Orkney at War (August - December 1916)

The 9th instalment of our Orkney at War Exhibition is now available to see in the Archive corridor upstairs in Orkney Library & Archive. The display attempts to show how Orkney and Orcadians were affected by the war, using items from the Archive collections which were created at the time. Items such as newspaper reports, scrapbooks, council minutes, photographs, letters and diaries.

Visit by Commander in Chief.
On 1st August 1916 Admiral Jellicoe, Commander in Chief, his wife Gwendoline and her sister Freda Cayzer all signed the visitor's book of the YMCA in Longhope


First page of entries of YMCA visitors book (Archive Reference: D1/1207)

"Long Hope Bay during the war was the headquarters of the auxiliaries of the Grand Fleet, and never in its history were so many vessels of such varied types assembled in the harbour. The village of Long Hope, where there is a good pier, naturally became much frequented by officers and men from the ships, and eventually a commodious Y.M.C.A. was erected, which did much useful work. Tea on the beach was always a pleasant change from ship life (and tinned milk!) and the Post Office at Long Hope became a favourite rendezvous for informal tea-parties."
Extract from Scapa and a Camera by C W Burrows, p51 (Orkney Room reference 941.09 Y)

Water Levels Running Low
"At a Meeting of the Provost, Magistrates and Councillors of the Burgh of Stromness held in the town Clerk's office on Tuesday 8th August 1916 at 10.30am, the Council instructed that a letter should be sent to the Competent Naval Authority here asking him to draw less water for Naval purposes as the supply is running low."

Stromness Town Council minute (Archive Reference S1/5)

"The Burgh Surveyor was asked to report to Mr Setchell, Superintending Engineer to the Admiralty, on Saturday of each week, the depth of water in the reservoir."

Margaret Tait's Diary

1st September 1916 "Jim has got married and Maggie is in Aberdeen too. Jennie is in the house and I have had a lovely time in the shop myself. Got a bit of wood carved out of the Hampshire boat from a fleet man. It is meant for a brooch and cut heart shape."

Why the Germans Loathe Kirkwall

In the August London, Percival A. Hislam contributes an article on the British blockade in which the following passage occurs:- "The general practice is this: if a ship smells clean - that is to say if her papers and a brief examination of her cargo reveal nothing suspicious, she is allowed to proceed, but at the merest scent of something wrong the examination party flutter a farewell signal to their parent ship and proceed to take the suspicious trader into Kirkwall.

Now there are few places on earth whose name is more offensive to German ears than Kirkwall, a little town of four thousand inhabitants buried away up in the Orkneys, nor is the reason far to seek.

Just as Folkstone is the principal customs barrier for people coming up to England from the continent, so is Kirkwall a sort of filter through which almost everything must pass that seeks to enter Northern Europe by sea. Because such vast quantities of stuff destined for Germany have been diverted at Kirkwall to other destinations the Germans loathe it. The call it our Police Bureau." published in the Orcadian newspaper on the 1st September 1916.

Orcadians with the Colours

Private William G Linklater, Seaforth Highlanders, son of Mr and Mrs Andrew Linklater, Millquoy, Firth.

Seaman George Petrie Duncan, now serving in one of H.M. Ships is the eldest son of Mr and Mrs John Duncan, Lynnside, St Ola.

Cuttings from John Fraser's Scrapbook ( Archive Reference D1/692)

Margaret Tait's Diary

Sunday 17th September 1916 "Rainy and cold. been in the house all day resting. Last night I was up the Willow Road to see Mrs Leask. Coming home at night everything looked so gloomy with every window covered with black blinds. Also all the shops have to be blinded with DR blinds so you can't see the least glimmer of light. It looks as though the town is deserted or as if everyone was dead with not even the street lamps lighted. We will have it proper dark this winter."

Kitchener Memorial Decision

"At a meeting of the Kirkwall Town Council held on the 20th September:

The Provost intimated the Public meeting held in the Town Hall on the 7th inst. had unanimously decided that the Orkney Memorial to Lord Kitchener should be a massive tower on Marwick Head, Birsay, any surplus funds going to the National Memorial Fund and that the original suggestion by the Council of a Memorial Window in St. Magnus Cathedral had been abandoned."

The Collection of Sphagnam Moss for Wound Dressings

"It will be remembered that Provost Baikie, in response to an appeal from Aberdeen for sphagnum moss, took up the matter in Orkney and succeeded in enlisting the sympathy of many ladies and gentlemen in the county in the work. Quite a number of sacks of moss were gathered by ladies in town and country, whilst the Kirkwall Boys Brigade, the Scouts, the Girl Guides and the scholars of Holm East and West schools, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orphir, Firth, Stenness, Dounby, Rendall, Sourin, Rousay and Skelwick, Westray, all contributed large quantities. Some ninety-seven sacks of dried moss have already been despatched to Aberdeen and there are sixty-seven sacks of moss still being dried in Kirkwall. It is expected the Boys' Brigade, the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides of Kirkwall will still make a collection before the season closes so that the contribution from Orkney will be considerable." Published in the Orcadian 21st October 1916

Our Roll of Honour - Flotta's Wounded and Missing Soldiers

"Second-Lieutenant Robert Taylor (wounded in the shoulder), after being in hospital in England for a considerable time, is now home on sick leave, but expects to return to France shortly. Private Robert Mowat (Seaforths), wounded in leg, has also, after a lengthy hospital experience, been home a few days on sick leave. Sapper John Flett, Royal Engineers, seriously wounded in leg, is in hospital in England, his left leg having been amputated near the knee. Private William Sutherland (Seaforths) reported wounded over two months ago, but not heard of again, now appears to be missing. There is still a hope that Willie (who was a favourite with everybody) is a prisoner of war. Meantime his parents (Mr and Mrs Donald Sutherland, Windbrake) who have other two sons at the French front, have the community's sympathy in the state of suspense in which they are being kept." Date of publication in newspaper is unknown but roughly Aug-Dec 1916. Cutting from John Fraser's Scrapbook ( Archive Reference D1/692)

The Bluejacket Boy

It is now almost 100 years ago since "The Bluejacket Boy" wrote his letter in December 1916.  We now know him as David "Dai" Phillips, a seaman stationed in Orkney who wrote a letter and then left it on a fireplace in a house in Bridge Street, Kirkwall to post later. 

The letter was never posted and was forgotten about for 64 years! During a refurbishment in 1980 it was found down the back of the fireplace. From 1980  it was kept as a piece of WW1 memorabilia until Oct 2013 when the letter was handed in to the Orkney Archive. Through this blog with the wonderful help of our followers from all over the world, we were able to solve the mystery of who he was. 

David "Dai" Phillips - the Bluejacket Boy

But it wasn't until February 2014 that one researcher spotted a marriage of Catherine Johnston to David Phillips on a Canadian genealogy website and from that connection we were able to contact the Bluejacket Boy's grand-daughter. She has now received a copy of the letter now written almost 100 years ago.

The letter talks about his time in Orkney, the fishing methods of locals possibly in Stromness this little place up here is exactly the same as...small fishing villages in the pictures and about all the parcels  of clothes, etc. he has exchanged with his family. (Archive Reference: D1/1124)

The 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th  and 12th instalments are displayed in various locations around the building and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th instalments, including a special feature of the sinking of HMS Hampshire, are available to see in a folder in the Archive Searchroom. Click on "Orkney At War" in the labels to see more blog posts on this subject.  

Orkney at War - The Hampshire Sinking

As part of our Orkney at War series of displays, we now have one dedicated to the Sinking of HMS Hampshire and the Death of Lord Kitchener.

This display has been compiled from existing records and books which we hold in the Orkney Archive, some of which are very new to us, such as the photograph and biography of William Cake, one of the unfortunate men who perished in the tragedy. We are very grateful to all the depositors of "new" records and photographs we have received since the beginning of our WW1 centenary displays.

Field Marshall Earl Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, in 1914.

Photo and caption from The Kitchener Enigma by Trevor Royle

Orkney Room reference: 941.09 Y

Kitchener set sail from Scapa Flow bound for Archangel, Russia on board HMS Hampshire on the afternoon of the 5th June 1916. Less than 3 hours after departure the ship suffered a massive explosion after hitting a mine 3 miles off the coast of Marwick Head, Birsay. The ship sank within 15 minutes and all on board were lost except for 12 very lucky survivors.

The 737 men who died in the tragedy consisted of the crew of the Hampshire and Lord Kitchener's entourage, including Lord Kitchener himself.

Kitchener was very well known at the time of the tragedy,

"If it be difficult to explain, it is impossible to deny that Lord Kitchener inspired multitudes who had never set eyes on him, who knew of him only by hearsay, with a sentiment something akin to passionate personal devotion."

 Quote from Sir George Arthur, Bt., M.V.O. from the foreword of

The Loss of HMS Hampshire and the Death of Lord Kitchener by a Survivor, W C Phillips

Orkney Room reference: 941.09 Y

HMS Hampshire

Captain: H J Savill; Dimensions: 10,850 tons, 450 x 68.5 x 25.5 feet;

Guns: 6 x 6", 2 x 12 pounder, 20 x 3 pounder; Completed 1905.

Archive Photo reference: L3787-4



Leaving Scapa Flow

Lord Kitchener disembarking from a ship, shortly before his departure from Scapa Flow, June 1916.

Archive Photo reference: L4315/3

"It was 3pm on Monday, June 5th, 1916, that news got round the ship that we were sailing at 4.30pm to convey Lord Kitchener and his staff to an unknown Russian Port. The excitement was great. One and all were very proud to think that our ship was the one selected for such a mission."

 Quoted from The Loss of HMS Hampshire and the Death of Lord Kitchener by a Survivor, W C Phillips

Orkney Room reference: 941.09 Y  

The Weather

"The weather of June was cold, misty, sunless and wet; but vegetation made good progress. There were several strong winds during the first fortnight, but the strongest was on that fateful evening of the 5th, when at 8pm a north-west wind was blowing with a velocity of 52 miles. Not one day of the first 20 passed without wind from some northerly quarter."

Extract from the Met Report from June 1916. Archive Reference: D1/692 WW1 Scrapbook

"We cleared the Harbour and were then met by our escort, which comprised two fast destroyers. The sea was wicked - the two destroyers as they steamed along parallel with us suffered terribly; at times the mountainous waves washed over them completely.

I passed the remark to my mates that they surely would not come much further, and as we expected, they were ordered back to Base, much to the relief of their crews."

Quoted from The Loss of HMS Hampshire and the Death of Lord Kitchener by a Survivor, W C Phillips

Orkney Room reference: 941.09 Y

Route of HMS Hampshire from The Kitchener Enigma by Trevor Royle

Orkney Room reference: 941.09 Y

The Explosion

On board: "a terrific blast went through the ship, shaking her from stern to stern. Something out of the ordinary had happened, and the fumes which began to spread gave evidence that we had probably struck a mine. The force of the explosion had extinguished all the lights, and I shall never forget that dreadful jolting walk in the darkness and fumes, which the mine had given off, to that glimmer of light coming through the hatchway."

Quoted from The Loss of HMS Hampshire and the Death of Lord Kitchener by a Survivor, W C Phillips

Orkney Room reference: 941.09 Y

On shore: "He [her father] came in, he was back on then you see, he didn't see the explosion, and he saw her, but didn't see the explosion, and he came in, he said "There's a big warship coming smashing past Marwick Head." I went out and I said, "I think she's not doing much smashing". And then she headed for the shore, she just headed herself for coming in on the Birsay shore then, but unfortunately she fell off, for you see she was only 3 mile out, that if she'd gone further in we surely could have rescued some. And she fell off and then she started to go down by the bow, like this, and it seemed as if she stopped to me, stopped just for a few minutes, when I thought that her bow might have touched the bottom. And then she just disappeared like that, she turned turtle, they said."

Quote from Mrs Hunter interviewed for Radio Orkney by Brian Flett and Ann Manson, 23 Dec 1981. Transcription by James Irvine. Archive reference OSA/TA/26/3

Aftermath

"And I said to my father "Where will the rafts go?", he said, "Down the Flow", so I said, "Oh that should be all right", for there were ships coming out to look for, after the Hampshire, she would meet in with them, but they didn't because the wind changed and drove them into the next parish of Sandwick. And unfortunately they knew nothing, they'd seen the Hampshire but they didn't know anything had happened to her. For as one of the young men said to me, it was a pity as they could have done something, him and another young man that could have done a lot."

Quote from Mrs Hunter interviewed for Radio Orkney by Brian Flett and Ann Manson, 23 Dec 1981. Transcription by James Irvine. Archive reference OSA/TA/26/3

Illustration from The Mystery of Lord Kitchener's Death by Donald McCormick

Orkney Room reference: 941.09 Y

Survivors

Out of over 700 men who were on board HMS Hampshire, only 12 survived.

"Now the exposure was beginning to take effect ... The night was drawing on and men were dying very swiftly now. Two hours had passed ... At last one large wave swooped us against a very high cliff and the raft caught on some rocks. I remember lying on a rock ... and the feeling of hands pulling me up over the cliffs."



Quote and photo from The Loss of HMS Hampshire and the Death of Lord Kitchener by a Survivor, W C Phillips

Orkney Room reference: 941.09 Y

(Photo- Four of the survivors with W C Phillips sitting on the right)

Loss of Life

Our Archive does not hold many stories of the men who died on the Hampshire, but we hope with the such projects as the Kitchener and Hampshire Memorial Project, more information will come to Orkney.

Here are a couple:

 Frank Glover, Sea Transport Officer 1st Class, lost his life in the Hampshire sinking, seen here in HMS Hampshire Football League. Photo Archive reference: L3736/1





Acting Stoker Petty Officer William Cake



After the sinking of HMS Hampshire, William's body was found on the shore. It is said in the family that he died of hypothermia as his finger and nails were very much cut and broken through his efforts to pull himself over the beach.

Archive Reference: D1/1211

Loss of Lord Kitchener

 Photo Archive reference: L5090/2



Poems from John Fraser's WW1 Scrapbook, Archive Reference: D1/692

Memorial

On 2nd July 1926, on behalf of the people of Orkney and dedicated to Lord Kitchener and the crew of HMS Hampshire, the Kitchener Memorial was unveiled on Marwick Head, Birsay.

Photo Archive references: TK1888 and TK1905

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The weekend of 4-5th June 2016 marked 100 years since the ship went down, and to commemorate every man who perished, The Orkney Heritage Society and the Birsay Heritage Trust mounted a series of events at the Birsay Community Centre and at the Kitchener Memorial culminating in the unveiling of a new curtain wall which includes all 737 names of the men who died that night, as well as the 9 members of the crew of the Laurel Crown which sank there on 22nd June 1916.
More information here. 

A copy of the book "HMS Hampshire: a century of myths and mysteries unravelled" is available to buy here.