WARTIME SCARS ETCHED IN THE LANDSCAPE
Orkney’s wartime past remains poignant to this day, having left a permanent mark on the islands, which were of vital importance to Britain’s war effort. During both World Wars, Orkney was home to thousands of service personnel, transforming life and society in the islands, with Scapa Flow the chief naval base of the Home Fleet, a heavily defended strategic naval anchorage — the remains of which still exist today.
Ideally suited to provide safe anchorage in the north for the diverse fleet of warships, sadly, tragedy struck on many occasions, with many lives lost, notably in 1917, when HMS Vanguard blew up and sank as a result of an internal explosion — with the tragic loss of over 800 lives.
This came a year after HMS Hampshire hit a mine off Birsay, in 1916, with the loss of Lord Kitchener, face of the iconic war recruitment campaign poster, and 736 others.
Perhaps the most enduring and renowned legacy of Orkney’s wartime past are the wrecks of the German High Seas Fleet that lie on the seabed of Scapa Flow, which are now a haven for divers from all across the world.
A total of 74 ships had arrived in Scapa Flow for internment in 1919, and the entire fleet was scuttled in order to prevent the ships falling into the hands of Allied forces.
A total of 52 ships went to the seafloor and today only seven remain after a monumental salvaging operation — one of the largest in history — following the end of the First World War.
Scapa is the site of the HMS Royal Oak memorial and garden. It marks the day in Scapa Flow, on October 14, 1939, when the ship was sunk by a German submarine, U-47, resulting in the devastating loss of 835 lives.
Following the sinking, Winston Churchill ordered the construction of the Churchill Barriers, to protect the eastern approaches of Scapa Flow, after the U-boat successfully managed to take advantage of defence weaknesses.
The most visual of defences — blockships can still be seen to this day. These were old merchant ships which were deliberately sunk to prevent access to Scapa Flow through the channels.
On Lambholm stands the Italian Chapel, beautifully created from wartime Nissen huts by Italian prisoners of war in World War Two.
There were several important wartime airfields in Orkney. There are plans for one, HMS Tern, to be renovated, with the hope of bringing some of the buildings back to a useable condition for exhibitions of wartime artefacts.
The island of Hoy was once home to thousands at the Lyness Naval Base, a sprawling mass of buildings, fuel tanks and harbour activity. Shells of many of these buildings still remain.
The Scapa Flow Museum, which has reopened following a £4.4million award-winning refurbishment, is also in Lyness, showcasing objects never seen before alongside favourite exhibits, and telling the story of Scapa Flow as the centre of the British naval universe during both world wars.
A world-class display of over 250 artefacts and interactive exhibits are housed there, telling the story of Orkney’s military involvement.
Also at Lyness, a memorial stands to mark the fact that ships of the Arctic Convoys sailed from Scapa Flow to supply northern Russia in their fight against the Nazi forces.
In Lyness Naval Cemetery lie many service personnel who lost their lives during the years of war. It is one of the largest sites the Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintains in the UK, and great care is taken to keep it pristine.
Reading the names and ages of those who lost their lives can be a poignant moment for those who visit, and a stroll along those rows is a reminder of those who fought for our freedoms — a sacrifice which should never be forgotten.