Bill Smith (underwater surveyor)

Bill Smith (born William Hammerton Smith, May 1967) is a British underwater surveyor whose 1996 initiative led to identifying anew the location on the Coniston Water lake-bed of Bluebird K7, the jet-engined hydroplane in which Donald Campbell lost his life whilst attempting to push the water speed record beyond 300 mph in January 1967.

Underwater exploration

Bill Smith with his team undertook many high profile deep water searches including those for German battleship Tirpitz off Tromsø in Norway and the wreck of HMS Unity, a Second World War U-class submarine in Blyth on the Northumberland coast. He was also involved in two searches at Ullwater and Coniston Water in the Lake District, as part of a search for evidence in the re-opened Lady in the Lake trial inquiry into the disappearance of Carol Ann Park. Most widely reported was the work surrounding the search for Bluebird K7.

Bill Smith was involved in the exploration of the wreck of HMHS Britannic, a sister ship to Titanic, in order to ascertain the reasons for its sinking. Britannic's wreck site is considered to be a war grave by the UK Government. A number of mine anchors were located off the wreck, confirming the German records of U-73 that Britannic was sunk by a single mine.

Recovery of Bluebird K7

Using adapted side scan sonar technology, a diving team led by Bill Smith, located anew the lake-bed site of K7, with the body of Donald Campbell. The team worked towards K7's subsequent recovery. The wreckage was recovered between October 2000, when the first small sections were raised, March 2001 when the wreckage was brought ashore and May 2001, when Donald Campbell's body was retrieved from the lake on 28 May 2001 in the presence of Campbell's only daughter Gina Campbell.