British Exploration Company Loses Battle in U.K. Supreme Court
South Africa emerged victorious in a legal battle over a $43 million treasure from a World War II shipwreck found off its coast. The U.K. Supreme Court ruled in favor of South Africa in a dispute with a British exploration company that salvaged the sunken treasure from the SS Tilawa, dubbed the “Indian Titanic.”
The SS Tilawa, carrying 2,364 bars of silver purchased by the Union of South Africa, sank in the Indian Ocean in 1942 following a Japanese torpedo attack. The treasure lay unretrieved until 2017, when a British salvage company, Argentum Exploration Ltd, recovered it. The company claimed ownership of the treasure under maritime law, citing voluntary salvage rights.
However, South Africa contested the claim, arguing that the silver was not intended for commercial use when the ship sank. The U.K. Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of South Africa, determining that the silver was not in use for commercial purposes, thus granting the country immunity from the claim.
The sinking of the SS Tilawa remains a poignant chapter in World War II history, with 280 lives lost and a significant amount of cargo lying at the ocean floor. The legal battle over the salvaged treasure has come to a close, marking a significant victory for South Africa in reclaiming its wartime heritage.