The 21st March is the anniversary of the sinking of the WWII US Liberty ship SS James Eagan Layne. The ship was beached and sank in Whitsand Bay near Plymouth, England, after being torpedoed by a German submarine off the Eddystone reef in 1945.

In 2015 The SHIPS Project marked the 70th anniversary of her loss with a research project and the creation of this website. We are celebrating the 80th anniversary in March 2025 as the 'Liberty 80' project and are holding a one day conference to celebrate the life of this ship.

Conference Talks

• Battle of the Atlantic and the U-boat's Last Stand 
• The Development of Liberty Ships 
  
• Life and Loss of SS James Eagan Layne 
• People of SS James Eagan Layne 
• Underwater Tour of the Wreck Site 
• The Marine Biology of an Artificial Reef 

Call for finds from the SS James Eagan Layne 

The James Eagan Layne is considered to be the most dived wreck in the UK. It has been an attraction for visiting divers since the beginning of sport diving and for many divers of all generations, this ship was their first wreck diving experience. One aspect of the Liberty 80 Conference is to host a call for finds recovered from the James Eagan Layne.  Please bring any finds or objects recovered from the wreck, except ordnance, such as cartridge cases and shells.  At the end of the conference, we will have time to discuss the finds that have been brought together along with other research, books and photographs collected over the past 80 years.