Struma expedition because I feel it is a well-organised expedition with a specific and worthy goal. I am looking forward to marshalling dives and shooting video of both surface and underwater operations.'

Qualified as an IANTD Trimix diver Jonothan has been diving for over 15 years. He has dived around the world and is an experienced UK deep wreck diver.

'To hear Greg's story and to meet some of the people involved was inspiring enough, to be asked to be involved with the project and take part as one of the diving team is a privilege. Not only because I am Jewish, but also because I am simply human, I believe that we are obligated to give a memorial and a voice to the lost and to build a bridge between them and those who mourne their passing.'

Greg's diving career began in 1989 and since then he has focused primarily on diving and recording film of deep ship wrecks. His wreck diving exploits include the Sebastian , U-869, Republic, Andrea Doria, and the Britannic. He also runs many mixed gas exploration charters in the coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada. Greg is a highly experienced underwater videographer and has shot numerous films for TV broadcasts in North America and Europe. He also took part in the Britannic 98 expedition as a team member and videographer.
Greg has been utilizing rebreather technology for some time now and has considerable experience with the Drager Atlantis/Dolphin SCR, AURA CCR 2000 and most recently the Buddy Inspiration, which he will be using on the Struma Project.
He is also a mixed gas diving instructor with both TDI and IANTD and holds instructor ratings with ANDI, PADI and NAUI.

John diving since October 1979. His first underwater experience was when he started diving the many cave sumps of the Mendip hills. He did his first sea dive in 1982 and is a BSAC advanced diver and TDI trimix diver.
John was the Marine Biologist for the 1990 operation Raleigh expedition to the Great Barrier reef, conducting extensive survey work on reef degradation.
He currently dives with Kingston BSAC mainly on the south coast mid channel wrecks.

'I enthusiastically excepted Greg's offer to join this expedition because I was impressed by his extensive research and depth of feeling for the terrible scenario that lead up to the sinking of the Stuma - I felt I could contribute'

Jeannette is a TDI Technical Instructor , PADI IDC Staff Instructor and in 1998 became the first (and currently only) female Inspiration Rebreather Instructor and a Trimix CCR Instructor in 1999. She is also an IANTD Instructor, DAN Oxygen Instructor and H&SE First Aid at Work Instructor and Examiner.

Since learning to dive as a teenager she has gained experience in just about every aspect of the sport. In particular she has is highly regarded as a technical and rebreather instructor.
Following Jeannette's inauguration into the SCUBA educational ranks she has had the opportunity to travel to many different countries - from diving in 2 meters of snow in Norway to frolicking with Bull Sharks in sunny Florida to deep wreck dives in the UK. She loves teaching and hasn't looked back and now instructs professionals to dive with Trimix Closed Circuit rebreathers right down to the basics with newbies discovering scuba for the first time just like her first memorable experiences of the marine habitat.
Jeanette claims to never having a real bad dive and always has a positive attitude which enlightens her pupils and motivates them to strive for the best.
Jeanette will be traveling again to the Red Sea for some closed circuit rebreather diving and will be practicing for the expedition.
She is a key diver and explorer on the Project and will be traveling to Istanbul, Turkey in hopes of helping the team locate the ship and assisting to unravel the mysteries of the sinking of the vessel.
Jeanette is sought after as an inspirational speaker and has frequented many dive programs in the U.K. I know we will see a lot from Jeannette in the coming years so keep and eye open for her new adventures!

Other expeditions Lusitania 94 & 95 (93m), Aboukir, Crecy & Hogue 95, King Edward VII 97 (115m), HMS Affray 98 (86m), Britannic 98 (120m), HMS M1  99  (75m)

Jamie brings a wealth of deep wreck and expedition experience to the Project. His skills in identifying wreckage and his uncanny ability to find and recover artifacts will be invaluable.

IANTD Trimix Diver, NACD Full Cave Diver and BSAC Instructor.
Most of Louise's spare time is spent diving around the UK and in particular exploring the English Channel's deep wrecks. She has dived all over the world from the cave's of Mexico's Yucatan to The Galapagos Islands.
Louise is also the publisher/editor of Dive Girl magazine and a columnist for Diver magazine.

'When I first heard the story of the Struma I was struck by the lack of compassion shown towards the people on board. These men, women and children were escaping genocide, they had been stripped of their possessions, even their wedding rings had been taken. They had to endure terrible conditions on board the ship, they were denied refuge, they were forcefully towed out to sea, abandoned, and deliberately sunk. It is a tale of persecution, where very little respect or humanity was shown to the Struma passengers. I see the project as a way of bringing some dignity back to the situation. Its an opportunity to bear witness to what happened and make sure it is not forgotten. It also provides a focus for the relatives and friends of those who were killed to remember and mark their passing with ceremony. I feel very priveleged to be part of the project. I can't think of anything that would give me a better reason to dive. The story of the Struma is a tragic one, but the Struma Project is a celebration of people reclaiming some humanity from the tragedy.'

Alex's main interest is in deep wreck diving and he has dived numerous famous wrecks since the late eighties, mostly in the UK and some well known wrecks around the world including RMS Lusitania and the Afric. Diving qualifications are with PADI and IANTD. He is also a member of the Starfish Enterprise team who are the UK's premier deep mixed gas diving group. A design and development engineer by trade, he has designed a lot of equipment for deep sea diving through his company, Custom Divers which is currently used world wide. As part of the Struma bottom diving team, Alex will be on hand in a technical support role for the whole team's equipment.

Previous expeditions include: De Leifde 78, Lusitania 94 (93m), Aboukir Cressy & Hogue 95, King Edward VII 97 (115m), HMS Affray 98 (86m), Britannic 98 (120m)

Dave has been diving for 29 years, and was one of the UK pioneers of 'technical' and mixed gas diving. These days, Dave has embraced rebreather technology and uses a Cis-Lunar Mk5, which he will be bringing on the expedition. He has specialised in deep wreck diving, and has a wealth of experience on several major expeditions including the 1994 Lusitania and 1998 Britannic trips.

'I particularly enjoy the exploration and identification aspects of wreck diving, going where few, or no-one, has gone before, and am eager to assist Greg in his quest to explore and analyse the wreck of the Struma.'