By James Heinz

The Dutch motor freighter PRINS WILLEM V sank off Milwaukee in October 1954 after striking the tow cable between a tugboat and an oil barge it was towing.  The ship has become one of the most popular dive sites on the Great Lakes, and as a result, many artifacts from her have been recovered. https://wmhs.org/the-willie-became-the-only-loss-of-1954/

Legendary shipwreck explorer Jerry Guyer has several of these artifacts on display at his aptly named Jerry’s Dock on the Milwaukee River at 318 South Water Street, where he docks his dive charter boat LEN-DER. Also on display are artifacts salvaged from the bottom of the Lake, like the propeller and funnel from the Willie. There is also an anchor of unknown provenance, like the anchor believed to be from the Willie I reported previously: https://wmhs.org/artifacts-from-a-legendary-great-lakes-shipwreck-part-i/

I had a lot of good times on Jerry Guyer’s boat LEN-DER diving on the Willie in the days of “braille diving”, which I have told before: https://wmhs.org/the-bends-ended-his-diving-adventures-but-not-the-tales-he-tells/  The LEN-DER itself was previously owned by Port Washington shipwreck artifact collector Butch Klopp: https://wmhs.org/the-greatest-shipwreck-diver-i-never-heard-of-conserving-the-klopp-collection-part-1/ and https://wmhs.org/the-conclusion-of-the-butch-klopp-story

Photos provided by author

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James Heinz is the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society’s acquisitions director. He became interested in maritime history as a kid watching Jacques Cousteau’s adventures on TV. He was a Great Lakes wreck diver until three episodes of the bends forced him to retire from diving. He was a University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee police officer for thirty years. He regularly flies either a Cessna 152 or 172.