The Drowned and the Saved: When War Came to the Hebrides
by Les Wilson Birlinn, £9.99, 256 pages
The loss of the Lusitania often eclipses other First World War shipping disasters, but Les Wilson describes two important losses that commemorate a centenary this year. The Tuscania was torpedoed by a U-boat; the Otranto collided with another ship in a storm. Both British ships sank off the island of Islay in 1918 and were filled with US troops heading for the front line.
Wilson’s thorough investigation includes personal accounts from survivors, rescuers, civilians and others involved, to tell the tale of both wrecks and their aftermaths. As with many similar tragedies, there is no complete list of those lost, but the combined death toll was about 700.
The author balances the harrowing accounts of tragedy and loss with the impressive courage and kindness of the inhabitants of Islay who tended the survivors and buried the dead. It was a remarkable feat from such a small community.
This book will appeal to people with many different interests in the First World War: the role of the USA, ancestors lost at sea, Scottish involvement in the war, the wartime merchant navy, or how the conflict affected civilians. Wilson’s account is detailed, intimate and moving, as well as being very readable.